How to help a child with Panic Attacks?
My son whom is six years old with a mood disorder has been diagnosed with having panic attacks. He has had chest pains, and belly aches for the last four days. He has had a few issues where his breathing gets fast, his heart races, he gets all sweaty, shakey, etc. His psychiatrist put him on a low dose of Paxil 5 mg to help with the anxiety. He has also been sleeping a lot more and seems to be in a depression… a bipolar down… He is anxious to go to school, in stores, etc. What can they do at daycare to help him when he has these attacks, and what can I do at home also when he has them?
We did go to the ER… three different ones in the past three days where they did xrays, EKGs, blood work, listened to his lungs and heart… they found nothing physically wrong with him.
One of the incidences at school he was lying on his cot resting when he started screaming that the snakes were eating him bloody…
Please dont listen to the utterly uninformed answer by Sabine. I wish people who have no idea what they are talking about like her would just not give advice. Sugar does NOT cause anxiety disorders or panic attacks. They are due to a chemical imbalance in the brain which is why they have your son on an SSRI (paxil) to try and get things normalized.
Have they checked his thyroid? An overactive thyroid can cause some of these issues. They need to rule that out first to determine if he really does have an anxiety/panic disorder and this is not just the result of an overactive thyroid. If that is not the culprit and he does indeed just suffer from an anxiety disorder talk to your doctor about beta blockers.
I am not sure if they would be used for a child his age, but they can help adults with panic disorder. They block the physical symptoms of a panic attack including the sweating shaking and rapid heartbeat.
November 28th, 2009 at 5:22 am
He’s probably having a bad reaction to sugar.
Look at his diet and see how much sugar, sweeteners, artificial sweeteners, flavorings, corn syrups, high fructose corn syrup, etc. he eats.
I used to have extreme panic until I quite ALLLLLL forms of sugar. Now I never do.
Sugar is extremely damaging to the brain– though most people refuse to believe it because it’s EVERYWHERE and no one wants to think a sweet little donut can make them very sick
Edit
Your child’s behavior may be linked to diet-specifically to the sugar in obvious sources like sweets and soda and to hidden sugars that lurk in many foods, fruit-based drinks, and "healthy" snacks like granola bars. And if your son or daughter is sugar sensitive, misbehavior and moodiness can be aggravated by missed or late meals and junk foods.
http://www.enotalone.com/article/4350.html
Trust me. I know what I’m talking about. Sugar destroys the brain chemistry
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November 28th, 2009 at 5:28 am
This sounds more complicated than any answer you could find online. You might want to make your son feel more comfortable in situations like school if you could meet with the teacher before school begins and bring your son. Make your son familiar with the school, the room, his chair, etc. Help him to get mentally ready for situations as they occur. But also show him as a guide by not being shy or nervous yourself. As for the nightmares, this sounds difficult.
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November 28th, 2009 at 6:18 am
Please dont listen to the utterly uninformed answer by Sabine. I wish people who have no idea what they are talking about like her would just not give advice. Sugar does NOT cause anxiety disorders or panic attacks. They are due to a chemical imbalance in the brain which is why they have your son on an SSRI (paxil) to try and get things normalized.
Have they checked his thyroid? An overactive thyroid can cause some of these issues. They need to rule that out first to determine if he really does have an anxiety/panic disorder and this is not just the result of an overactive thyroid. If that is not the culprit and he does indeed just suffer from an anxiety disorder talk to your doctor about beta blockers.
I am not sure if they would be used for a child his age, but they can help adults with panic disorder. They block the physical symptoms of a panic attack including the sweating shaking and rapid heartbeat.
References :
November 28th, 2009 at 6:28 am
Panic disorder is a common and treatable disorder. Children and adolescents with panic disorder have unexpected and repeated periods of intense fear or discomfort, along with other symptoms such as a racing heartbeat or feeling short of breath. These periods are called "panic attacks" and last minutes to hours. Panic attacks frequently develop without warning. For more information about panic disorder, visit the National Institute of Mental Health’s website at http://www.nimh.nih.gov or call 1-800-64-PANIC.
Symptoms of a panic attack include:
Intense fearfulness (a sense that something terrible is happening)
Racing or pounding heartbeat
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Shortness of breath or a feeling of being smothered
Trembling or shaking
Sense of unreality
Fear of dying, losing control, or losing your mind
If not recognized and treated, panic disorder and its complications can be devastating. Panic attacks can interfere with a child’s or adolescent’s relationships, schoolwork, and normal development. Children and adolescents with panic disorder may begin to feel anxious most of the time, even when they are not having panic attacks. Some begin to avoid situations where they fear a panic attack may occur, or situations where help may not be available. For example, a child may be reluctant to go to school or be separated from his or her parents.
Several types of treatment are effective. Specific medications may stop panic attacks. Psychotherapy may also help the child and family learn ways to reduce stress or conflict that could otherwise cause a panic attack. With techniques taught in "cognitive behavioral therapy," the child may also learn new ways to control anxiety or panic attacks when they occur. Many children and adolescents with panic disorder respond well to the combination of medication and psychotherapy. With treatment, the panic attacks can usually be stopped. Early treatment can prevent the complications of panic disorder such as agoraphobia, depression and substance abuse.
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November 28th, 2009 at 7:03 am
Panic attacks generally tend to go hand in hand with depression, which sounds exactly like what your son is going through at the moment. Has your son’s psychiatrist recognised the symptoms of depression in him? It is really essential that you mention that his sleeping pattern is irratic – you may find that your son may be lying awake at night.
It also sounds as though your son seems to be trying to avoid public places, which would suggest perhaps claustrophobia or even fear of people? You may need to take into account that your son may be being bullied or perhaps he has suffered a traumatic event? Loss or bereavement of a family member or pet? Moving house? Any significant change in his life – or possibly even a small one that may have triggered off a depressive episode?
In relation to actually dealing with panic attacks, when you son begins to hyperventilate, try to have a paper bag with no holes in it handy and get your son to breathe into it, count to five seconds breathing in, holding his breath for five seconds, then breathe out for five seconds and gradually increase the time that each breath is held until your son returns to his normal respiration rate. In regards to dealing with chest pains, get a chair and get your son to sit on it backwards, with his chest leaning against the hard back of the chair. It will need to be a kitchen or office chair, until the pains subside. If the panic attack is severe, phone your GP or hospital and they will direct you on what to do next to keep your son calm until an ambulance arrives or other help arrives.
I hope that this helps and it must be hard for you as a parent to watch your son going through his depressive episode. If your son is asthmatic, then make sure if he goes into a panic attack that he takes his inhaler as soon as he can to prevent the attack from developing into anything more serious.
Panic attacks will lessen in time as will your son’s depression.
My warm wishes to your son and yourself,
Laura.
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November 28th, 2009 at 7:21 am
i have anxiety and i have little episodes of panic attacks. for me they are usually triggered around one fear. i have a fear of being sick in public and getting embarrassed by it. you might want to talk to your son and try to notice certain times that he acts this way. i have the same symptoms as him too with the heart racing and sweatness and stomach aches. i take zoloft to help control it but it is something i have just had to learn to cope with. you can try to minimize the things that cause him to feel anxious if you can. hopefully he will learn to control it the older he gets.
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November 28th, 2009 at 8:09 am
Allergies or like the above poster said ,its SUGAR. Sugar is so toxic to our bodies.
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