While most people believe that children normally don’t get stressed, anxious or worry about anything, this doesn’t mean that they can’t suffer from anxiety attacks. Children, especially those that are often subjected to stressful situations also experience bouts of anxiety. The causes of child anxiety attack are pretty much the same with adults, and are categorized into three main groups: genetics and early childhood learning, brain biochemistry and fight or flight mechanism.

Genetics and Early Childhood Learning. Studies have shown that anxiety disorders run in the family. Children with parents or close relatives who suffer from bouts of anxiety attacks are likely to develop the same symptoms as they grow.

Brain Biochemistry. Serotonin and dopamine are two main brain neurotransmitters that affect the thoughts and feelings of a person.   When an imbalance of these two neurotransmitters occurs, the person feels anxious and depressed. Chemical imbalance may be due to a child suddenly being subjected to a stressful environment.

Fight or Flight Mechanism. When children find themselves in a stressful or threatening situation, they either defend themselves or escape from the situation. The body reacts to it and develops physical symptoms such as increased heartbeat, shortness of breath and sweating.

While these are the three main causes of anxiety attacks as explained by science, below are some other everyday situations that have been observed to lead to bouts of anxiety attacks in children.

Changes in Lifestyle. Children feel safe and comfortable in activities and situations that they’ve gotten used to, and get stressed and anxious when their lifestyle is suddenly changed. If they can’t quickly adapt to the change, they tend to develop the symptoms of anxiety attacks.

Stressful Situations and Events. The reasons why stressful events and situations can cause anxiety attacks have been discussed by health experts. Stressful situations and events in children often include peer pressure and school problems. Children who are also constantly bullied by their siblings, friends and playmates also develop anxiety attacks, as well as those who live in an abusive home.

Separation Anxiety. Children who have gotten used to the safety and comfort of their parents and home tend to develop fear of being away from such comfort zones. This behavior is often observed in children who are old enough to go to school. They come up with reasons not to go to school, and their reasons may include stomach pain, dizziness, toothache, and headache.

Child anxiety attack should be a big concern among parents. It needs to be diagnosed early and treated immediately to keep it from exacerbating and persisting throughout their children’s lifetime. Anxiety attack can also affect children’s overall personality and behavior. If left untreated, it can develop into a more serious condition called anxiety disorder.

If your worries, anxiousness and fears have become so intense that they have disrupted your normal day-to-day activities, it is crucial to start seeking medical attention and asking advice on what is the best anxiety and panic attack treatment method to use.

Anxiety and panic attacks are serious conditions that need immediate attention and treatment. Whether you use self-help natural cures, medications or therapies, it is important that you choose a treatment that reduces or even eliminates the symptoms associated with the condition.

When seeking for anxiety and panic attack treatment methods, the first thing that you’ll probably do is to ask help from therapists and health experts. The treatment method that they would recommend depends on the severity of the condition.

If you’re having a lot of physical symptoms, doctors will often give you anti-depressant medications, such as the benzodiazepines and some selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, for instant relief. Meanwhile, if you’re continuously having bouts of anxiety and panic attacks, the doctor will request that you attend behavioural therapy sessions, which can either be a cognitive-behaviour therapy or exposure therapy. Some doctors, on the other hand, will recommend a combination of antidepressants and therapy for better results.

For mild cases of anxiety and panic attacks, natural cures can also be helpful. Such cures, however, does not guarantee instant relief, but are proven effective in lessening the occurrence of the attack and in reducing its symptoms. These cures are also the most expensive ways to treat the attacks.

1. Relaxation Exercise. Doing relaxation exercises, such as Taiji and QiGong, will distract you from thinking about negative thoughts that can trigger the attacks. Such exercises also relax your mind and body, as well as maintain the balance of the chemicals in your body.
2. Diaphragmatic or Breathing Exercise. This method increases the level of oxygen and, at the same time, keeps the balance of body chemicals.  Deep breathing also relaxes mind and body.
3. Regular Exercise. Regular exercise of at least 30 minutes is proven effective in reducing the panic attack, shortening its duration, and eventually eliminating the occurrence of the attack.
4. Herbal Medications. Chinese people are known to have used herbal medicines to cure various health conditions, including panic attacks. Such medicines are proven as effective as prescription medications but with less side effects.

