– Spending a lot of time on their own at lunch and breaks – Appearing visibly anxious (sweating, agitated and rapid breathing) (189) Conditions Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) Many young people who experience anxiety won’t experience long- lasting or severe episodes. However, there are some young people who live with an anxiety disorder. A young person experiencing GAD will experience anxiety most days for at least six months (190). When signs of GAD have been present for a while a Youth MHFAider may notice inability or difficulty making decisions that would usually be easy for the young person. They may also continually seek reassurance around everyday matters. Panic disorder A young person with a panic disorder experiences acute levels of anxiety and lives with a fear that a panic attack might occur at any point. A panic attack is a sudden onset of intense apprehension, fear, or terror – they can begin suddenly and develop rapidly. This intense fear is often inappropriate for the circumstances in which it is occurring. A young person experiencing a panic attack often has a sense that something awful is going to happen to themselves or to others (191). A young person having a panic attack will experience an increased awareness of their heartbeat, sweating, trembling, shaking, a feeling of choking, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, dizziness, a feeling of detachment from their self or surroundings, a fear of dying, chills, hot flushes, and/or tingling. The occurrence of a panic attack is considered a crisis and should be treated as such by a Youth MHFAider. Many of the physical symptoms can appear similar to those of a heart attack or asthma
Page 225
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker