Question:

My 14 year old daughter complains of being short of breath, her body trembles and she can’t speak. Is that anxiety? It only laasts for short periods of time.

Answer:

Well it depends, if she recovers by breathing into a paper bag, if these episodes are accompanied by anxious feelings of dread or foreboding, yes this could be what we call a “Panic Attack” which is the key symptom of Panic disorder, a very treatable medical illness in the anxiety disorder family.

For more information:

Go to the Anxiety and Stress Disorders (Children) health topic.