When Sami was three, her father and I unexpectedly got divorced. This was the catalyst for her anxiousness. The only challenge I saw in the beginning was with her sleep. She started struggling with falling asleep and had some night terrors. I had to start having her sleep with me some nights.

About a year later she started exhibiting signs of nervousness, anxiousness, and became more ridgid about the food she ate, she started having sensory challenges, and reported being scared to do regular everyday kid things (like going down slides)

I believe the stress of the life event followed by chronic stress from adjusting to changes after the divorce led to her decline in mental health

There were a couple years where she only wanted to wear loose clothing and sweats because of her sensory issues. She wanted her hair short because long hair bothered her. Dressing this way with a short haircut caused other children to tease her in pre-school and Kindergarten, which led to more anxiousness, sadness and lowered self esteem

Kids are having human experiences, just like adults. They have cortisol, a nervous system, and neurotransmitters as well. They can have an experience or go through chronic stress that creates imbalances in their bodies.

Our 35 neurotransmitters that influence our mental health are primarily made and modulated in the microbiome, traveling up the axis (on the vagus nerve) up to the brain.

Chronic stress and cortisol imbalance can cause inflammation in the microbiome, on the vagus nerve, in the brain, and all other organ systems. This will affect your other hormone systems, your neurotransmitter production, and the communication between the gut-brain.  I started myself, my daughter and husband on protocols right away. It creates a domino effect in your body. Even in children.

I was beside myself. I am a family therapist and tried many interventions with her, some helped a little, but never gave her real long-term relief. 

I was not going to put her on medication.

At the same time, I was experiencing my own stressors and poor mental health symptoms. Read my story here.

I couldn't let her go on this way, she deserved better, this was no way for a little girl to feel or live. 

That sent me on a search for solutions that I could feel confident using with her that would not create additional stressors or toxins in her body on the path to helping her get better.

It was important for me to find something clean, natural, GF, no artificial sweeteners or flavors, and zero sugar

That's when I found holistic protocols with the Mental Wellness Company. Their protocols targeted everything I described above.

Within two weeks I saw a noticeable difference in how fast she was falling asleep: