Areas of Specialization - Children and Adolescents
Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia
Case example
| Kate was 16 years old when
she had her first panic attack.
She was at the movies with
her friends when she began
to feel her heart racing and
experience difficulty breathing.
She began to sweat and her
vision became too blurred
to continue to watch the movie.
She quickly left the theater
and began to walk home accompanied
by one of her girlfriends.
When she arrived home she
insisted to her parents that
something was "very wrong"
with her and that she needed
to go to the emergency room.
Although Kate's medical tests
all indicated that she was
healthy, she continued to
worry that she would have
another attack. She began
to avoid situations that reminded
her of her first panic attack-
dark places, crowds, or even
scary movies that might startle
her. Kate enjoyed exercise
but she stopped her morning
jogs with her father after
she realized the running resulted
in similar physical sensations
she experienced in the movie
theater. Most recently, Kate
declined to go on a class
trip out of fear that she
might have a panic attack
on the bus and immediate help
would not be available. Kate
still questions whether something
physical is wrong with her
and she has begged her parents
to take her to more specialists
to determine if she has a
heart condition or brain tumor. |
Children and adolescents with
panic disorder have unexpected
and repeated periods of intense
fear or discomfort accompanied
by numerous physical feelings
(i.e., racing heart, sweating,
dizziness, breathlessness). Panic
disorder in children and adolescents
may be difficult to diagnose.
Frequently, parents have made
multiple visits with their child
to the pediatrician or emergency
room and the child has undergone
multiple medical tests with normal
results. During the panic attack,
children may believe that something
terrible is happening to them.
Panic disorder is not common in
young children and is more likely
to be found in older adolescents.
Panic disorder can interfere with
a child or adolescent's schoolwork,
relationships and family life.
Children and adolescents with
panic disorder may begin to feel
anxious most of the time, even
when they are not having a panic
attack. Sometimes these youngsters
will begin to avoid situations
where they fear a panic attack
may occur or situations where
help may not be available. In
more severe cases, the child or
adolescent may become reluctant
to attend school or be separated
from their parents. This pattern
of avoiding certain places or
situations is referred to as agoraphobia.
Describe
treatment>>
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