Helping Your Child Before, During, and After a Panic Attack

It’s happening again. Your child is having another panic attack. They’re hyperventilating and shaking. They feel nauseous, tingly, or just plain bad. They’re afraid something terrible is going to happen or that they’re going to die.

What do you do? How do you help your child get through this, and how do you help prevent future panic attacks?

The National Institute of Mental Health states that one in eight children is affected by an anxiety disorder.

While you may feel like you’re alone in trying to figure out your child’s anxiety, the truth is that anxiety disorders are common during childhood—and they’re becoming more common. The National Institute of Mental Health states that one in eight children is affected by an anxiety disorder.

As a therapist and the author of a children’s book featuring a main character with a panic disorder, helping young people with anxiety is near to my heart. Let’s look together at some of the things you can do to help your child before, during, and after a panic attack.

Before a panic attack

If your child has been experiencing panic attacks, here are some steps to take before the next one.

Consider taking your child for a physical to rule out any medical causes for their symptoms. Your pediatrician can also offer treatment recommendations and referrals.

Help your child to maintain a schedule with set times for meals and snacks, proper hydration, physical activity, relaxation, and sleep. Keeping a schedule will decrease your child’s overall anxiety, which will decrease panic attack frequency and intensity.

Keep lines of communication open between you and your child and in your family in general. Get into the habit of talking to your child about their day, their feelings, and their fears.

False alarms happen when our brains believe we’re in danger and give us a burst of energy so that we can run away or fight.

Learn about panic attacks and talk to your child about them. Use simple, straightforward language appropriate to your child’s age. You can describe panic attacks as “false alarms.” These false alarms happen when our brains believe we’re in danger and give us a burst of energy so that we can run away or fight. Reassure your child that while these false alarms can be very...

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