|
What You Need To Know About Child Panic Attacks
by Kevin Stith
For both the child and the parents, a child panic attack can be both serious and frightening. Some of the facts around a Child panic attack will be outlined in this brief article along with a decipher to some of the clues that can help parents assist their child during this frightening and confusing time. Panic and anxiety along with other emotional levels are experienced very differently for children than adults, so when dealing with this situation nothing is as important as education.
As a result of experiencing panic attacks many children and teenagers will develop fears of going places. They are afraid that they will be embarrassed in they suffer a panic attack while engaging in an activity. Child panic disorders have many different types.
GAD - Generalized Anxiety Disorder
The patient who experiences excessive worry about a series of event is generally affected by an anxiety disorder known as GAD. The time has little to do with the amount of “logical worry” that is applied since the events can happen either in the past, present or future. Often past events, conversations, upcoming events, school, friends, family, functions or any other possibility are just some of the things children or teens may sometimes worry about. A child cannot control the amount of time spent worrying about such things if they experience GAD.
Relaxation techniques and therapy are the best known ways to treat GAD. A trained mental health physician is usually the best prepared to encounter such as disorder although generally children can be talked out of their worry and it can work wonders. Instead of discouraging words of worry children are taught to use positive self-talk and generate a dialogue with others to explore their feelings. A prescribed medication is generally not used for a child panic attack disorder.
Separation Anxiety Disorder
When children are separated from loved ones or comfortable situation that they are used to then they may experience panic. Typically this applies to the younger children who are separated from their parents. Anxiety can result from the threat of separation from a caregiver and occurs in many cases when children are left with a babysitter on a parents’ evening out on the town.
A child will avoid activities that cause a separation from the caregiver and when they are gone the child will worry excessively. Recognition of these emotions and a good dose of reality are the normal therapies involved. They should be made aware that nothing wrong happens, etc. Coping skills to deal with the separation, often through role playing, are also taught to the children.
Kevin Stith is the editor of Overcoming Anxiety, Anxiety Cure and Depression Information Portal
|
|
