Panic Attacks in Kids
The development of anxiety and panic attacks have become a reality in the lives of our kids, too. The scenario, in fact, poses a direct challenge to that school of thought that the accumulation of stress may ultimately lead to the panic attack or even more medical complications in the future.
Panic attacks in kids are much more common than many people realize and so it’s not just about the accumulation of stress over the years, because kids are young and tend to have less experience of stress. So there must be another factor.
It is, perhaps, even more shocking to notice that parents fail to identify the problem of anxiety in kids and thus, leave it completely untreated. It is actually relatively dangerous to leave a child untreated while he continues to suffer from a panic attack. When being asked about the delay in medical attention, the parents point out that they could not comprehend the problem properly.
Looking at the definition by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, we may notice that a panic attack is an expression of a repeated span of continuous and intense frightening time for any child. Adding further, the definition mentions that, the scenario is represented by severe discomfiture alongside a drastically increased heartbeat.
The scenario follows a severe shortness of breath soon after. Further, it may last anytime from a span of couple of minutes to a few hours. The panic attack almost all the time arrives without any warning and hence, it becomes furthermore difficult to treat.
However, the physicians have been able to shortlist several symptoms that may lead to the further problem of panic attacks in kids. These symptoms include a feeling of intense fear of death, tightness in the chest, severe nausea, acute dizziness, shortness of breath and more. There are some intense cases where a child can be seen to experience incredible, uncontrollable shaking prior to and during the panic attack.
The disorder is definitely worrying for any parent. The problem can take a deadly turn where the children may even feel inhibited to enter into relationships with anyone else in the outside world. Such a development may affect their ability of attending the school courses, and any other usual, normal day to day activities. In drastic cases, the kids may show the symptoms of not leaving the known, safe environment.
Efficient and professional reporting of such problems to the ablest physicians will allow any parent to address the disorder effectively. Usual trends display that both the kids as well as adolescents react positively to the treatment against the panic attacks.
