Panic Attacks - Spokane,WA

One thing I KNOW that helps is EFT (emotional freedom techniques)! http://www.emofree.com/splash/video_popup.asp. This is a very interesting video and will give you an idea how this works!

Try getting him to see a counselor since they may be able to help provide additional relaxation techniques. Seeing a counselor doesn't mean he'll be medicated if that's not what you want.

Also, what is causing the panic attacks? Once he knows what's causing them, it'll be easier to manage them.

Yes, tell him to find one thing in the room that he finds comfort in and focus on that. Breathe. And keep breathing until he can find two things that he can find another thing that he finds comfort in. Gradually he will be able to find comfort in the whole room.

If he can not find comfort in the room, tell him to focus on his hand. Put it in front of his face and focus only on that. Breathe until he feels he can focus on one more thing.

He really needs professional help. It is common for people who are in most need of help to resist going.

How do I know? I go once a week. I need to go. It was very hard to go the first few times. I did not want to go. It saved my life to go. Now I go to save my life.

See if he will go to a teen group. If not take him to a mixed age group.

Hi J.,

I highly suggest taking him to see a naturopath doctor, so you can get a better understanding of what's going on with his body and find a solution that hopefully doesn't involve medication. He could simply have some sort of hormonal or chemical imbalance that it causing this body to react that way. One example is if his cortisol or DHA levels are depleted (the hormones in your adrenal glands that calm you down under stressful situations), then when he gets in stressful situations, the only hormone left in the adrenal glands to release is adrenaline, which is the opposite of what you want happening and can seem like a panic attack. If this is what's happening, he can take adrenal supplements to help his body replenish the cortisol and DHA hormones that it needs to calm itself. Also, if it's something along those lines and it's not treated, it could become more serious. Though again, I recommend talking to a naturopath doctor who can find out all the details, and get the proper tests done to find out what's happening.

I don't have any recommendations for Naturopath's in Spokane, but I'm sure you can put up another posting here to see if anyones else has a recommendation.

I wish you the best of luck with you son!

Hi J., first of all allow me to give you a BIG hug! Your lucky it only took him 2 weeks to admit he's in trouble. As his mom you are his best support system.

I am not surprised he doesn't want to take to a stranger about his problem(s)or take medications. If you try home remedies and they do not start to show relief in 2 - 3 weeks he will need to be seen by a doctor to rule out more serious problems.

Your son needs to step up to the plate and do something different if he wants his circumstances to change. He has to take responsibility for his own health and wellness.

He needs to think hard about what his stress factors are, nail them down and write them down. Only then he can work on solutions. If he smokes, drinks or uses recreational drugs he needs to quit. The toxins could be triggers. Look at what he eats, too much caffeine and sugar can be triggers for him. Also food allergies are a consideration. What is happening in his family life, social life, school, grades, girls, friends and what are his buddies up too.

In short he is having a brain overload and he needs to support his brain while it tries to cope and correct the imbalance.

At News Seasons Market you can find a number of holistic healthy products to help manage stress and anxiety. But as with medications your son has to be willing to use the home remedies in order to benefit from them.

My favorites are Valerian Root for anxiety and St. Johns Wort for depression. Bach Rescue Remedy is good for stress on the go. There are books and the person in charge of the supplement section should be able to answer any questions you may have.

Relax Now is my favorite Herbalife supplement for stress and anxiety. You can read about it on my website www.herbaliva.com click on products, targeted nutrition, stress management.

I am in my last year at www.achs.edu my major is nutrition, minors are herbal medicine and homeopathy.

I hope this information leads you to the answers you seek. If there's anything I can do to help, just give me a call or send me a email.

