It is common for children to feel fear and anxiety once in a while, and normal for them to be nervous or afraid of something that they are not familiar with.
Dark places, animals, loud noises such as thunders and new places can scare many children.
However, this is not a cause for parents to worry.
Separation anxiety is very common with children who are just starting school and can be so distressing for parents.
Many parents have to endure the feeling of guilt for leaving their distressed children at school, however this usually passes quickly and it is amazing how quick children can recover from their distress once the parents have left the premises.
Panic attack, however, is different from anxiety.
It is a sudden attack of severe or very strong feeling of dread or fear or abject terror.
With panic attack, a child feels a feeling of impending doom and may visualise very distressing image of what may happen to them.
This can last for several minutes and may or may not happen again.
It is only recently that clinical professionals have recognised that children do experience panic attack.
In the past, it was thought that children and adolescents do not have the same perception about tragedy such as death that adults do.
Therefore, since they are not able to perceive the tragedy, it can't scare them.
However, it is now indisputable that children experience panic attack.
According to Hossein et al (2008, pg 383) in their book The Medical Basis of Psychiatry, 18% of children have experienced it.
Children who experienced panic attack need a lot of support and reassurance; therefore, it is helpful to recognise whether your child is experiencing it.
How can you tell if your child is experiencing panic attack? If your child is having panic attack, he may experience palpitations, sweating, shortness of breath, dizziness, shaking, feeling sick or even vomiting and diarrhoea.
If he is an adolescent, he may also feel chest pains and head aches in addition to the above symptoms.
He may also feel that something bad and really scary will happen to him.
How can you help your child overcome panic attack? It is important not to shout or tell your child off because he is anxious.
Teach your child to relax if he starts feeling anxious, it will help if you can help your child rationalise his fears.
Ask questions such as: what is the worst that can happen? Praise your child's effort in overcoming the anxiety, however small it is.
Finally, keep calm when your child has a panic attack, offer comfort, support and tell him that it will pass.
Dark places, animals, loud noises such as thunders and new places can scare many children.
However, this is not a cause for parents to worry.
Separation anxiety is very common with children who are just starting school and can be so distressing for parents.
Many parents have to endure the feeling of guilt for leaving their distressed children at school, however this usually passes quickly and it is amazing how quick children can recover from their distress once the parents have left the premises.
Panic attack, however, is different from anxiety.
It is a sudden attack of severe or very strong feeling of dread or fear or abject terror.
With panic attack, a child feels a feeling of impending doom and may visualise very distressing image of what may happen to them.
This can last for several minutes and may or may not happen again.
It is only recently that clinical professionals have recognised that children do experience panic attack.
In the past, it was thought that children and adolescents do not have the same perception about tragedy such as death that adults do.
Therefore, since they are not able to perceive the tragedy, it can't scare them.
However, it is now indisputable that children experience panic attack.
According to Hossein et al (2008, pg 383) in their book The Medical Basis of Psychiatry, 18% of children have experienced it.
Children who experienced panic attack need a lot of support and reassurance; therefore, it is helpful to recognise whether your child is experiencing it.
How can you tell if your child is experiencing panic attack? If your child is having panic attack, he may experience palpitations, sweating, shortness of breath, dizziness, shaking, feeling sick or even vomiting and diarrhoea.
If he is an adolescent, he may also feel chest pains and head aches in addition to the above symptoms.
He may also feel that something bad and really scary will happen to him.
How can you help your child overcome panic attack? It is important not to shout or tell your child off because he is anxious.
Teach your child to relax if he starts feeling anxious, it will help if you can help your child rationalise his fears.
Ask questions such as: what is the worst that can happen? Praise your child's effort in overcoming the anxiety, however small it is.
Finally, keep calm when your child has a panic attack, offer comfort, support and tell him that it will pass.
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