I've recently become a single mother following my divorce. Recently, my youngest son fell and cut himself badly enough to need stitches. I was in the garden at the time and can't stop feeling guilty - I should have been watching him more closely. Ever since, I've been plagued by thoughts of dreadful things happening to my children. My mother says accidents happen and I musn't let it affect me so badly - I know she's right, but I can't stop panicking.

Susan advises
I'm with your mother here. Accidents do happen, and it is as harmful for children to be monitored and watched 24/7 by an overanxious mother as it is for them to fall down occasionally.

That said, your anxiety does have a root cause and it's that you ought to be examining. Because my bet is that you wouldn't have reacted nearly so strongly before your breakup. The trauma of the divorce will have made you feel generally anxious; the increased responsibility for your children will have made you feel even more wary about looking after them. I think it's that which is making you overreact here.

So rather than trying to be less anxious about your kids, I'd suggest you put your energy into actively recovering from your split. Are you getting support from friends and family? Are you getting counselling - as, in fact, most people should after a major breakup? If not, then do; you can talk to the counsellor not only about the divorce, but also about the spinoff feelings around your family. My bet is that fairly soon you'll be feeling much more positive about both.