panic attacks

Past Answers...

I would recommend deep breathing to manage the panic attacks. Ask him to close his eyes and breathe in deeply into his nose and breathe out as slow as possible. This is a good thing to do in the car on the way to school. Some positive affirmations such as 'I am friendly' 'I find it easy to make friend' 'I am kind and friendly'

Suggestion by Stuart from Relax Kids Ltd

First please don't panic yourself! This is a very common problem among teenagers as they are going through a time of significant transition. Help him find tools to deal with the attacks first and foremost. You may find it helps to use the Relax and De-stress CD. Panic attacks can occur for no apparent reason. with sudden and intense physical symptoms. When he starts to feel his breathing quicken explain to him to consciously breathe slowly and deeply concentrating on every breath, breathing in deeply, holding it for a moment or two, and exhaling slowly. Breathing in this way slows his heart rate and allows him to stop think and reason. The attack, or flight/fight response happens instantaneously the brain and reasoning about a situation take longer. Focusing first on breathing and also doing something repetitive eg;touching fingertips with thumb one at a time in turn,even turning a coin over in a pocket repeatedly, not only are useful distractions but also doing something that is physical will channel some of the surge of energy/adrenaline the attack creates (and none of his peers would even need to know he was doing them!) Above all be accepting of how debilitating the attack can be. Focus on what he is doing well rather than what he may not be, such as making new friends. Friends are a long term goal. Right now help him focus on short term achievements such as making it through the school door or attending a class at a time,huge achievements in their own right. With constant re-assurance and acceptance his self esteem will grow as he does. If the problem continues or escalates do approach the school and/or your GP. In very severe cases Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is highly successful and both should be able refer you on to someone. Above all keep on doing what you are doing! We must never underestimate the power of the solid foundation a good parent provides, even if our children 'wobble' from time to time as they move forward into adulthood

Suggestion by Cindy from NurturingEmotionalWellbeing

Yes. Stuart is right. Breathing techniques are very helpful.And they always support your son in the situation of the attack. But if this occurs frequently or more often, especially in combination with the fact that struggles to make friends or possible weak ability to focus or to concentrate, the reason could be something else: over- or underactivity in certain brain regions. This can produce exactely this symptoms. I would recommend to consult a pediatrician, a neurofeedback therapist or a child development psychologist to find it out. There are a couple of possible reasons for the panic attacks: too high expectations, a head injury (even very small ones), a traumatic experience, general anxiety or depression (very often not recognised as depression, especially with young people),sometimes even a certain nutrition, etc... Please consult a professional if your son have those attacks more often or already quite long. And: try to encourage him to -indeed- learn a breath technique and probably a meditation technique for the situation. Positive affirmations are extremely important as well.

Suggestion by Peer from Practice and Academy for Neurofeedback