What to do when someone has anxiety attack

How to Help Someone Having a Panic Attack

A panic attack is a brief but intense rush of fear.

These attacks involve symptoms similar to those experienced when facing a threat, including:

intense fear
a sense of doom
sweating or chills
shaking
pounding heart
difficulty breathing
head and chest pain

Panic attacks differ from a typical fear response because there’s no actual threat involved.

“The body is saying there’s danger, when in reality there’s none present,” explains Sadie Bingham, a clinical social worker who specializes in anxiety and provides therapy in Gig Harbor, Washington.

Panic attack triggers aren’t always easy to identify, so people who have one attack often worry about having more, especially in public.

Panic attacks usually feel very uncomfortable and cause significant distress. Many people believe they’re experiencing a heart attack or other life-threatening issue.

If you know someone who experiences panic attacks, there are several things you can do (and avoid doing) to help them in the moment.

Keeping your cool is one of the best ways you can help.

Panic attacks usually don’t last long. “The most intense feelings tend to last between 5 and 10 minutes,” Bingham explains.

But someone having an attack may not have much concept of time as it happens. They might feel terrified or think they’re about to die.

Even if you feel a little afraid yourself, stay calm. If your voice seems to help (and they haven’t asked you to keep quiet), talk to them in a calm voice.

What to say

Try:

reassuring them you won’t leave
reminding them the attack won’t last long
telling them they’re safe

Most people who experience panic attacks or live with other types of anxiety have their own go-to coping methods. When offering support, keep in mind your loved one knows best when it comes to what will help most.

During an attack, however, they might find it harder to communicate this. Consider asking in advance how you can offer assistance if they experience an attack around you.

During an attack, it’s okay to calmly ask what you can do to support them. Just prepare for the possibility of a short or curt response.

The fight-or-flight stress response can affect the ability to think and behave logically, according to Bingham. “Try to remain neutral, and don’t take their response personally,” she recommends.

What if they want me to leave?

As long as they’re not in immediate danger, take a few steps back and give them some space. Stay nearby so you can still keep an eye on things, and let them know that should they change their mind, you’ll come right back.

If you haven’t already, take some time to familiarize yourself with the early signs of a potential panic attack.

Panic attacks commonly begin with:

a feeling of terror or dread
hyperventilation or shortness of breath
feelings of choking
a pounding heart
dizziness and shaking

Not everyone experiences panic attacks in the same way, so it’s best to ask what signs they tend to experience.

The sooner you realize what’s happening, the faster you can help them get to a more private place, or wherever they need to feel more comfortable.

A soothing, familiar voice helps some people, but try to avoid repeatedly saying things like “don’t worry” or asking them if they’re alright over and over.

Of course you mean well, but your words may not have much benefit in the moment. They can also make the situation more stressful, since your loved one may believe they’re doing something wrong by not being alright.

How to make your words more actionable

Take action with your words by:

asking if they want to leave the room and go somewhere else
reminding them to keep breathing
engaging them in light conversation, unless they say they don’t want to talk

Panic attacks can be confusing as well as scary. People generally can’t predict them and there’s often no clear cause. They can happen in stressful situations but also during calm moments or even during sleep.

It might seem helpful to tell your friend there’s nothing to be afraid of. But they’re probably perfectly aware there’s no actual threat.

That’s part of what makes panic attacks so confusing. The reaction matches a fear response — but nothing’s happening to cause that fear. In response, someone who gets panic attacks might begin to fear the symptoms themselves, or link them to a serious health issue.

“It’s typical to feel embarrassed or ashamed of such an intense reaction,” Bingham explains. “But having a trusted companion offer compassion can allow space for the person to return to baseline.”

You can be that person even without understanding why they get panic attacks. That’s far less important than your ability to offer empathy and recognize their distress as real and significant.

People often have a hard time sharing their experiences with mental health issues, including panic attacks.

Some avoid talking about mental health issues because they believe others won’t understand what they’re going through. Others worry about being judged or told what they experience isn’t a big deal.

Outsiders often don’t understand the fear caused by panic attacks and may even consider it illogical.

But the response is real, and the person experiencing the attack can’t control it.

An empathic response can be as simple as, “That sounds really tough. I’m sorry you experience that. Let me know what I can do to support you.”

Grounding techniques can have benefit for a range of anxiety issues, including panic attacks.

