Panic attacks in an 11yr old?

Question:

My husband and I are fighting for custody of my step-daughter. It is a very ugly fight, and since we do not have her, we can't protect her from it. Anyway, we just found out that she has regular "panic-attacks" that she has to leave school for, sometimes going to the ER. These started last year. She is now in court ordered counsiling, but we don't know if the counsilor has been told about these attacks. Anyone have any experience with this in a child so young? We know she has gone through some bad mental abuse, and at this piont, believe sexual abuse is also occurring, but not sure. Would that bring on the attacks?

Answers:
I started having panic attacks at that age, and my parents were not divorced, nor was I ever sexually abused. Sometimes these things just happen naturally. Please don't assume the worst, even if it is the case here. I hope not for her sake.

I wasn't even diagnosed with mine until I was 23, so at least she has you and her father aware of her condition at a younger age. I guess I have already answered your question, but if she's having these attacks at school, it's not likely that she's being sexually abused there, is it? They start and begin in her mind, and can be triggered by all sorts of things. A gesture, a tone of voice, a smell...I'm so sorry that one more person in this world has to live with this.

Abuse would cause an anxiety disorder, of which anxiety attacks could be a symptom. It is not unheard of in kids that age.

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Panic attacks in an 11yr old?

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