Panic attacks can cause a sharp contraction of muscles, which results in miscarriage early stages pregnancy. Panic attacks are also often accompanied by agoraphobia, a condition that causes fear of large crowds of people. This phobia is one of the types of insurmountable fears. It significantly impairs the pregnant woman's ability to social adaptation. Agoraphobia occurs as a result of unexplained panic attacks in crowded places, for example, in the subway, in a restaurant or in a store. As a result of this, the pregnant woman, at the subconscious level, associates the origin of the attack with a certain place or with a specific situation, and begins to avoid public places, fearing to be helpless in a crowd strangers. In addition, attacks of unreasonable anxiety and fear can lead to the development of depression. That is, to a pathology of a psychological nature, in which, due to impaired social adaptation, the emotional state decreases.
Thus, treatment of panic attacks in pregnant women should be mandatory. IN otherwise, this condition can lead to serious complications and consequences.
Symptoms
Panic attacks in children may not occur until puberty. Many symptoms of the disease develop against the background of somatic problems. There are several signs of a panic attack, including:
- a feeling of causeless anxiety and inexplicable fear;
- increased heart rate;
- increased sweating;
- suffocation;
- tremor, internal trembling;
- frequent urination, and after the end of the attack - copious urination of a light color;
- nausea;
- diarrhea;
- loss in space;
- numbness of the skin;
- pain in the left side of the sternum.
Diagnosis of a panic attack in a child
A medical examination is used to diagnose a panic attack in a child. It is performed for the purpose of exclusion. pathological reasons symptoms of this condition. Screening is also carried out to identify anxiety disorders against which the disease could develop. Among them are social phobias and OCD. A panic attack is often not a primary, but a secondary problem of any disease, so to treat it it is important to find out the presence of provoking factors and first eliminate them.
Complications
Provided timely treatment of panic attacks in a child, the prognosis is quite favorable. If the disease is not treated, dramatic changes in a teenager's behavior can occur. If the disease is accompanied by agoraphobia, the child will avoid society. Children prone to panic attacks often drop out of school, avoid people, and become hermits. In some cases this leads to suicide.
Often, panic disorder softens for no apparent reason or is not expressed so often and vividly. Periods of spontaneous remission can last quite a long time, but after them the attacks are usually even more severe. Therefore, it is imperative to show the child to a doctor, otherwise panic attacks can cause even more complex mental disorders.
Treatment
What can you do
Parents whose child is prone to panic attacks should not sit still. The parents' task is to show the child to the doctor. If the problem is related to anxiety disorders, the doctor will give recommendations and teach parents relaxation techniques that help cope with stressful situations. In the future, this technique will need to be taught to the child. If there are medical pathologies, parents will need to follow the doctor’s advice and direct all their efforts to treating the child.
What does a doctor do
Treatment of panic attacks in a child is complex. It usually includes medication and behavioral therapy. Most effective drugs for children are benzodiazipines. But for many children, SSRI drugs are more preferable, since benzodiazepines impair the child’s memory and learning abilities. But these drugs act more slowly.
Behavioral therapy is mainly used if, in addition to panic attacks, the child has all the signs of agoraphobia. This disorder is practically not amenable to drug therapy.
The factors that provoke panic attacks in a child are always determined by the doctor. He also determines what treatment is suitable for the child. Usually the doctor tells the parents how to behave during an attack and, after making a diagnosis, prescribes a treatment regimen.
Prevention
How to protect your child from panic attacks? To do this, a number of preventive measures should be taken:
- Minimize the number of stressful situations in a child’s life.
- Undergo regular examination by doctors to exclude cardiovascular, oncological, and endocrine diseases. And if they are detected, begin treatment of pathologies in a timely manner.
- Teach your child to the right way of life. Absence bad habits, balanced diet, physical activity - all this helps prevent physiological and psychological pathologies. You need to tell your child about this.
- Teach your child to resist negative influence environment. Develop in him the ability to adequately perceive what is happening around him, to be tolerant of himself and other people.
- Visit regularly fresh air, do not let the child become overtired.
If children have already experienced a panic attack, they often have an intense fear of repeating the episode. To prevent this condition, you need to teach the child to adapt to changing conditions. Experts can also help with this: parents can show their child to a psychologist.
“It was a normal school day, a break. I walked down the corridor with my friends and laughed. Suddenly it seemed to me that there was a strong fire in my heart, and my breath was taken away.