“Grounding techniques can help contain panic attacks after they begin,” explains Megan MacCutcheon, a therapist in Vienna, Virginia.

These techniques help the person focus on what’s actually happening, not their fear of the attack. They’re often most helpful once the intensity of the attack has faded a bit.

Quick grounding tips

To help someone ground themselves, you can try:

physical touch, like holding their hand (if they’re okay with it)
giving them a textured object to feel
encouraging them to stretch or move
encouraging them to repeat a soothing or helpful phrase, like “this feels awful, but it’s not going to hurt me”
talking slowly and calmly about familiar places or activities

Say you just sat with your friend while they had a panic attack. When it’s over, they seem calmer but tired. You had plans to see a show, one you’d both been looking forward to, but your friend asks you to take them home instead.

Naturally, you’re probably disappointed. But remember: Your friend can’t help what happened. They’re probably disappointed and exhausted. They may also feel bad about ruining your plans, which can compound the distress associated with the attack itself.

It’s common to feel completely wiped out as your body and its processes return to normal after an extreme fear response. Someone who’s just had a panic attack might not feel up to anything beyond quiet relaxation.

“Inquiring what they need and honoring that request is crucial,” Bingham says. “Asking too much after a panic experience can aggravate the healing process.”

You might think going to see the show will cheer them up or improve their mood, but forcing them to keep engaging when they would prefer space can keep that stress response lingering, Bingham explains.

If someone chooses to tell you about their panic attacks, take this as a sign of trust.

To show respect for their experience and honor this trust:

respond with compassion
be mindful of your words and actions, during an attack and at any other time

You might have all the best intentions, but it’s entirely possible to make someone feel bad without realizing you’re doing so.

Keeping these suggestions in mind can help you avoid unintentional harm:

Don’t compare normal stress and fear to panic

Maybe you’ve felt stressed or terrified in a dangerous situation. You might even have anxiety yourself.

These experiences aren’t quite the same as a panic attack, though. Avoid trying to draw comparisons between your different experiences. Unless you also get panic attacks, you probably don’t entirely understand how they feel.

If you have experienced extreme fear, let that memory inform you on what your friend is going through. Remind yourself they aren’t just afraid or stressed.

They may also feel:

helpless
unable to manage what’s happening
physical pain or discomfort

Don’t shame or minimize

It’s pretty common to worry about having a panic attack, especially in front of strangers, or believe the attack might annoy or inconvenience friends or loved ones.

“People struggling with anxiety or panic attacks might intellectually understand the response is illogical. But hearing that from someone else can increase their isolation,” Bingham explains.

Avoid saying things like:

“Just relax. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“You’re upset over that?”
“What’s wrong with you?”

You might not intend to make your friend feel ashamed, but denying the reality of their distress can certainly have that effect.

Don’t give advice

Not every coping technique works for everyone. Deep breathing and other relaxation techniques can have benefit, but they often help most when practiced regularly, MacCutcheon says.

“When these techniques are only utilized during moments of panic, they often wind up backfiring. Deep breathing turns into hyperventilating and the mind becomes too overwhelmed to focus on unfamiliar things.”

While it can help to remind your friend to breath, telling them to take deep breaths may not help.

In short, avoid telling someone how to manage symptoms. Sure, you may have heard yoga, meditation, or giving up caffeine can help. But you don’t know what your friend has already tried unless they’ve told you.

Wait until you’re asked for suggestions. If you have personal experience, you might say, “I get panic attacks too and I’ve found yoga really helpful. If you’re interested in trying it out, we could go together sometime.”

It can be frightening to watch someone have a panic attack, but at what point should you bring in additional help? It’s hard to say.

Calling your local emergency number might seem like the safest move, but this can often make the situation even more stressful for the person having a panic attack.

Simply sticking around and seeing them through the experience might not feel like much to you, but it can make a significant difference for the person having the attack.

That said, reach out for emergency help if:

chest pain feels like squeezing (not stabbing) and moves to their arms or shoulders
symptoms persist for longer than 20 minutes and get worse, not better

shortness of breath doesn’t improve
pressure in the chest lasts more than a minute or two

Crystal Raypole has previously worked as a writer and editor for GoodTherapy. Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health. In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues.

How to Help Someone Having a Panic Attack

A panic attack is a brief but intense rush of fear.

These attacks involve symptoms similar to those experienced when facing a threat, including:

intense fear
a sense of doom
sweating or chills
shaking
pounding heart
difficulty breathing
head and chest pain

Panic attacks differ from a typical fear response because there’s no actual threat involved.

