Panic Attacks in Children and Teens
Are you a teen experiencing panic or are you a parent/carer whose child is experiencing panic attacks?
During an initial panic attack, children and young people are likely to misinterpret physical sensations as if something is terribly wrong such as having a heart attack, losing control or going mad. This comes with a feeling of impending doom. It can be an incredibly scary experience for both children and their parents.
We can offer a wide range of support to children and young people including support from our early intervention team (preventing smaller problems with anxiety and low mood developing into something bigger), parent-led support (supporting parents of primary aged children to manage anxiety or behaviours of concern), CBT and trauma focused CBT.
What is a panic attack?
A panic attack is simply an exaggeration of the body’s normal ‘fight or flight’ reaction.
If a child/young person is experiencing panic attacks, they might experience a sudden feeling of overwhelming anxiety about what is going on in their own body and fear of their physical sensations.
Panic attacks can affect children and young people in 3 different ways:
- Physically (e.g. sweating, fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, tension, etc.)
- Psychologically (e.g. fear something awful is going to happen (even if they don’t know what that is), worry about their physical health, losing control, making a fool of themselves, etc.)
- Behaviourally (e.g. need to escape, sit down, avoid certain places / situations / activities, etc.)
During an initial panic attack, children and young people are likely to misinterpret physical sensations as if something is terribly wrong such as having a heart attack, losing control or going mad. This comes with a feeling of impending doom.
The term panic disorder is used when people either experience recurrent panic attacks or when they develop a constant fear of developing a panic attack.
