[joepegcamp]

I've had experience with trauma. It's hard. She simply can't help it. The good thing is that she's letting her anxiety out.

I would take her to a trauma specialist. Talk to her pediatrician and ask for referrals, or call your local hospital. (Most ER Trauma centers know who these folks are.)

At her age, they'll some specially-designed therapies to help her move past it.

I would also talk about your anxiety. I'm sure the accident was frightening for everyone involved. Every time you get in the car, you can say something like "Wow, I'm nervous about driving. That accident really scared me. But we're okay after that accident and I think we'll be okay now."

When this happened to me, my parents gave me a lot of room for misbehavior (within reason, of course). I was angry at the world and scared and anxious. They let me work through that.

If she hasn't already, she may want to start co-sleeping with you. With me, I processed a lot of the fear in my dreams and needed to have someone close by.

She will get through this. As I said, the good news is that she's not repressing the fear, anxiety and trauma. She's expressing what she's afraid of and that's a good sign.

PM me if you need more info. You'll be in my prayers.

PS: Your seven year old may need to see the specialist, too.