How to Treat Panic Attacks in Children

Seeing panic attacks in children is heartbreaking for anyone, but it's especially awful when you realize your own child is dealing with a panic disorder. No one that young should have so much to fear and so much to worry about.

Unfortunately, panic attacks in children exist, and they can be debilitating for young people. However, the good news is that for most children, panic attacks are isolated, meaning that they don't reoccur and aren't necessarily indicative of a chronic condition.

There is a small portion of the population of children in America that do suffer from a full-blown anxiety disorder. Regular panic attacks in children can grow out of a variety of causes: Post-traumatic stress, confronting a specific phobia (such as heights or spiders) or more mysterious origins that lay in a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Though a chronic condition is less common in young children, panic disorder afflicts around five percent of teenagers.

There is a wonderful, comprehensive article over at the web page of the Massachusetts General Hospital about panic disorder in children, and what to look for in terms of symptoms and recurring patterns. This is important information for parents to have, as panic attacks in children don't always look the same as panic attacks in adults.

Massachusetts General Hospital makes the following recommendations concerning treatment for young people affected by panic disorder:

·         Do everything you can to help them avoid panic attack

s at home. This includes being calm and comforting when they are experiencing an attack, listening to their concerns and helping them to remember that they survived previous panic attacks and will survive this one. If you notice that a child has recurring triggers, anticipate attacks by giving them extra love and support when those triggers are present. Lastly, teach them relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and counting, and give them lots of praise and affirmation when they make it through their panic attacks.

·         Do everything you can to help them avoid panic attacks at school. Many people working in education are sympathetic to panic attacks in children but don't understand them well. Make sure that your child's teachers, nurses and school staff understand your child's needs so the school can give them the support they need to achieve academic success.

·         Seek medical help. Psychological help, such as through counseling (whether school-based or psychotherapeutic) is often enough to carry a child through to a point where they can learn to manage their attacks. In some cases, doctors may feel it's necessary to prescribe medications to help reduce a child's symptoms. There are also alternative therapies available, including herbal treatments and technology-driven treatments like neurofeedback, which helps children learn to control their body's reaction to the sudden onset of feelings like anxiety and fear.

NEUROFEEDBACK FOR ANXIETY

Panic Attacks in Children

Panic attacks are a fairly common and treatable condition, but panic attacks in children can be especially alarming. They can also be more difficult to diagnose than panic attacks in adolescents and adults, since children aren’t always able to accurately describe the emotional components of a panic attack.

                                                                                         

What Are the Symptoms of Panic Attacks in Children?

Panic attacks in children involve the same symptoms as panic attacks in adults, which include:

·         Pounding or racing heartbeat

·         Intense feelings of fear

·         Fear of dying or losing control

·         Sense of unreality

·         Trembling and shaking

·         Sensations of shortness of breath

·         Dizziness or lightheadedness

·         Feelings of choking, being smothered, or tightness in throat

Because the symptoms are largely physical, a panic attack can easily be mistaken for a more severe medical emergency, such as a cardiac event. Fortunately, panic attacks are not dangerous or life-threatening, even though they are highly unpleasant.

What Causes Panic Attacks inChildren?

A panic attack is a heightened response to feelings of anxiety and fear. It is essentially a runaway fight-or-flight reaction that spirals out of control. When a person is nervous or afraid, it engages the sympathetic system, causing changes in heart rate and alertness that have to do with the release of adrenaline. When anxiety is intense and overwhelming, this can escalate into a panic attack. Some people may be more prone to panic attacks, a tendency which usually runs in families.

Panic attacks are usually symptomatic of an underlying anxiety disorder. Children, like adults, can develop symptoms of anxiety. Individuals with an anxiety disorder often feel nervous or fearful, and are likely to become excessively or irrationally worried about things in their life.

·         Generalized Anxiety Disorder is the most common anxiety disorder.

·         Panic Disorder is characterized by frequent, recurrent panic attacks, and excessive anxiety about the possibility of having another panic attack.

·         Social Anxiety Disorder involves excessive anxiety in response to social situations and fear of social embarrassment or rejection.

·         Specific phobias are characterized by anxiety in response to a particular fear, such as spiders, heights, or snakes.

Treating Panic Attacks inChildren

Panic attacks in adults are often treated with medications such as SSRIs (Zoloft, Prozac) or benzodiazepines (Xanax); however, these medications are not generally recommended for the treatment of children.

