DS1(10) had a full-blown anxiety attack last night...

[PacificDogwood]

.. because he'd become convinced in the shower that the water from the showerhead had turned into little spiders.
Apparently he'd seen something with spiders on Cartoon Network earlier in the afternoon (I was at work).

He is a very dramatic child (screamed the first year of his life almost non-stop or so it seemed) and intensely dislikes spiders, however I have never seen him like this: hyperventilating, shaking, huge hiccupping sobs, incoherent.

He got much better quickly with slow breathing, sitting on my lap (I cannot remember the last time he sat on my lap). He slept all night.

Today he was happily 'shooting' snowballs at spiders in MineCraft .

Anybody with experience of anxiety attacks in children??

Oh you poor thing, that's really distressing for both of you. Sorry I have no advice to give but hopefully this will put your post back into circulation. xx

I haven't any advice like the last person just want to offer support as it must have been scary and distressing for you both. My Ds has night terrors so the only distressed one is me at least he doesn't know about them.

Hope the deep breathing works.

Poor child. And poor you.

Acupuncture can help children. Not all but might be worth a chat with a decent acupuncture person.
I think talking about it helps ( when he's calm) to let him know its ok and he can help himself with breathing techniques etc. And that they come and then they go. So it de-mystifies them for him.

Thank you, all.

Acupuncture, eh? I think the mere thought of needles would send him running for the hills, mind .

He never had a panic attack like that before - and thankfully not since.

Is there anybody whose own child has experienced this kind of thing?

My nearly 12 year old ds has on a few occasions. It's horrible isn't it? He is and always has been very anxious (although he manages to disguise this most successfully). He had one very long lasting one recently when he was lying in his bed, for part of it, and was convinced he could feel someone or something pushing down on him :(. I don't really know what to do or say but wanted to assure you that someone else has been like this