“Is my child having panic attacks?”
My son is 7 years old but for some reason is extremely worried and panicked much of the time. He is scared to go to sleep because he thinks something will happen to him or the family during the night. What can I do?
13 Answers
That could be something normal. And you could put nightlight in room. If there have been changes and stresses in family, then it needs to be addressed with therapy.
Great question,
I felt that same way when I was a child. It is a common fear, because it comes from love. Pray with him at night and let him know that y’all are protected and then provide him with a stuffed toy that will alert him and notify y’all if something is to happen. Most often, we need to come down to the level of understanding of your son, hence the object or toy.
Thank you for your question.
Dr. Sangra
I felt that same way when I was a child. It is a common fear, because it comes from love. Pray with him at night and let him know that y’all are protected and then provide him with a stuffed toy that will alert him and notify y’all if something is to happen. Most often, we need to come down to the level of understanding of your son, hence the object or toy.
Thank you for your question.
Dr. Sangra
Anxiety and panic have effected many children particularly in COVID time. The disruption of the normal routines of school, sports, church and family life has resulted in significant increases in anxiety in children. Work to normalize your child's routine and begin to empower him. Tell him how strong he is and reflect on all the things he has accomplished. As a parent, fight to regain normalcy for your family.
Thank you for your questions at FADT. It sounds like a type of anxiety. There are things you can do at home first. If this does not work, or the disorder interferes with the child's life, then it is advisable to seek a specialist. Things to do at home is expose the child into incrementally more and more anxiety provoking situations, and allow the child to feel incrementally bigger amounts of anxiety. You start small and going up. For example let the child alone in the dark room for one minute while you are waiting at the door. The final exercise for example maybe let the child sleep alone in their room the whole night while you are sleeping in your room. This way the child masters and tolerates larger amounts of anxiety little by little, exactly as we strengthen a muscle gradually by lifting weights. I hope this helps. Thank you, Dr. Dodd, MD.
Lots of those are normal fears for kids at that age as they become aware of the range of things that happen in the world and may benefit from reassurance, (maybe a lot of reassurance - I recommend providing what ever level he needs for anxiety relief). If that does not help much or enough I would begin by cleaning up his diet-remove additives and hormone disruptors from diet and environment, consider removal of inflammatory foods (dairy, grains, sugar). I would begin with counseling, a caring adult to help him better understand his worries and things that he can do to better understand or develop/find reassurance) It is important to carefully monitor things kids are exposed to. It is not hard nowadays for them to be exposed to things that are really too scary and this can be the result. If these things do not help, consideration of medication is something to think about to be able to move him back to adaptive function - we do not want to leave him "too scared".
It sounds like he is having separation anxiety and possibly other forms of anxiety. I strongly recommend that he be evaluated by a child psychiatrist (ideally one who looks for both psychiatric and medical causes for his anxiety) and have him start working with a therapist. I do not recommend that you try to handle this yourself.
Phyllis J. Heffner, MD, FAPA, IFMCP
Phyllis J. Heffner, MD, FAPA, IFMCP
Without meeting him and getting more information from yourself, it is difficult to know what is happening or why. I would be reluctant to assume it is panic disorder without an evaluation. Though panic disorders do exist in young children, anxiety at this age often manifests with this sort of behavior as well. There are several options that could help, both medical and non-medical, depending upon the severity of the issue and in what settings they most often happen.
Thanks,
JPW
Thanks,
JPW
These symptoms do sound like panic or anxiety attacks, but can come from several underlying diagnoses. I would recommend starting with your pediatrician who needs to check his thyroid and labs then getting a referral to a child psychiatrist for an evaluation. His symptoms are painful enough it’s important to evaluate the cause and then get the right help for him.
True anxiety disorders are quite common in children, and this sounds much more than just "afraid of the dark". It sounds like he is in pain, and I would recommend taking him to a child psychiatrist for evaluation. There are lots of good treatments. Ask your pediatrician for a referral.
Talk to your son about what he fears and let him talk about his concerns. Reassure your child that he is safe and secure, and that you are there to protect him. If his anxiety persists, talk to your pediatrician or primary care physician. If problems continue, you may consult a child psychiatrist.
All children and adults have healthy anxiety; some also have unhealthy anxiety. Unhealthy anxiety typically will not go away when parents provide reassurance, whereas healthy anxiety will. Parents may not be equipped to manage unhealthy anxiety on their own. Rather, consultation with a licensed mental health professional could help provide a detailed plan of treatment.
NB: This does not constitute medical advice, please see the disclaimer in my Expert Blog for details.
NB: This does not constitute medical advice, please see the disclaimer in my Expert Blog for details.
He is obviously concerned about safety, and like many children his age, he worries whether his family will be there for him. Needs a complete evaluation.
Your son seems to be experiencing some sort of anxiety. The recommendation is to have him be evaluated by a therapist/psychologist/counselor.