Methods of treating anxiety disorders and panic attacks in children include:

·         Counseling or psychotherapy can help reveal the source of a child’s anxiety, as well as reassuring the child that panic attacks and anxious feelings are not his or her fault because they may suffer from guilt and self-blame.

·         Cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches children skills for dealing with panic attacks and the anxiety that causes them. This includes learning better strategies for dealing with situations that are likely to cause anxiety, which can help prevent panic attacks from occurring in the first place. It can also teach new ways of thinking about stressful or scary situations that can evoke anxiety.

·         Parent guidance can help parents learn about their child’s anxiety and cope effectively with future panic attacks. 

When a child is experiencing a panic attack, it is important for the parent or other accompanying adult to be calm and reassuring. A comforting presence can be extremely helpful during a panic attack. A parent can also help the child with relaxation and breathing techniques. With the help of dedicated professionals and supportive caretakers, children can overcome anxiety and reduce the frequency and severity of panic attacks.

NEUROFEEDBACK FOR ANXIETY

Panic Attacks in Children

Panic attacks are a fairly common and treatable condition, but panic attacks in children can be especially alarming. They can also be more difficult to diagnose than panic attacks in adults, since children aren't always able to accurately describe the emotional component of what they are experiencing.

What Are the Symptoms of Panic Attacks in Children?

Panic attacks in children involve the same symptoms as panic attacks in adults, including:

·         Pounding or racing heartbeat

·         Intense feelings of fear

·         Fear of dying or losing control

·         Sense of unreality

·         Trembling and shaking

·         Sensations of shortness of breath

·         Dizziness or lightheadedness

·         Feelings of choking, being smothered, or tightness in throat

Because the symptoms are largely physical, a panic attack can easily be mistaken for a more severe medical emergency such as a cardiac event. Fortunately, panic attacks are not dangerous or life-threatening, even though they are highly unpleasant.

What Causes Panic Attacks in Children?

A panic attack is a heightened response to feelings of anxiety and fear. It is essentially a runaway “fight-or-flight” reaction that spirals out of control. When a person is nervous or afraid, it engages the “sympathetic system,” causing changes in heart rate and alertness that have to do with the release of adrenaline. When anxiety is intense and overwhelming, this can escalate into a panic attack. Some people may be more prone to panic attacks, a tendency which usually runs in families.

Panic attacks are often symptomatic of an underlying anxiety disorder. Children, like adults, can develop symptoms of anxiety. A person with an anxiety disorder often feels nervous or fearful, and is likely to become excessively or irrationally worried about things in their life. There are four main types of panic attacks in children, and they are:

·         Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which are the most common anxiety disorder.

·         Panic Disorder, which are characterized by frequent, recurrent panic attacks, and excessive anxiety about the possibility of having another panic attack.

·         Social Anxiety Disorder, which involve excessive anxiety in response to social situations and fear of social embarrassment or rejection.

·         Specific phobias, which are characterized by anxiety in response to a particular fear, such as spiders, heights, or snakes.

Treating Panic Attacks in Children

In adults, panic attacks are often treated with medications such as SSRIs (Zoloft, Prozac) or benzodiazepines (Xanax). However, these medications are generally not advisable for the treatment of children.

Methods of treating anxiety disorders and panic attacks in children include:

·         Counseling or psychotherapy. Counseling can help reveal the sources of a child’s anxiety, as well as reassuring the child that panic attacks and anxious feelings are not his or her fault. Children with anxiety disorders may suffer from guilt and self-blame, and need reassurance as to the real nature and causes of their panic attacks.

·         Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy can teach children skills for dealing with panic attacks and the anxiety that causes them. This includes learning better strategies for dealing with situations that are likely to cause anxiety, which can help prevent panic attacks from occurring. It can also teach new ways of thinking about stressful or scary situations that can evoke anxiety.

·         Parent guidance can help parents to learn about their child’s anxiety and cope effectively with future panic attacks. 

When a child is experiencing a panic attack, it is important for the parent or other accompanying adult to be calm and reassuring. A comforting presence can be extremely helpful during a panic attack. A parent can also help the child with relaxation techniques and breathing techniques. With the help of dedicated professionals and supportive caretakers, children can overcome anxiety and reduce the frequency and severity of panic attacks.

NEUROFEEDBACK FOR PANIC ATTACKS IN CHILDREN