More and more treatments for anxiety and panic attacks are introduced every once in a while. However, the newest panic attack treatment method doesn’t always mean they’re the most effective one. For some sufferers, traditional methods, as well as the natural cures, remain the best solution to lessen the possibilities of the attack and reduce its symptoms.

Panic attack is a serious condition that involves a sudden outburst of fear, anxiety and worry. It can strike people of all ages without any warning, the reason why it is crucial to get to know its symptoms. Knowing the panic attack symptoms makes it easier to address the condition and prevent it from worsening.

What’s really bothering about panic attacks is that its symptoms are often associated with an underlying medical problem. During the onset of the attack, the sufferer would usually feel shortness of breath, pounding heart and chest pain – symptoms that are common to a patient having a heart attack. This makes it harder for medical health experts to diagnose a patient with panic attack during the first consultation or appointment.

The symptoms of panic attacks are divided into two categories: the physical symptoms and the emotional symptoms. While the physical symptoms are the most noticeable during the time of the attack, the emotional symptoms tend to develop through time.

Physical Symptoms

Physical symptoms of panic attacks include racing heartbeat, palpitation, chest pain, difficulty breathing, hyperventilation, numbness, and tingling sensations. The patient can also experience nausea, vertigo, sweating, chills, hot flashes, shaking, and trembling.

As mentioned, the physical symptoms of panic attacks are often mistaken for another health problem. During its onset, panic attacks will always be overlooked as the cause of the physical symptoms, unless the possible medical causes have been ruled out by a medical expert.

Emotional Symptoms

The emotional symptoms, on the other hand, include excessive fear and anxiousness on something that the patient shouldn’t really feel fearful or anxious about. These include fear of going crazy, losing control and dying. The patient also worries too much about a serious illness that he or she doesn’t really have, and feels unreal and detached from the physical environment.

A patient who continuously suffers from this condition tends to develop the fear of having another bout of attack, and avoids places or situations that can trigger it. Known as agoraphobia, this is common to severe cases of panic attack. Oftentimes, an agoraphobic person would rather stay at home or at safety areas than risk places that he or she feels will cause an attack.

If the panic attack symptoms, whether physical or emotional, are not addressed immediately, this condition will develop into a more serious problem called panic disorder. It is always best that panic attack is addressed right away using the available treatment methods, such as therapy and antidepressant medications.

With the cost that comes with the traditional treatment methods, people would rather deal with panic attack naturally than shell out large amount of money on methods that are either ineffective or have side effects.

People who suffer from panic attacks may not be aware of it, but aside from taking antidepressants and doing therapy sessions, there are other cures for this serious condition – natural cures that won’t really require any kind of payment, only a dose of motivation and determination.

While these natural cures may seem difficult and challenging for some, they have been proven effective in overcoming panic attacks and disorders. Below are self-help tips on how to deal with panic attack naturally.

• Ponder on things that run inside your mind when you’re having an attack. Instead of thinking about losing control or, even worse, dying, start thinking about positive and happy thoughts, such as assuring or convincing yourself that you’ll soon get out of the situation.
• Never think that the panic attack will make your heart stop and will make you stop breathing, or even make you go crazy and lose control. These are common emotional symptoms that are controllable. Again, don’t think about negative things when you’re having an attack. Instead, focus on positive and calming things. You can start by thinking that panic attacks can be treated and that you’ll never die from it.
• Think of possible distractions. As soon as you feel the attack starts to take hold, distract yourself and refocus your mind away from the factors that can trigger or exacerbate the attack. Examples of activities that may distract you from thoughts of panic attacks include listening, singing or dancing along with your favourite song and other activities that you enjoy.
• Practice some breathing, muscle relaxation and visualization techniques. Use them as soon as you recognize the first few symptoms of the panic attack. These methods may sound too simple, but these are all proven effective in reducing panic attack symptoms.

Sufferers who want instant relief still choose to use the traditional treatment methods than deal with panic attack naturally. Compared to traditional methods, the treatment of panic attacks using the natural cures takes time, commitment, and determination. But what’s truly amazing about these natural cures is that they not just reduce and relieve the symptoms, but they also address the root of the problem, totally eliminating future panic attack symptoms.