Dear Anne,
My 11 year old daughter has just had quite a bad panic attack. My husband (who used to suffer) says breathing into a paper bag will help. I have heard that to run or dance is better. Can you suggest which is best? I think I will take her to the doctor just to be on the safe side. She's terrified of being sick so I think that's what is triggering the attack. Thanks. Michelle
Dear Michelle,
Panic attacks are unpleasant, aren't they? They're caused by a build-up of adrenaline and fuelled by fast, shallow breathing which builds up too much oxygen in the blood. That's why breathing into a paper bag can help: it means the person takes in less unneeded oxygen. Exercise can also help because it burns off surplus adrenaline. Since both tactics are useful, your daughter can use whichever feels better for her at the time, or one after the other. A third tactic is to invite her to breathe in normally (not deep breathing) for a count of three, breathe out normally for a count of three, and then not breathe in again for a count of three. Practise this with her when she's calm and she'll be able to repeat it when she feels a panic attack coming on.
But management only goes so far. It's great that you're taking her to the doctor. Medication may be very helpful as part of the management programme. However, since she has a phobia about being sick, it makes sense to address that so she doesn't produce unwanted adrenaline at the very thought. I'd recommend taking her to a licensed practitioner of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) since they have some great fast phobia cures. She'll probably only need one or two sessions. Do check with the practitioner that they're comfortable working with children. I wish all your family all the best.
