Panic Attacks In Children
A panic attack can be one of the most confusing and debilitating episodes of an adult’s life but just think of the absolute mayhem when those panic attacks occur in children.
It is hard enough when an adult first experiences one, they cannot explain what is happening to them even though they may have thought that they knew about everything life had to throw at them. Now imagine that you have just started High School (or are maybe even younger), you have no prior knowledge or information about the possibility of something called a panic attack and then… BAM…one hits you out of the blue with no prior warning.
What would you do?
Many children who experience such an episode keep quiet thinking they are somehow intrinsically abnormal. Embarrassed, they gradually regress inside themselves, fearing another attack or resort to, and then become addicted to, alcohol or drugs to waylay some of their fears. If left untreated, their whole lives could enter a downward spiral – something which could be avoided if the problem had been identified at the beginning
Identifying Attacks in Children
Children can seem to be absolutely normal on the surface and parents may never even suspect that, in reality, there is an undercurrent of constant anxiety in their lives. It only takes one stressful or traumatic event to make this feeling explode into a panic attack.
Having experienced one episode, it is possible that these attacks could become reoccurring and the repercussions on both the child and the family are, consequently, devastating.
To stop this situation happening, it is important to be sensitive to how your child is feeling.
Common signs of high anxiety in children could manifest themselves as a tendency to cry for no reason or a high recurrence of sleepless nights and nightmares. Obviously, any symptoms normally associated with a panic attack should be noted, such as nausea, trembling, pins and needles in their extremities, a shortness of breath or a fear of going mad.
These physical traits can easily be spotted but behavioral changes can be trickier.
If your child’s behavioral patterns change, there may be some serious underlying problem. Perhaps their grades take a dip at school or you notice that they no longer want to socialize with previous friends. Maybe they are becoming withdrawn from everyone including their own family and have a sudden weight loss through lack of appetite. The underlying common denominators are anxiety, fear, and depression.
One parent I know of had no idea her child was displaying these very symptoms until one day she happened to walk into her son’s bedroom as he was actually suffering a panic attack. With hindsight, it is easy to pinpoint telltale signs but hindsight is too late – it is important to keep alert to your child’s moods and emotions.
How to Treat Panic Attacks in Children
It is always important to keep an open line of communication with your children. This may seem to be stating the obvious but knowing what is happening in their lives can stop problems before they even start to happen. Of course, worry is a part of anyone’s life and it is impossible to keep them wrapped up in cotton wool forever. Therefore, if you suspect or know your child is experiencing panic attacks then it is vital you seek professional help and advice. It may have been a random attack which never happens again and which the child thankfully grows out of or it may develop in panic disorder.
Whatever the situation, an expert can give you advice on your individual case. It is possible they will prescribe medication, therapy or a combination of both. In any case, it is a good idea to learn whatever information you can as background knowledge so you know what options are open to you and you can then make better informed decisions.
