DD having panic attacks but says nothing is worrying her

[namestheyareachanging]

Hi. I am worried about my DD (10). She has had panic attacks and (separately) smelled smoke or mint on several occasions at school over the last week. It seems that it is at times where there's a lot of busyness/noise. Auditory sensitivity I think it's called?

Last Wednesday was the first time anything like this has happened and I am yet to see it because it is always at school, so I'm feeling really helpless.

The thing is she says she isn't worried about anything; she wants to go to school; she's very able and finds the work easy and has a nice group of friends. She did love home learning and wasn't especially keen to go back. When asked why she said the work's too easy, it's noisy and some of the children are silly. But it wasn't like she got upset about going back or anything. She wanted to see her friends.

I am going to make an appointment with the GP (but am changing practices first because our current one is awful). School are being very supportive and have shown her a quiet room to go and suggested she brings things in to calm her when an attack comes on.

I don't know what I want to ask really. Does anybody have experience of a child who is apparently otherwise fine and happy having panic attacks in just one environment that they actually do generally want to be in?

Another thought I had is she has a lot of the signs of puberty all going on at the moment. Quite significantly for 10 I think. Could it be related?

This sounds tough for you and your DD. From personal experience with my own DD I would say don’t go for the wait and see what happens approach as it could potentially escalate. Talk to your GP and see if they can refer you to CAMHS - the wait time varies depending on your location. CBT can be really useful if done as an early intervention. Could you afford to see someone privately rather than waiting for CAMHs?

I'm thinking it could be hormonal.

Thank you so much for your responses.

@IAmCrazyMostOfTheTime yes, she has private cover through my exH's work, although we've never used it.

Don't wait, do the private route ASAP

@namestheyareachanging

Thank you so much for your responses.

@IAmCrazyMostOfTheTime yes, she has private cover through my exH's work, although we've never used it.

I would absolutely look into using the private cover. We waited too long for CAMHs in the beginning with my DD before going private and it is one of my biggest regrets. Early intervention is key and the quicker your DD can talk to someone and get support the better.

How do her panic attacks manifest? Are you sure its panic and not a physical problem? If she gets a racing heart and then starts hyperventilating, she could be having attacks of arrthymia and needs to be evaluated by a cardiologist.

I haven't ruled anything out, but I'm hopeful that it isn't something like that because she says it starts by wishing the noise would stop and then she finds it hard to breathe, starts scratching at things, gets very hot.
The first one was the worst because she didn't know what was happening, she says. She now has a squeezy ball, a smelling lotion and earmuffs in school, which seem to be helping, and the teachers now intervene early to tell her to go to the quiet space. I have ordered earplugs too.
It has happened 2 or 3 times a (school) day since - always at noisy busy times and especially if in a corridor or cramped space. We have a toddler and DS plays instruments a lot, so home isn't an especially peaceful place at the moment, but she is always super happy at home, even with all this going on, so it seems to be very selective if it is a physical reaction to noise.

She's quite a shy girl, especially with adults, so all the attention it's bringing her is upsetting her as much as the panicky feelings I think. She is very keen to go to school though.

I would take her for a check up with a private pediatrician. If its not a physical problem then they can rapidly get you to see a counsellor. If it is a health problem, then you have caught it nice and early.

Most children of that age have a hard time understanding and/or describing chronic health issues because they just accept them as normal since they were always there. It took me years to describe my arrythmia to my parents as I thought everyone had spells of feeling hot and lightheaded and tight chested. I didnt really notice my heart was pounding, I just knew I was really physically uncomfortable and wanted to just shut the world out and isolate somewhere peaceful until I felt better.

Bless her. I had similar. Starting about age 14 I think. I had lots of tests (medical) to rule everything physical out and nobody ever mentioned it could be panic attacks. I didn’t realise either. Probably didn’t even know what panic attacks were at that age. I had a horrible few years before meeting my boyfriend (now husband) when I was 17/18. He was the one that suggested it could be panic attacks and did a bit of research with me. He’d seen me nearly pass out multiple times and it often coincided with as we entered a pub/bar/club/shopping centre (basically anywhere busy). He encouraged me to go to the gp and also offered to pay for private therapy. I think I was about 19 by this point. He’s a little older and was working etc. It was really life changing just understanding that they were panic attacks and learning some coping strategies. I always wonder if i would still have them now if I hadn’t met him!
I still do occasionally feel myself start to slip into one but can quickly nip it in the bud now.
It’s a horrible thing for a child to go through and very difficult to understand.
If you can afford to I’d definitely try and get her some professional help and also lots of talking, understanding and support at home. I didn’t have this (my parents are very old school and have always dismissed mental health!)