I. Schmeck
1-###-###-####
____@____.com

Hi,
I know what you're going through. My daughter started having panic attacks when she was 14. First of all, take your son to the doctor for a thorough work up. It could be something like an adrenal gland tumor. I don't want to scare you but such a tumor could be releasing large quantities of adrenaline into his system and causing that panic feeling. So first make sure there is no underlying phyiscal cause.
For my daughter we tried the breathing and relaxation techniques but they weren't effective. Then we tried a homeopathic remedy called Rescue Remedy, but that didn't help much either. We did finally have to go to xanax. But the good news is that for her just knowing that she had the xanax on hand if she needed it kind of worked as a placebo and she started having fewer attacks and really didn't need to take it all tat often.
Good luck to you and your son. Please reassure him that there is no shame in the symptoms he is having and that it is ok to take medicine if you need it.
J.

Hi J.,
Would he consider going to see an acupuncturist? I have treated a 15 year old with anxiety attacks and it really helped her. Let me know if you would like more information or a recommendation.

This may be difficult to do at school without drawing attention to himself, but it might work during the summer and get him over them. I was listening to Dr Laura on 1190 KEX radio when a caller said they would get panic attacks while driving. She told them to pull over to a safe place, stop the car, get out and do 10 pushups. She said if he did that everytime he felt an attack coming on he would get over them in a few weeks. It is similar to the breathing exercises that your son is already doing but involves more physical than mental. Just a suggestion.

J.,

Something my daughter and I have taken during times of stress is 5HTP. It's a vitamin supplement that stimulates seratonin and helps us to relax to sleep. Breathing exercises are good as is any exercise and getting outdoors. Herbal tea is also good. Another suggestion is to have him keep a journal. Finally, a group I have found to be very inspirational and helpful is Abraham-Hicks:

http://www.abraham-hicks.com

They have daily quotes, books, and seminars throughout the US. Their philosophy is The Law of Attraction, in that what we put forth is what we will attract.

I will pray for your son that he finds peace in these troubled times.

God bless you and Happy Mother's Day!

C. J

I would get him a good calcium and magnesium supplement. with vitamin D. He good be anemic as this will cause this as well as several health problems.

Hylands makes a wonderful holistic tablet called Calm. You dissolve it under your tongue and is tiny. They would work great until you get to the underlying cause.

I hope this is healthful.

God Bless

Sounds scary for him and for you.

Even though he doesn't want to see a counselor, there are many counselors who can help through different styles of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Trying to recognize triggers for these and examining the thought process that occurs and then working on biofeedback type of things like controlling his breathing and heartrate can help. You can find info online and maybe if he reads about it himself, he can find help in just that.

Having them in his sleep sounds unusual. Are those panic attacks or some type of seizure?

Best of luck!

My brother used to have panic attacks as a teen, but they always were situational. Overwhelming amount of homework, girlfriend issues, friend issues, parent issues, etc. I think it's odd that your son's are "all day and even when he sleeps." It sounds like something he needs to see a doctor about, like the other mom suggested to have his thyroid and adrenal system checked FULLY.

If they are physical, it might be something he can balance with nutritional changes/environmental changes. If they are true anxiety-based panic attacks, my brother did very well with hypnosis and cognitive based therapy--both of which involved breathing remedies. He never needed meds.

Be proud that he did tell you, and let him know they are common and treatable!

Hi J.,
For me, personally, what worked was going to a Naturopath. She suggested that I take Magnesium in the evenings as it is very calming and is the "off switch" to your cells, where as calcium is the "on switch". Also, I found out that I had a problem with my antibodies attacking my thyroid. Your thyroid controls so many things within your body, so that was something that I definitely I needed to get under control. I found through family history, etc, that eating Gluten Free was the answer. The gluten (wheat, rye, barley, malt, oats) I was eating was causing my anitbodies to react and attack my thryroid. I have been eating Gluten free since November and have had 95% less anxiety. I strongly reccomend seeing a Naturopath and encourage a counselor as well. It is an illness and nothing to be ashamed of. It is a scary thing, but being able to differentiate in your mind that you are ok can be hard ot the moment you are in it.
Eating right is very influential.
I hope that helps! Please keep me updated on how he is doing.
N.

Dear J.,

I started with my Panic Attacks, when I was 18, and looked for help in an hospital. They gave me Clonazepam for a while, and I started a Psychological therapy. I still have panic attacks (I am 48) once in a while, but I know the thepapy and the medication were the key. Good luck with your son, and I know what is feeling right now. Yoga and meditation classes are really good also.
Good luck and don't give up on your son.

