I don't know if you remember but my DS had really bad anxiety in the lead up to starting school and was licking his hands constantly, raw in some places. He was such a ball of stress and between the licking and the tantrums it was not a very good time for anyone.

Anyways, it is now nearly two years later and you wouldn't guess that he had anxiety problems. We just moved half a country away and he has been just fine with it all. I can see a bit of anxiety seeping in around the edges as the cause some of his deliberate misbehaving etc, and today he asked for some antibacterial hand gel which he hasn't wanted for a long time but compared to what we have had in the past it is nothing.

I just wanted you to know that just because she is going through this now doesn't mean it will always be this way
This made my day (and it's only 7.30am!), thank you. To know that there's light at the end of all of this is all I want right now

We ended up shaving her head. Very difficult decision, but I think it was the right one. I'd rather her have no hair for a short time, than become before sick or worse from a blockage in her intestines. DH shaved his head in solidarity with her, which was gorgeous.