I stopped and felt my heart beating fast, like a rabbit's. I thought I was dying. My legs turned into cotton wool, I was seized by a terrible panic, and there was a real hysteria. The head teacher called an ambulance..."
Such a story is in the memories of almost every VSD member. The first panic attacks occur precisely during puberty, and there are strong physiological and psychological reasons for this.
Very young patients with VSD, as a rule, are poorly aware of the symptoms (or do not feel or understand them at all). Therefore, the diagnosis of “vegetative-vascular dystonia” in childhood placed extremely rarely. But a teenager’s body is best soil for the rooting of VSD and its main “charms” - panic attacks (hypertensive or adrenaline crises).
A painting that inspires eternal fear
The symptoms of a panic attack in a teenager are not much different from the symptoms of adult SSDs, but young sufferers perceive the picture extremely difficult for three reasons:
- The nervous system of a teenager, due to its formation, perceives any trouble as a tragedy, and a panic attack is a whole horror movie, where the main role is played by the teenager himself.
- The disgusting sensations of a panic attack occur for the first time in his life, and the teenager simply does not know how to react to them. Due to the presence of an acute fear of death, the schoolchild prefers to sound the alarm with all the tambourines.
- The first panic attack leaves an indelible wound on the teenager’s psyche, after which he begins to expect that it will definitely happen again. And this is repeated, justifying his worst expectations, and is consolidated as a reflex.
If there is no understanding adult nearby, or if everyone around begins to blame the teenager for a fake illness, the student withdraws even more into himself. As a rule, in a tense atmosphere, panic attacks in adolescents tend to recur with renewed vigor and last a lifetime.
How does a child who has undergone an adrenaline crisis feel?
- The increased internal tension intersects with another failure of the autonomic system and provokes a sharp release of adrenaline into the blood, which is why the teenager suddenly feels an unusually strong fear.
- Not knowing how to react, the teenager becomes even more frightened, and the release of adrenaline repeats - from an excess of the hormone, pressure rises sharply and tremors of the whole body begin.
- Severe panic sets in, coupled with the fear of death. A teenager can feel like his legs, his head has become “alien”, his pulse has become faster, his throat and chest are suffocated. Consciousness is altered, the child is not able to adequately respond to what is happening, he may become hysterical and cry.
If others succumb to this panic (and this happens very often, since not all people are familiar with the manifestations of VSD), the teenager may become frightened to such an extent that he loses consciousness. The first thing you need to do is hug the child and try to convey to him that what is happening is not fatal and will pass in 20-30 minutes.
The teenager should be seated on the sofa and given 30 drops of Corvalol (Valocordin) to drink, try to distract him with conversations or joint activities. A teenager, overwhelmed by adrenaline, breathes too quickly, which is why he feels suffocated: his lungs, clogged with air, function in an unusual mode. To do this, you need to ask the child to fold his palms into a boat and breathe in them for a while, stretching his inhalations and exhalations.
Young victims of adrenaline
Attentive parents always remember that before the onset of panic attacks, the teenager had a kind of “medical history.” She appeared in a “strange” state, which doctors attributed to age-related changes in the body. Many will also remember how they did not believe in the child’s “illness” and sent him to lessons with abuse, strongly recommending that he finish with pretense. The symptoms may indeed seem complicated, but, unfortunately, often these symptoms become harbingers of imminent panic attacks:
- Short-term surges in blood pressure and pulse.
- Low-grade fever (37 degrees) for a long time.
- Lethargy and...
- "Cotton wool" in the head and...
- and depression.
- Meteor dependence.
The fact is that every teenager, without exception, undergoes a global restructuring of the body. Sometimes the body grows so rapidly that the vessels simply do not have time to stretch and supply all organs with the required volume of blood: hence the weakness with low blood pressure and weak legs. And the central nervous system is just learning to maintain a balance between its two departments, which is why a teenager’s blood pressure is so unstable, as is his mood.
Are you worried about anxiety? Have you ever felt like you're backed into a corner and want to escape but can't? You may be suffering from panic attacks - outbursts of fear that are usually accompanied by difficulty breathing, trembling, excessive sweating or a feeling of suffocation. Panic attacks can frighten anyone and can happen anywhere - on a walk with friends, at home or during a lesson at school. Learn to control yourself during panic attacks, change your diet and activity level, and, if necessary, seek help from a specialist so that you can cope with the situation.
Steps
Part 1
Pull yourself together- If there is no risk, then stay where you are. If you are driving, try to pull over to the side of the road and stop.