Having teens admit that they need help is a huge project. I have a son that also has panic attacks, and he even slipped into a depression. The first thing I would suggest is that you find him someone to talk to that is safe. This could be a school counselor, religious leader, or a community person.
As for meds, let him know that there is nothing wrong with taking medication. There are natural things you can try first before going to the pharmaceuticals. If you have a health store that has homeopathic tablets (Vitamin World, GNC, or Supper Supplements)you can see which ones work for panic. These have helped my husband with his panic.

One thing that I do with my family and myself is to talk threw the attack. It would look something like this.
1. What triggered the attack? (you do not always know the answer to this, sometimes you just talk threw ideas as they come into your mind.)
2. What are you worried about?
3. What is the worse case?
4. What is the best case?
5. What would you do about the worse case?
6. Can you live with this outcome?
7. What would you do to be able to live with this outcome?

This has worked for me, my daughter, my son, and my husband.

Good luck. Ohh, yah, NAMI might have a chapter over there that has a family to family support group. Find others that you can talk to. Just because he dose not want counseling does not mean you cannot get it.

I also recommend seeing a naturopath and researching other natural therapies like acupuncture.
I had more mild symptoms than your son but found that caffeine was a trigger. I see teens all the time w/ energy drinks & I dont think thats healthy.
For me, my adrenal system was off balance so my naturopath prescribed some nutritional supplements and teas which really helped. I decided to go to a naturopath because I was not happy with the advice of the MD I was seeing. For myself & my kids I have always found the natural treatments to be the most effective.
good luck!

I think the counselor piece is critical so keep pushing that.

Some cd's that might help:
Gillian Ross Yoga Nidra (meditation cd and there's two 30 minute meditations and the 2nd is better/easier at first).
The Art of Meditation by Daniel Goleman - cd

I just read some of the responses. I've taken Valerian root but it does contain something that can mess up dna and eventually your son may want to have children so I would check out all herbal remedies to see if they have any adverse affects. Just know about all the contents of any herbal or traditional meds given as best you can and weigh the risk.

Hi J.,
This happened with my son as well, right around the same age (that was 8 years ago). We tried everything . . . meds, counseling, relaxation techniques,change in school, etc. After dealing with it for quite awhile, I began to suspect an imbalance in his hormones. After my insistence, the pediatrician checked his thyroid levels. Turns out he was running on the high side of normal which caused the nervousness, sleep difficulties, fast heartbeat, and sleep difficulties. We all dealt with this for several years as he slowly improved. The two things that helped him the most were cognitive behavior therapy (for a couple of months) to develop strategies for coping with his panic attacks; and reducing his sodium intake. He was eating way too much sodium from processed foods (snacks and junk foods when not at home)and that raised his thyroid and brought on the uncomfortable symptoms. Even now, he feels much better when he keeps his salt intake low. Also, he finally passed through that stage of his adolescent development.

Bach flower remedies are all natural and invented by a medical doctor.

http://www.bachflower.com/

Hi J., I am a college counselor for people with disabilities. Unfortunately, your son's panic attacks may worsen if he doesn't use the professional help and medication that is available to him. I have seen this type of thing escalate.
It is nothing to be ashamed of. The medication should level him out.
I don't know of anything like a home remedy either.
If you are Christians, I recommend a Christian counselor as the best bet.
Sometimes it is a chemical imbalance and the medication can level that imbalance. I have known people to be on meds for a while and then don't need them anymore. I hope your son will change his mind and be willing to get the professional help and meds he may need. C.

Hi,

My son also had anxiety attacks not as severe as your son. For my son, it was the amount of pressure, he was putting on himself. He had very high expectations and if he didn't meet those expectations, he was very hard on himself.Its a huge shift into High School with concerns about future life, goals, grades, colleges, girls, and being an athlete. We didn't lean towards medications but anything that soothed him from hot showers, sound machine for sleeping, aromatherapy to meditation.Guided mediation worked best in terms of getting him to relax.
He also had a hard time taking any advice from me (being his mom). My son finally relented and went to counselor as well. The counselor helped him to put his expectations in perspective. How to meet his goals with realistic time lines and tasks. Maybe some books on stress reduction if he won't see a counselor.

