My teenage daughter has severe panic attacks

Hey Guest,

Cognitive behavioral therapy is generally viewed as the most effective form of treatment for panic attacks, panic disorder, and agoraphobia. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on the thinking patterns and behaviors that are sustaining or triggering the panic attacks. It helps you look at your fears in a more realistic light.

For example, if you had a panic attack while driving, what is the worst thing that would really happen? While you might have to pull over to the side of the road, you are not likely to crash your car or have a heart attack. Once you learn that nothing truly disastrous is going to happen, the experience of panic becomes less terrifying.

I feel you should talk to her. See if anything is wrong that she knows of. She may be stressed out. If something is wrong take care of it as best as you can. If it continues see a doctor 

I agree with the user above me, but I understand that talking to teens can sometimes be very hard, if not impossible. It is a very sensitive age, everyone knows that. If she doesn't want to talk to you, it makes this problem a lot bigger.

Try and consult a psychologist. If he or she has an idea how to make her talk to him or her, take her to see this psychologist. They can really help in these situations and are actually quite good at working with teens. If she accepts to talk to him or her, it is a major step forward.

Teenagers are so hard to handle, I didn't have the nerves to handle my daughter when she got in puberty, I decided to let my wife fight her and talk to her and everything. I know, I know, I was a teenager once as well, I know how I looked at the world, that's why I know there would have been no use of me talking to her.

Consulting a psychologist is a great idea. If your daughter gets to meet this psychologist, even better. At least you will have this off your back, this psychologist could really help her with this.

Hey guys,

I don't want to be rude or anything, but I don't think that a psychologist will work here. She probably won't even want to hear about it. Here's what you need to do, what I think is the smartest thing for you to do. You need to find one person that she respects and that she can talk to. This person should be a bit older, teens always have this one person who they respect and who they can talk to, most often, it is one of their grandparents. Once you find this person, tell him or her to talk to her and that should be it.

Hey. Trust me on this one, I have tried to talk to her but she doesn't want to listen to me. Sometimes I am wondering where this beautiful girl dispersed, she was my friend and my daughter. I am pretty sure that something is going on in her school but she doesn't want to share it with me, she doesn't want to tell me is someone bothering her or what. I have tried to contact my doctor and he told me that he can't do a lot of things without her around, he can't help her if he don't talk to her.
Are there some home strategies to deal with it?

Hi.

Yes, there are some thing but first, you need to teach your kid about anxiety. Maybe she doesn't know that she is dealing with it. Trust me, this is very important and first step because once you learn your kid to to understand what is happening to her - it can help you both a lot. So, sit down with her and tell her that you think that she is having some problems. You are her dad and you need to show her that you are the authority. She is definitely having some problems because panic attacks are the body's fight response to something. 

Hello. 

I understand how hard this situation is for you. But, like somebody already told you, you need to show your daughter that you are the authority in your house. Panic disorders are very common in kids lately. Cognitive behavioral treatment strategies have been found to be very effective in kids with panic disorder.  There are so many treatments that can help her, but you need to show her who is the chief in your house. I understand that you are father and mother to her, and that you are sensible when it comes to her but you need to change it. 

You will help her at this way. 

 

Hello,

I hope you and your daughter are doing better now. But in case you need another perspective or if anyone else comes across this looking for answers, I'll leave this here.
Firstly, I'm a bit disturbed that multiple people have mentioned showing her that you have the authority in your house. While yes, you are the adult, she's not doing this to undermine you.
As someone who has severe anxiety and panic attacks and hid them from my own parents, it's really really hard letting people in. Letting my parents see all that and accepting their help was letting them see something I felt made me weak and stupid.
In the end, what I needed was a judgement free zone where I felt safe and heard. I do also agree that helping your child learn about anxiety and panic attacks can help them too.
You can force them to come to you, but you can let them know that you support and love them, and you'll be there for them when they're ready.

I want to make a correction. I had meant to say that you can't force them to talk to you, not can. Typo