Fight/Flight excitement??

[pumpkin1976]

Hi all, I'm trying to work out what's going on with my daughter, we are seeing a doctor today but thought I'd also reach out to you all.

my daughter who's 13 (likes school has friends, nothing major happening, periods regular for the last 3 years) She's been experiencing heightened anxiety. There's no trigger that's caused it, she doesn't know (and I know sometimes there doesn't have to be anything that causes it)

She has had some panic type anxiety attacks (sweating, palpitations and shear dread feeling sick)

im asking though because this has also happened when she has been meeting up with friends. Shes been excited to meet friends, is confident and very well liked but before they arrive or she leaves she's excited but it triggers the same fight flight response. She pushes through and is normally fine. It's like her nervous system can't distinguish the difference between excitement and fear.

is this something that has happened to any of you? She understands about anxiety and panic and the bodies response but it so annoying and upsetting for her. All of this started when she began secondary school and I think her life has got so much more busy and overwhelming x

The physical sensations for excitement and fear are exactly the same - it's only the emotional response behind it that differs. Going on a roller-coaster, getting ready for a date, having a job interview, queueing for a plane or sitting in the dentists chair - some of these things people love, some dread (and some are ambivalent) but the bodily changes will be the same.

I know it sounds weird but the films Inside Out and (especially for your daughter) Inside Out 2 are brilliant at explaining how emotions work.

Thanks so much, it's so frustrating for her as she's had some cbt and loads of talk about anxiety, the bodies response and she understands the why's but it doesn't stop it from happening and the distress it causes. There's nothing she's worried about when these events happen, she is a lot braver than some of her friends but the adrenaline rush, shaking, feeling sick and panicking seems to keep happening for her. It's like her nervous system is stuck. She moans now when people explain the process to her as
she says she knows, it's hard to onwow Jay else to say. Hard watching tour otherwise confident and happy teen struggle with anxiety, restlessness. Thanks x

You could have a (free) chat with Therese Langford of Calm Mind Hypnotherapy - she specializes in children with anxiety.

There are exercises she can do to calm her nervous system down when she feels the sensations coming on. Is she doing anything like that ? She's obviously a bright girl and seems to be anticipating that something unpleassant or challenging is about to occur (which her gut perceives as a threat) which then kicks in her sympathetic (stress) response.

This video is for ppl suffering nerve damage but the exercises are the same for anxiety. The exercises start at the 7 minute mark. Breathing, humming, vagus nerve stimulation (the vagus nerve is responsible for the anti-stress response). Yoga can also be very helpful. There's lot of stuff on YT about the stimulation of the vagus nerve. Some are really simple and only take minutes.

Its very difficult to talk your body out of anxiety because the higher brain cannot control the gut response and vagus nerve. It requires physical therapy/exercises in order to stimulate the parasympathetic nervouse system which controls the anti-stress response.