Our bodies have built in defense mechanisms that help us protect ourselves and stay safe when we are in a dangerous situation. Our fight-flight-freeze response, triggered by our sympathetic nervous system, makes sure we are alert and ready to defend ourselves if we face a threat.
If you were to see a bear in the distance while you’re on a hike, this response helps you to freeze and remain perfectly still until it meanders away from your area. If you were to hear gunshots or you were being chased, this response would help your heart pump blood to your muscles faster so you could run away as quickly as possible or fight if necessary.
We are fortunate to have a sympathetic nervous system that prepares us to escape when we are in danger.
But what happens when we feel our fight-flight-freeze response when we’re not in danger?
Panic attacks are the body’s fight-flight-freeze response kicking in, and while they are the body’s alarm system meant to keep us safe, they can be incredibly frightening when there is no present threat.
Typically panic attacks only last for a short period of time, between 5 and 10 minutes, and they can cause many or all the following symptoms:
heightened awareness
flattened vision
increased heart rate
fear of dying
dizziness
sweatiness
trembling
chills
hyperventilation
While many people who have panic attacks report feeling like they are going to die, panic attacks are not dangerous.
Because panic attacks do not cause harm, when your teen suffers from panic attacks, your goal as a parent is not to eliminate these attacks, but to help your teen learn to manage them without fear.
Here are a few strategies you can use to help your teen manage panic attacks at home:
Learn relaxation techniques
There are breathing exercises and relaxation techniques that your teen can use to help reduce the symptoms they experience during a panic attack. Oftentimes getting the heart rate down to normal and eliminating feelings of dizziness can help your teen feel less overwhelmed and afraid when they have a panic attack.
Panic attacks tend to cause people to hyperventilate, which is what causes the light-headedness they experience. Show your teen how to take deep, calming breaths through the nose to help calm their heart rate and stop them from hyperventilating.
In addition to breathing exercises, another relaxation technique that can be helpful is progressive muscle relaxation. Have your teen tense different muscles within their body and slowly release the tension, one body part at a time. This will help them calm down and release some of the stress and anxiety they are experiencing.
Focus on the facts
When your teen is in the midst of a panic attack, they may feel like they are going to pass out, lose their mind, or even die.
Fortunately, none of these fears are actually true of panic attacks. If your teen suffers from panic attacks, remind them that panic attacks are short, they aren’t harmful, and they will not cause them to die. This will help keep their fears from spiraling out of control and making everything worse the next time they have a panic attack.
Challenge negative thoughts
Many people tend to catastrophize their panic attacks. They think if they have a panic attack, it means that something is wrong with them, that they will pass out and be embarrassed, or that everyone will notice. This can make having panic attacks feel like the end of the world to your teen.
You can help combat this by teaching your teen to challenge their negative thoughts.
For instance, if your teen is terrified of being embarrassed and losing their friends if they have panic attacks, have them ask themselves a few questions:
Why do I assume I am going to be embarrassed?
Have I ever been embarrassed before? Was it the end of the world?
Would I stop being friends with someone if I witnessed them experiencing an embarrassing moment?
This will help them see that their worst case scenario regarding their panic attacks is either unlikely to happen or not as big of a deal as they might think.
Make an in-case-of-a-panic-attack card
Sometimes in the heat of a panic attack, it can be hard for your teen to remember to practice relaxation techniques and challenge their negative thoughts and fears. It can be helpful for your teen to have an index card with this information that they can tuck away in their purse, backpack, or wallet that they can pull out when they need it.
Face fears
While this might sound counterproductive, it is a good way for your teen to become familiar with the symptoms they are presented with during a panic attack so that they eventually are no longer phased by them.
Encourage your teen to slowly start going to places or trying safe activities that they have been avoiding out of fear of having a panic attack. You can also help your teen avoid using avoidance and safety behaviors like looking at their phone when in a crowded place or standing close to exits.
When your teen makes progress, make sure you recognize and encourage their continued success. Over time, you will see that they will become a lot more confident and their panic attacks will be less debilitating.