Panic attack triggers aren’t always easy to identify, so people who have one attack often worry about having more, especially in public.

Panic attacks usually feel very uncomfortable and cause significant distress. Many people believe they’re experiencing a heart attack or other life-threatening issue.

If you know someone who experiences panic attacks, there are several things you can do (and avoid doing) to help them in the moment.

Keeping your cool is one of the best ways you can help.

Panic attacks usually don’t last long. “The most intense feelings tend to last between 5 and 10 minutes,” Bingham explains.

But someone having an attack may not have much concept of time as it happens. They might feel terrified or think they’re about to die.

Even if you feel a little afraid yourself, stay calm. If your voice seems to help (and they haven’t asked you to keep quiet), talk to them in a calm voice.

What to say

Try:

reassuring them you won’t leave
reminding them the attack won’t last long
telling them they’re safe

During an attack, however, they might find it harder to communicate this. Consider asking in advance how you can offer assistance if they experience an attack around you.

During an attack, it’s okay to calmly ask what you can do to support them. Just prepare for the possibility of a short or curt response.

What if they want me to leave?

If you haven’t already, take some time to familiarize yourself with the early signs of a potential panic attack.

Panic attacks commonly begin with:

a feeling of terror or dread
hyperventilation or shortness of breath
feelings of choking
a pounding heart
dizziness and shaking

Not everyone experiences panic attacks in the same way, so it’s best to ask what signs they tend to experience.

The sooner you realize what’s happening, the faster you can help them get to a more private place, or wherever they need to feel more comfortable.

A soothing, familiar voice helps some people, but try to avoid repeatedly saying things like “don’t worry” or asking them if they’re alright over and over.

How to make your words more actionable

Take action with your words by:

asking if they want to leave the room and go somewhere else
reminding them to keep breathing
engaging them in light conversation, unless they say they don’t want to talk

It might seem helpful to tell your friend there’s nothing to be afraid of. But they’re probably perfectly aware there’s no actual threat.

“It’s typical to feel embarrassed or ashamed of such an intense reaction,” Bingham explains. “But having a trusted companion offer compassion can allow space for the person to return to baseline.”

You can be that person even without understanding why they get panic attacks. That’s far less important than your ability to offer empathy and recognize their distress as real and significant.

People often have a hard time sharing their experiences with mental health issues, including panic attacks.

Outsiders often don’t understand the fear caused by panic attacks and may even consider it illogical.

But the response is real, and the person experiencing the attack can’t control it.

An empathic response can be as simple as, “That sounds really tough. I’m sorry you experience that. Let me know what I can do to support you.”

Grounding techniques can have benefit for a range of anxiety issues, including panic attacks.

“Grounding techniques can help contain panic attacks after they begin,” explains Megan MacCutcheon, a therapist in Vienna, Virginia.

These techniques help the person focus on what’s actually happening, not their fear of the attack. They’re often most helpful once the intensity of the attack has faded a bit.

Quick grounding tips

To help someone ground themselves, you can try:

physical touch, like holding their hand (if they’re okay with it)
giving them a textured object to feel
encouraging them to stretch or move
encouraging them to repeat a soothing or helpful phrase, like “this feels awful, but it’s not going to hurt me”
talking slowly and calmly about familiar places or activities

“Inquiring what they need and honoring that request is crucial,” Bingham says. “Asking too much after a panic experience can aggravate the healing process.”

If someone chooses to tell you about their panic attacks, take this as a sign of trust.

To show respect for their experience and honor this trust:

respond with compassion
be mindful of your words and actions, during an attack and at any other time

You might have all the best intentions, but it’s entirely possible to make someone feel bad without realizing you’re doing so.

Keeping these suggestions in mind can help you avoid unintentional harm:

Don’t compare normal stress and fear to panic

Maybe you’ve felt stressed or terrified in a dangerous situation. You might even have anxiety yourself.

If you have experienced extreme fear, let that memory inform you on what your friend is going through. Remind yourself they aren’t just afraid or stressed.

They may also feel:

helpless
unable to manage what’s happening
physical pain or discomfort

Don’t shame or minimize

It’s pretty common to worry about having a panic attack, especially in front of strangers, or believe the attack might annoy or inconvenience friends or loved ones.