I wouldn't rule out seeing a doctor because their bodies are changing as well.

Good luck,
J.

Hi J. -

I have to be brief here, but I wanted to just suggest that you take him to a chiropractor and also a naturopath. I have struggled with anxiety and have lately been experiencing relief as I've been under the care of both of these types of doctors. If your son's neck/back is out of alignment, it could be contributing to his panic attacks, etc. The nerves from the spine are very sensitive and are connected to each and every other organ & gland function of the body. If your son has a chemical imbalance (which is common at his age), he may have depression and you may need to take him to a counselor or psychologist to get diagnosed even if he is resistant to going. They may suggest a drug to help him get balanced. Weigh that carefully and get the opinion of a naturopath as well.

Blessings,
J.

My husband recently started having panic attacks too. We are not sure what triggers them, but we have figured out that he starts to notice a tightening in his back and shoulders when one is coming on. I am a massage therapist so I tried massaging his neck and back. It seems to help relax him. He is currently trying several other things as he also doesn't want to take meds but it might be the answer. I wish you luck. These are very scary things to experience for both him and myself. I look forward to reading your other responses.

You have a lot of great advice below, so I will just add my personal experience. I went through a phase where I started getting panic (anxiety) attacks. It was triggered by a bad flu when I was already physically and mentally exhausted due to stresses of my work at the time (long long hours, lots of pressure to perform). After that first time, for which the emergency room prescribed Xanac so I could sleep at night, they would reccur. I only took the meds 2 nights b/c I did not want to use the meds regularly. I found that there were two primary changes I had to make in my life to keep them away. The first was I needed to make sure I got enough sleep/rest. That was critical. At the time I was shorting my sleep by 3 hours a night (sleeping only 5 hrs). The second major change is that I realized it was something I COULD control (that I had the mental fortitude to eliminate) by recognizing the signs as they come on and taking control of my mind and body (counting, breathing, etc). I was fortunate that this approach worked for me. I sure hope you and your son can work through this soon as well. I know how unnerving it can be.

J., does your son get bullied?
Gentle thoughts
R.

I suffer from panic attacks/anxiety and I have to tell you that it is the worst feeling in the world.... almost like you are dying. Please don't let the stigma attached to psychiatry & medications stop your son from getting relief. Take him to be evaluated and if the attacks don't subside help him to understand that it's okay to take medication to control them.

I think what is important to remember is that panic attacks can happen from a deficiency in the body OR can happen because you are prone to having them....just like depression. There isn't always an "underlying cause". If there isn't an underlying cause, it is helpful to educate yourself about them - and then do everything that is recommended - supplements, changes in diet, exercising, all can help. Remind him that panic is your brain going bonky - it is biological response to something gone haywire in the brain. I know he doesn't want to take meds, but they really do help if his panic attacks go on for long. Once I started taking a low dose antidepressant my life changed - and I've only had major panic once every 10 years.

Try EFT, it looks odd, but it really works. It completely stopped my anxiety attacks. www.emofree.com.

I have a history of panic attacks that started when I was in college. First I would recommend ruling out any medical conditions like abnormal thyroid levels to make sure that might not be causing it. Second, there are some great workbooks available to deal with panic attacks like "An End to Panic" by Zuercher-White. I worked with this book while seeing a therapist. I know he is not interested in seeing a counselor but cognitive-behavioral therapy is a successful, well established treatment for panic attacks. I did cognitive behavioral therapy for a year and am also on meds (Lexapro) as the therapy alone was not enough for me. Other options to try are biofeedback & hypnosis.

Keep up the breathing exercizes. I really feel for you & your son. Best of luck.

The DR on the radio says B12 deficiency will cause panic attacks. I think that can be check with blood work.