Advice please for 9year old step daughter with panic attacks?

[Jacinta McKie]

Hi all, my boyfriend has a daughter and she is constantly waking up in the middle of the night having major panic attacks.
Her father is a very simple mind who clearly does not understand anxiety what's so ever, so when this occurs he believes it is all just for attention, and he reacts my screaming and completely losing his temper. But as an anxiety sufferer myself I understand that it in infact a mental illness.
I need advice on what I should do to help her?

[Buttercup]

I think someone having anxiety at such a young age needs to have professional input. Does she see a child pyshologist? I was a primary teacher for 9 years and I only came across a couple of kids with anxiety problems. I am not saying this is the case with you but this is just in my experience- the parents/carers over protected these children, really sheltered them from everything and in a way fed their anxiety. Anxiety in children does tend to be a learned habit- they either see that is how parents/carers/siblings act and therefore mimic behaviour or they learn that when they are like this they get all the attention they want and it becomes a really vicious cycle. It is common for children to wake up in the middle of the night scared and it does not mean they suffer from anxiety but if it's a frequent thing then it does need to be addressed. Does your daughter have nightmares? How else does it affect her life? for instance is she ok going to school or to a friend's house?

[Jacinta McKie]

She wakes up in the middle of the night about once a week, screaming that she is having a heart attack she sweats and shakes and I have had a panic attack myself and I really believe she is suffering from it. She has constant nightmares, has had a pretty difficult childhood, and doesn't do very well at school. Do you recommend I take her to a normal gp and see what they say?

[Fashoom]

I would take her to a child psychologist. The good ones really have a good rapport with kids. Tell your boyfriend and his daughter that you are concerned and would like her to have some relief from her terror. Something odd is going on if a 9 year old is talking about having heart attacks. In any case, sweating and shaking are panic disorder symptoms, she needs help.