- Attempts to escape from the stimulus can lead to so-called “phobic avoidance,” which carries additional danger.
- People who suffer from frequent panic attacks often experience “agoraphobia.” Previously, doctors believed it was a fear of society and open spaces, but we now know that agoraphobia occurs when a person avoids society for fear of being attacked or feeling embarrassed.
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Focus on something else. Instead of running, remember that fear will pass. Focus your attention on a harmless or visible object, such as merchandise in a store window or the hands on a clock, until the panic subsides.
- Try to recite your favorite poem, mantra, or multiplication table by heart. This will help you take your mind off the root cause of your panic attack.
- You can also try to imagine a calm place or situation that makes you feel peaceful, relaxed and good mood. Try to transport yourself to your grandmother's house or to the seashore.
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Slow down your breathing. You should also try to focus on your breathing. During panic, people often and shallow breathing which only worsens anxiety. Start breathing slowly and deeply.
- Count to four as you inhale and then exhale slowly to relax your mind and body.
- Practice breathing deeply and slowly in a calm environment to get used to this type of breathing.
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Overcome your fear, but do not try to resist the attack. Convince yourself that your panic is temporary. Try to understand what caused the panic, and also remember that fear is unreal and fleeting. Don't let it take over you.
- Don't resist anxiety. Failed resistance can only increase panic.
- Reassure yourself that these sensations are uncomfortable but not harmful.
Part 2
Change your lifestyle-
Learn to relax. If a person suffers from panic attacks, it is difficult for him to calm down and relax. Learn to relax to relieve tension. Among other things, these methods will allow you to pull yourself together during panic attacks.
Move. Exercise, especially aerobic exercise. They promote the release of serotonin, which improves condition and mood.
- Aerobic exercise increases your heart rate and breathing. These include running, brisk walking, cycling and swimming. Spend at least 2.5 hours a week doing aerobic exercise.
- Also do strength exercises, targeting major muscle groups once or twice a week.
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Healthy sleep pattern. Did you know that insomnia can increase anxiety? Lack of sleep increases irritability and anxiety. Some studies have shown that good sleep can help relieve anxiety disorders.
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Avoid alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs. Alcohol and smoking pose a particular danger in childhood and adolescence. In the case of panic attacks, the situation can become catastrophic. Such substances are classified as psychotropic. They can change your feelings and affect your brain function (and not for the better).
- It is best to give up drugs completely. People with anxiety disorders are 2-3 times more likely to face the problem of drug and drug addiction.
- Alcohol and drugs will not make you feel better. In fact, they can only increase feelings of anxiety and panic attacks.
Learn the signs of a panic attack. The sooner you recognize the signs of an attack, the better your chance of pulling yourself together. Panic attacks can occur unexpectedly under the influence of “irritants,” but they always have a clear pattern.
Don't move. Your attack may be caused by a fear of enclosed spaces, experiencing a frightening event, or an encounter with a certain person. These are the “irritants”. Your first instinct is to run away, but in most cases it's best to stay put until your attack passes.
Panic attacks are a psychoneurological disease that is psychological in nature, but has physical consequences.
Panic attack syndrome is a very sudden induced or causeless uncontrollable attack of fear accompanied by panic. People with this syndrome often experience nervousness, anxiety, agitation, or other phobias.
Panic attacks themselves do not harm a person, however, because of them, a huge amount of stress hormones are released in the body, which directly cause diseases: neuroses with their consequences, migraines, epilepsy, fainting, problems with cardiovascular system, neuralgia, limb failure syndrome, etc.
In addition to the physical health consequences, panic in certain situations can lead to serious accidents.
Mentally, this syndrome can cause irreversible personality changes, a large set of phobias, as well as mental illness.
In the social sphere, damage and disruption of the patient’s socialization are also observed.
Panic attacks in children can occur only with the final establishment of consciousness, with some differences in the reasons for their occurrence and consequences from the same illness in an adult.
The symptoms of the disease in children are the same as in adults: reckless, sudden fear, panic, horror with all the ensuing consequences in the form rapid heartbeat, adrenaline release, etc., and the duration of attacks is usually short, no more than twenty minutes.
For children, very rare panic attacks are the norm or a feature of mental development, as well as its adaptation to the unexplored world around us. It is worth sounding the alarm and immediately contacting a doctor if the attacks last more than ten minutes, are accompanied by fainting, the child is unable to control himself at such moments or is too frightened, becoming terrified. Also a pathology is their too frequent manifestation, even in a weak form.
