by Colin on January 6, 2010
Panic attacks in children are quite common, but they are often overlooked. Most of the time they go untreated because many adults tend to believe that children bear no responsibility, so therefore should not be developing stress. However, nothing could be further from the truth. It is an unfortunate reality that panic attacks occur in children.
In children, panic attacks can interfere with their ability to make relationships, their schoolwork and a normal healthy development. For some children, it becomes so severe that they try to avoid certain situations for fear that an panic attack might occur. If left untreated, some children may start to show signs of self-destructive or even suicidal behaviour.
Children who have a fear of the dark are at an increased risk of going on to develop panic attacks and depression as adults. Manifestations of panic in children alters as a child grows, and it is a known fact that most chronic panic and mood disorders experienced by adults were at some point preceded by panic attacks as a child.
The first sign that your child may be experiencing panic attacks is withdrawal. If your child is constantly avoiding social situations, trying to get out of going to school, isolating themselves or not wanting to be separated from you, they may be dealing with panic attacks on a regular basis.
The second sign is that they may often seem sad and overstressed. If your child does not seem to laugh or play often, then they may be suffering from panic attacks. You should try to talk to them about their problems and how they feel. This allows them to feel better and teaches them that it is perfectly normal and okay to have these feelings.
The third sign is if they seem easily hurt or upset when told that they have done something wrong.
You should also note that many of the physical symptoms of panic attacks are the same in children as they are in adults. These include high blood pressure and rapid heartbeat, sweating, chest pains, feeling dizzy and difficulty breathing. These can lead to a multitude of other problems including stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, ulcers, weakness and shortness of breath. Because the symptoms of panic attacks are the same in both children and adults, the treatments that are directed at adults are just as effective in children. If you think your child suffers from panic attacks, it is always best to see your doctor. Although this will mean they are usually prescribed medication, you should also try natural solutions as is recommended for an adult i.e. a healthy diet, regular exercise, a good sleeping pattern and breathing and relaxation techniques.
As well as these treatments, psychotherapy is also available as a treatment option for panic attacks in children and they are highly effective. One natural technique to stop panic fast in children is cognitive behavioural therapy, which has been proven to work extremely well.
by Colin on October 12, 2009
Anxiety attacks during pregnancy are a very common occurrence for a number of women. Pregnancy can be stressful and especially difficult if you are nervous, anxious, highly strung, tense, and sensitive or already suffer from anxiety attacks. Often it is the excitement of the baby that brings on anxiety attacks. They can also be brought on when a woman was not expecting to get pregnant and finds herself in that situation. Other times, anxiety attacks are brought on because the woman just becomes worried with the whole pregnancy in general.
It can be hard not to experience anxiety attacks during pregnancy. If a woman has already experienced one high risk pregnancy before, then there is a chance that she is going to expect this pregnancy to be the same. If it is a first pregnancy, the expectant mother is also most likely going to experience a good bit of anxiety about the labour and birth. She will have issues about being a good mother, overall health concerns and in some cases even financial concerns. Also, those who have suffered miscarriages are especially prone to anxiety attacks, for obvious reasons.
Anxiety attacks during pregnancy are also likely to be higher in women who already experience them. However, even a normal healthy pregnancy can be plagued with anxiety attacks. If you can try to understand the reasons why you are experiencing anxiety attacks during pregnancy then you may find it is easier to cope with them.
It is also worth keeping in mind that anxiety attacks during pregnancy can be attributed to an increased level of hormones. Blood sugar levels are constantly fluctuating from carrying and feeding the unborn child, as well as digestive, breathing and circulatory systems undergoing change.
It is a time in a pregnant woman’s life when she is more vulnerable. This reduced level of control can add to the perceptions of stress and anxiety. Emotional responses can cause physical changes which can have a negative effect on the unborn child. Anxiety attacks during pregnancy can cause conditions such as premature labour, a low birth weight baby, slow labour and delivery and possibly contribute to other conditions and complications during labour and birth.
Dealing with anxiety attacks during pregnancy can be a very trying time for all those concerned. This can become even more of a problem if anxiety attacks were not an issue before the pregnancy started.
To help prevent anxiety attacks then there are a few simple steps that you can try. These are the same self help techniques used to control anxiety attacks in general, but are extremely beneficial and important during pregnancy:
? Exercise – during pregnancy it is not only beneficial to the physical well being of the mother, but also to their emotional being. Exercise produces endorphins that are naturally produced by the body. These help you to stay happy and feeling good. Therefore, exercise during pregnancy can help the mother-to-be balance their hormones and prevent anxiety attacks. Always speak to your doctor before embarking on any type of exercise programme whilst pregnant.
? Breathing – Try to practice breathing exercises as often as possible as they are not only beneficial in controlling anxiety attacks whilst pregnant, but are needed during labour and birth. It is advised to put your hand over your stomach and take slow, deep breaths. This expands and compresses your stomach softly whilst you are inhaling and exhaling. By doing these exercises you can relieve your stress and any worries you may have.
? Diet – A healthy balanced diet is vitally important whilst pregnant as you are not only feeding yourself, but also your unborn baby. Your diet should contain plenty of fruit and vegetables as they contain essential elements required by the baby during pregnancy. These foods also contain chemicals which are helpful in controlling anxiety attacks during pregnancy.
? Sleep – Pregnant women are advised to rest and take ample sleep. Research reveals that a good sleep pattern can cure many ailments including stress related problems.