Panic Attacks in Teenagers

It usually begins in an ordinary moment. A classroom, a bus, the queue in a shop. The heart speeds up, the chest tightens, the air feels thin. Within seconds a teenager becomes convinced that something catastrophic is happening to their body. Ten minutes later it has passed, and they are left shaken, embarrassed, and frightened of when it will happen again.

Panic attacks are common in adolescence. Roughly one in ten young people will experience at least one. They are not a sign of weakness, madness, or a hidden illness. They are a fear response firing in the absence of any actual threat — the body's alarm system going off in an empty building.

What a panic attack actually is

During panic, the amygdala triggers a surge of adrenaline. The heart beats faster to move blood to the muscles. Breathing quickens to take in more oxygen. Blood shifts away from the hands, the fingers tingle, the vision narrows. Everything the body does in that moment is designed to help you survive a threat. The problem is not the response. The problem is that there is nothing to run from.

How to recognise it

• A sudden surge of fear that peaks within about ten minutes
• Pounding or racing heart, chest tightness
• Shortness of breath or a feeling of choking
• Dizziness, tingling hands, shaking, nausea
• A sense of unreality, or of being detached from the body
• Fear of dying, fainting, or losing control

What separates a one-off attack from panic disorder is what happens afterwards. When a young person begins to fear the next attack, and starts avoiding places where one might occur, the fear of fear becomes the real problem.

What to do in the moment

1. 01
   Stay unremarkable

   Your calm is the intervention. Lower your voice, slow your movements, and avoid urgent questions. A panicked adult confirms the brain's theory that something is wrong.

2. 02
   Do not argue with the fear

   'You're fine, nothing is happening' rarely lands mid-attack. Try 'This is panic. It's horrible and it will pass. I'm here.'

3. 03
   Lengthen the out-breath

   Breathe with them rather than instructing them. In for four, out for six. The long exhale is what signals safety to the nervous system.

4. 04
   Let it finish where it started

   Where possible, avoid leaving the situation. Leaving relieves the moment and teaches the brain that escape was necessary.

The habits that quietly make panic worse

When to seek professional support

Speak with your GP or a psychologist if attacks are recurring, if your teenager is avoiding school, friends or transport, if they are frightened of being alone, or if panic is accompanied by low mood or thoughts of self-harm. Panic disorder responds extremely well to treatment — often within a small number of sessions.