Panic Attacks in Children

Children and adolescents suffer from panic attacks due to pressure and tension from family and peer. Children may experience fear and discomfort that can be real or a part of their imagination. Children cannot express their feelings to their parents, building up more stress. These innocent, immature children cannot cope up with anxiety and panic attacks.

Parents think that children are safe from all the problems and stress that life has to offer. They just have to concentrate on their studies and their future. Childhood is thought as the most comfortable phase of life. But, in today's world, things are a bit different. Children are growing faster than their age and they are under pressure from all walks of life. They need to be best among their siblings and friends. They need to be more competitive athletically and need to maintain their image socially. These factors may lead to social anxiety and the child develops anxiety symptoms.

Just as fingers are not similar, children have different abilities to cope up with stress. Children have an innocent mind that is easily influenced by family problems like parental fights, divorce, monetary struggles of the family, etc. They store these anxieties that may be real or imagined in their minds, which can burst out as panic attacks in children.

What Causes Panic Attacks in Children?
Panic attack in young children is a sudden episode of intense fear. This fear is developed without any specific reason that triggers physical reactions that are very severe. Panic attacks in children that happen frequently, may develop into a chronic generalized anxiety disorder. Panic attacks may last few minutes or for hours. Many parents have a similar question in mind, 'What causes panic attacks in children?'

Identifying the causes of panic attacks in children is not very simple. There are a number of things that may lead to panic attacks in children. Identifying the cause is the main step in treating panic attacks in children. These causes maybe environmental or genetic. Family history of panic attacks is also one cause of panic attacks in children.

Children and adolescents respond to trauma in their life with fear. They may develop a phobia due to a simple fear of the dog or a major car accident. Children facing some scary events like physical abuse, emotional abuse or sexual abuse in their life also develop symptoms of panic attack in children. The trauma may also cause post-traumatic stress disorder in children.

Studies have shown that 50% of the children suffering from panic attacks have a relative who has suffered from panic attacks. Causes of panic attacks in children also include their biological make-up. Certain chemicals in their bodies have a negative reaction with their nervous system, causing the brain to react with anxiety attacks. Endocrine disorders, neurological disease, infection, lung disease may also lead to panic attacks in children.

Anxiety and panic attacks in children is mostly seen during their late teenage years. Panic attacks in young children is also not unheard of. Divorce, moving to a new home or city, death of a sibling or parent may also lead to panic attacks in young children.

Symptoms of Panic Attacks in Children
The different causes of panic attacks in children are situations that have grown out of proportion in the child's mind. The symptoms of panic attacks in children are as follows:

• Crying inconsolably due to fear
• Trembling or shaking
• Shortness of breath like being strangled. This may develop into an asthma attack
• Feeling of choking
• Sweating
• The child feels he is going to die or go mad.
• Numbness or tingling anywhere in the body
• Nausea
• The child is afraid to leave home, may develop agoraphobia
• The child feels helpless as he is unable to stop these attacks.

These symptoms of panic attacks in children also accompany some change in their behavior. The child or teen:

• Gets startled easily and is always on guard
• Their appetite is affected and they tend to eat less
• They lose their attention easily and find it difficult to concentrate
• They suffer from regular stomach ache and head aches
• Their performance in school is affected miserably
• They cannot fall asleep and have frequent nightmares
• The activities that were once their favorite no longer excites them anymore
• The child will be speaking of death frequently and always wish to be dead.

Panic attacks in young children are often experienced during certain time of the day. This makes the child more fearful of a possible attack occurring that time. These anxiety and panic attacks in children can happen when the child leaves for school, before a test, during bedtime or any other regular activity the child follows.

Treatment For Panic Attacks in Children
The treatment for panic attacks in children is similar to the treatment used for adults. You should visit a doctor and understand the cause of panic attack in your child. Panic attacks in children can be treated. Treatment for panic attacks in children includes the following methods:

• Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT): CBT helps children understand the causes of fear in their minds and ways to cope with them. They are taught special skills of how to control a panic attack when they feel a panic attack coming. Family therapy can also be followed. The whole family is involved in the treatment that makes the child more confident due to family support.
• Medication: Based on the level of panic attacks, the child may be prescribed low strength tranquilizers. Antidepressants may also be prescribed as they help adjusting the cause that may lead to panic attack.
• Confrontation: The child is made to feel confident and asked to confront his fears. This confrontation helps him overcome the fear and thus help in reducing the panic attacks.

If your child is suffering from panic attacks, it is very important to reassure them that they are not crazy. Speak to the child about the fears with a friendly tone. Do not force your child to talk if he is not ready to speak about it. Understand and support your child to help them overcome their emotions. Tell your child repeatedly that the panic attacks are not their fault. Keep in touch with their teachers, baby sitters, etc. who care about the kid's health. Cut off the caffeine intake of your child as it may trigger a panic attack. You should remain alert for any suicidal tendencies the child may exhibit and seek professional help immediately. A serious panic attack in children plays havoc in the child's normal life. The child may fall prey to alcohol, drug abuse, depression in their teenage years as they cannot cope up with their panic attacks. Panic attacks may occur once or twice in a lifetime. If there are frequent attacks they may develop into personality disorders and phobias wreaking a child's future life. Therefore, parents should take extra care and seek medical advice immediately, if they suspect panic attacks in children.