Panic Disorder affects 1 in every 75 adult Americans. There are no definitive numbers for the amount of children that suffer from this condition, but it would make sense that if it’s on the rise with adults, then it probably is with the children as well. Restoring good health and normal life for children with this condition is not only available but also helpful.
Children’s symptoms are no different than the symptoms of the adults: struggling to breathe, a drowning feeling, feeling like they “can’t get enough air”, tingling or numbness in the fingers and toes, tremors, perspiration, chest pain and paralyzing fear, are all symptoms that have been recognized in children and adults with Panic Disorder.
Help is out there. A specialty centre at Boston University offers an intensive therapy course with visits at a later time for follow up in order to finish the treatment and make sure that the symptoms don’t return.
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) teaches both parents and children how to identify the first inkling of Panic Disorder, and how to battle the issues together. They are both taught specific skills to reducing and overcoming the symptoms altogether.
Where certain phobias can be pointed out that are triggers for Panic Disorder, these phobias can be treated with a multitude of intensive programs focusing on the specific phobia, understanding it and making it less threatening and less likely induce Panic Attacks.
It is important for both child and parent to understand that in these therapies it may be necessary to place the child in a stressful situation, in some cases even to cause the specific circumstance in a controlled environment, that cause the child to undergo a Panic Attack. Only by understanding it can the reason for it happening be comprehended and thus treated.
It is critical that you understand that the child’s Panic Attacks are not fictitious. Panic Disorder is no respecter or persons with children, so their symptoms are just as harsh. Admitting and accepting that treatment needs to start is the first step to obtaining a cure.
Help is available. Parents and children do not have to deal with these issues on their own. The internet is a good source of information for centers not just in Boston, but in other cities, where children can attend effective therapy and overcome their panic issues.
Anytime there are medical or psychological conditions to deal with, it is best to talk to your family doctor about the situation. Those who think they have a phobia without a cause should talk to their doctors before enrolling in any treatment programs. Please talk to your family doctor, and they can put you in the hands of a specialist in the area that you need.
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