Daughter in Hospital

Hi Caren,

I am so sorry to hear about your daughter! I hope that you, she and the doctors will be able to get the right treatment combination to help her to get through this.

How old is your daughter? I ask because some medications can have adverse reactions in those under the age of seventeen or so...

For acute anxiety episodes such as a panic attack, a benzodiazapine is usually prescribed. This is a fast acting type of medication with a short half-life. It does not need to be taken daily, and doesn't need the building up and leveling off time like a daily SSRI, for example.

Whether or not this can be prescribed will be up to the doctors, and what they determine is best for her, however.

No matter what is prescribed (if anything) I would strongly recommend getting a therapy referral before she is released. This way she can work on the coping skills that she can use in the long-term for dealing with the attacks.

Whether she sees a someone individually, is offered group therapy, or a CBT program...she will be getting some great help to manage her A/P!

I wish you both the best,

S.C.

Oh, then definitely ask if the hospital has services such as group therapy or help on a sliding scale, since income is an issue. They can often steer you in the right direction if you ask!

If you can't find any affordable help, there are several self-help programs and books for learning about and treating panic. Look into getting her some DVD's or CBT workbooks.

There is also Moodgym, the on-line website (see our Resources) that is recommended by many here.:)

Take care,

S.C.