In young children, in addition to the standard symptoms of panic attacks, increased urine pressure and disturbances in intestinal motility are often added, so often, when very frightened, small children may roll around, wet themselves, or start burping. With severe stress, such a reaction is normal, however, if this happens for minor reasons, you need to consult a doctor; perhaps the child has problems with the psyche or nervous system that sends too strong signals or reacts too violently.
Often, attacks of fear do not have a rational explanation, but sometimes a child can associate them with a specific place or action during which the first breakdown occurred and he begins to develop phobias.
Causes of panic attacks in children and adolescents
In adults, the vast majority of panic attacks are associated with chronic stress, overwork, internal contradictions or unresolved conflicts, mental illness, disorders of the autonomic nervous system, plus some physiological conditions and phobias.
Child has panic attacks , as long as they are within certain limits, they are to some extent the norm of development and occur in one degree or another in all children. Probably all parents noticed when Small child runs away, hides when the doorbell rings, although he knows exactly who is behind it, loves and waits for this person, or, for example, has a need to build small houses or hide.
Perhaps these are leftovers unconditioned reflexes survival of cubs, preserved from the time of the first people, and, perhaps, a natural protective reaction of the undeformed nervous system and human consciousness.
Also, most panic attacks are caused by the child’s brain lacking sufficient information about the world around him. Therefore, the subconscious mind plays it safe, triggering a person’s natural defense mechanism - fear, which intensifies due to disruption of the autonomic nervous system or incorrect analysis of the situation.
Panic attack syndrome in a baby may be caused by a lack of... parental attention or family problems in relationships between parents or loved ones, when he feels their vulnerability and does not feel safe.
Excessive overprotection has a similar effect on the young psyche, when a little person is subconsciously inspired by his parents that the whole world is dangerous, and he is vulnerable both physically (you can catch a cold, don’t fall, be careful) and morally, which is further enhanced by the irritation of a child dissatisfied with such behavior.
Interpersonal conflict is also typical for children, and its most popular variants are: I want to, but I can’t, or I don’t want to, but I have to.
Hyperactivity of the nervous system.
Emotional isolation of children when they do not receive enough attention from their parents or relationships with any family members are disrupted.
Severe stress caused by an event or prolonged negative impact both on health and mental health.
A panic attack can be caused by a reaction of an immature and inexperienced nervous system to any physical disease, which the brain may subconsciously perceive as a threat to life. At the same time, the child will not even understand why exactly he became scared.
Panic attacks in teenagers
Panic attacks in adolescents have a more pathological meaning and also often manifest themselves. We can say that teenagers are children at their core who are already participating in adult life. Therefore, while retaining childhood mental characteristics, they are already exposed to adult stress.
The etiology of teenage panic attacks is a combination of purely childhood causes of their occurrence and adults: stress, overexertion, acquired by this time psychological problems, there are especially many unresolved interpersonal conflicts at this age.
Plus, there are certain teenage reasons occurrence of panic attacks:
- Hormonal changes
- Periods of rapid growth, when the brain may perceive too sudden changes as a threat to life and health.
- Problems of establishing one's social status.
- A large number of certain physiological states: first menstruation, first sexual intercourse, first love, etc.
- Chronic and psychological disorders acquired by this time.
- Mental instability.
Consequences of panic attacks in children
Panic attacks in children do not cause as many problems with physical health as in adults, but many times they make up for lost time on the mental side.
Advanced panic attack syndrome in a child causes incorrect mental development, as well as a violation of socialization.
During the period of growth and personality formation, it is very easy to influence this process. Children are much more susceptible to stress and more prone to forming a huge number of phobias and complexes. It also lays down the future algorithm of the child’s relationship with society, which, due to periodic panics and the negative reaction of peers to them, can be disrupted, giving rise to a closed, unsociable, suspicious personality, who will subsequently become an aggressive and lonely person.
Treatment
Treatment for the prevention of panic attacks in children follows the same principles as in adults, by creating comfort and a favorable moral atmosphere. The use of medications is not recommended, however, the visible, but not intrusive presence of parents in his life is extremely important. A child of any age should always feel protected, complete, successful, and most importantly, loved.
Considering that in childhood a person’s future psyche is formed, on the basis of which he will build his life, the well-being of which will depend on its health, at the slightest deviation in this area it is necessary to consult a psychologist, as well as carry out periodic psychological monitoring, for which in most There are full-time psychologists in children's institutions.
