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7 year old having panic attacks

9 replies

Lukat · 04/07/2012 22:19

As title says really, my dd is 7 and having massive panic attacks, instant tummy pain, sweating, crying, total panic. Can be over absolutely anything.... Thoughts please? I am very worried.

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culturemulcher · 04/07/2012 22:24

You poor thing. That must be hard. I've got a 7 year old DD and she occasionally gets into a night time downward spiral where one thing that she's worried about spirals into a whole slew of things that are wrong or which are worrying her... but I don't htink we've ever had an all out panic attack. I'm hoping someone will be along in a tick who has experienced this.

In the meanwhile, can you give a few more details? What sort of thing triggers it?

Lukat · 04/07/2012 22:30

Anything can trigger it..... Tonight it was a tiny tiny bead (hamer) that was on the floor then went missing.... She panicked as thought the dog got it.... Explained in full that it will pass etc!!! This morning it was because her water bottle may leak... Never has done before and it's a good tight bottle. It's horrible to see and I don't want her panicking over anything.... She is 7!!!

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hattifattner · 04/07/2012 22:36

My DD suffered terribly from anxiety at the same age. SHe saw a psychologist, it was that bad. Things that we did:

CBT:

She would say, Loudly, "STOP" when the feelings of anxiety came upon her.

Distraction: SHe would immediately go and do something that would focus her mind on something else. Like jump on the trampoline or swing on the swing or skip with her skipping rope.

She had a book into which we wrote her worried and the answers to those worries...eg im worried about the house burning down. Answer: We have an escape route planned, we would call the fire brigade, we have smoke alarms etc.

She learned cyclical breathing...in through the nose, out through the mouth. We taught her a yoga breathing technique where she had to imagine climbing a slide backwards. So sliding up the slide...(breathing in through nose in one long breath) then climbing down the stairs (breathing out through mouth in 3-4 short breaths).

we also bough her worry dolls (small dolls you tell your worried to, then ut them under your pillow) and she had a dream catcher for bad dreams.

She eventually grew out of it, but hers was very severe and wrapped up with an anxiety disorder.

Lukat · 04/07/2012 22:46

I have talked to her tonight about breathing and we had a go.... Will keep trying with that. I will get her a little nook actually, brill idea, she had to have a book with emergency phone numbers in which is located in the same place and she checks daily. She worries so much about death and stuff like fire etc. I fully explain everything to her and we sort it. Death is hard as I refuse to say... Don't worry it's not gonna happen, it's life it does happen, she will ask when will nanny die!!! How do I answer that?? I feel so sorry for her. Sad

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Lukat · 05/07/2012 10:28

Bump

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motherwifeteacheretc · 05/07/2012 10:59

Posting as a teacher of 7 year olds rather than a mummy (my 2 are still small) but I hope I can be a little bit helpful: firstly if this is new then there will be a trigger, it may not be from home but from something she has heard or overheard at school in the playground etc, so I would check with the teacher and also ask the teacher if anything else has happened amongst her peer group (although she can't discuss individuals) she may offer some insight.

If this is not new but has suddenly increased and is now a part of her but suddenly peaking try not to worry in terms of development she is at the age where her understanding of death/mortality is being explored and although you have nt had a bereavement when you said 'I'm not going to tell her that won't happen' is good, there are good resources to share with your daughter even before a death has occurred. The book Badgers parting gifts is lovely and tackles death while looking at what gifts the badger passes on to his friends.

There is a really good book called a huge (think its huge could be large) bag of worries I have used with year 3 and it is really good at tackling what a worry is and how to handle them, which I would read with her.

Like someone else said the worry dolls are great and if she is into writing/notes etc (like many girls are) I would put a lovely journal/note book by her bed and explain she can write her thoughts down here, give her 5 mins before bed or in the morning where you put special music on/light a candle etc and allow her to write; this does 2 things a) she is releasing her worries b) you can use this technique to manage her anxiety a bit for example as you start to see her clam up start the anxiety then you can say something like; don't worry I can see you are getting stressed but you can write all about it at bedtime.

I recommend looking at her triggers if she is getting stressed at things being out of routine/change etc then release the tension for her by putting up visual timetables of the day or morning/evening routine etc

Last advice about looking at the cause would be to draw and label a map (birds eye view style works best) of your house, one of the school and any other significant places nanny's house etc and ask her to put a smiley face in the rooms she feels happy and a sad face where she feels sad and see if that helps at all.

Not sure the best way to words this but I know you are worried but once you have established no major triggers and shared with her some coping strategies read the worry book, I would give her quite short and almost neutral attention when she becomes anxious (I'm not saying she is attention seeking, but any behaviour is reinforced through our feedback) and when she is 'herself' lots of praise etc and hopefully it will pass.

Clara35 · 05/07/2012 18:10

Don't have a lot of advice but can say my dd went through a terrible time at age 7 where she worried about lots of things especially death & heaven & what would happen if me & dh died. I found it very hard to explain things to her & she then suffered from heartburn & indigestion which I think was caused by the stress. We never got to the bottom of it but it did pass & she is now a happy nearly 9 year old!

Lukat · 05/07/2012 22:23

Thanks so so much for your replies.... I have bought a little book today and she had wrote her main worries down and we have found solutions etc. Will look to purchase those books as I think they will come in handy.
As for triggers at school, her closest friend is having a upsetting time at the moment as parents splitting.... I do think she has took the sadness on board (more than her friend as she is fine) she puts herself in different situations then panics.
Again thanks so much. Smile

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Shriekable · 05/07/2012 22:44

Lukat, I don't really have any ideas for you but wanted to say how lucky I think your daughter is to have you trying to help her. I started having panic attacks around the age of 11, due to difficulties at school. My mother never once asked me what the problem was, or why I started coming back to the house before I'd even set foot in school. I remember once crawling into bed, crying & sweating - she came home from work at midday & started shouting at me for missing school. 30 years on and I'm still struggling to comprehend what she was playing at. Good luck to you and your DD x

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