“People struggling with anxiety or panic attacks might intellectually understand the response is illogical. But hearing that from someone else can increase their isolation,” Bingham explains.

Avoid saying things like:

“Just relax. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“You’re upset over that?”
“What’s wrong with you?”

You might not intend to make your friend feel ashamed, but denying the reality of their distress can certainly have that effect.

Don’t give advice

Not every coping technique works for everyone. Deep breathing and other relaxation techniques can have benefit, but they often help most when practiced regularly, MacCutcheon says.

While it can help to remind your friend to breath, telling them to take deep breaths may not help.

It can be frightening to watch someone have a panic attack, but at what point should you bring in additional help? It’s hard to say.

Calling your local emergency number might seem like the safest move, but this can often make the situation even more stressful for the person having a panic attack.

Simply sticking around and seeing them through the experience might not feel like much to you, but it can make a significant difference for the person having the attack.

That said, reach out for emergency help if:

chest pain feels like squeezing (not stabbing) and moves to their arms or shoulders
symptoms persist for longer than 20 minutes and get worse, not better
shortness of breath doesn’t improve
pressure in the chest lasts more than a minute or two

How to give first aid for a panic attack

April 12, 2016 Health

Panic attacks are something that everyone has heard about, but few have actually experienced. In this article, we will tell you how to behave in such a situation.

Let's imagine. You are walking down the street with your friend. He suddenly falls and severely injures his leg. Blood is flowing from the wound, your friend is in a lot of pain. What will you do in this situation?

Seems like a simple task. You will most likely try first aid and help a friend get to the emergency room. You may have a band-aid or bandage to cover the wound with, or a bottle of water to clean it out. In general, one way or another, you roughly know what to do: everyone is familiar with the rules for providing first aid.

But the situation is more difficult. What if your friend has a panic attack? How to proceed in this case? Few people know. But being able to help with a panic attack is just as important as with an injury or a fall. You don't know when you might need it, but if you find yourself in an emergency, you'll be glad you spared no effort to learn.

Panic attack is a sudden, inexplicable attack of severe anxiety and fear. It may be accompanied by symptoms such as rapid heart rate, chills and sweating, difficulty breathing, nausea, and dizziness. Most often, a panic attack is very painful for the one who experiences it.

How to help someone during a panic attack

Assess the risk of self-harm.
Listen to the person without judging them.
Comfort, reassure and tell the person what is happening to him.
Encourage him to seek professional help. This is best done after the attack has passed: in a state of acute anxiety, a person is not up to it.
Encourage him to learn self-help and other useful practices.

This is not a definitive guide to action, as situations can vary greatly, but rather a general guide that everyone can use. In addition, you need to be aware that you are not capable of making a diagnosis or providing qualified assistance. You only need to help the person cope with the attack.

Psychotherapist Elena Perova gives more specific advice and tells how to deal with someone who is experiencing a panic attack.

Panic attacks often happen in the subway, in small rooms, so the first thing to do is take the person out into the open air.
Sit him down and give him a drink. If the relationship allows, hold hands.
Talk to the person in a soothing voice, gently ask if he understands what frightened him. If he wants to talk, let him talk. If he has nothing to say, try to draw his attention to what is happening around, to the fact that life goes on as usual.

It is important to be calm yourself and give the person the feeling that you are in control of the situation. Talk calmly, move calmly, so that he gradually adapts to your behavior and also calms down.

When you begin to inquire about help for panic attacks, you may become anxious. If everything is more or less clear with first aid for injuries, then here you have to deal with the human psyche, his brain. This means that each individual panic attack will be unique, and you need to quickly figure out how to help overcome it.

But don't worry: the lack of knowledge is much worse than the general and correct ideas about how you can help with a panic attack.

Causes and symptoms of panic attacks. What to do and how to fight?

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What is a panic attack? How can it arise? How to identify and identify this phenomenon? Let's look into the issue together with the specialists of the Korsakov Medical Center.

What does a panic attack mean and what are its symptoms?

The classic definition is that a panic attack is a spontaneous attack accompanied by anxiety. Most often, panic attacks appear after frequent stressful conditions. It must be understood that the state of panic is characteristic of people, if there are reasons, but a panic attack is characterized by suddenness. A person experiences fear, incomprehensible anxiety, panic, horror for no reason. Biologically, a large amount of adrenaline enters the bloodstream, and an attack lasts from one minute to forty.

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How do you know that you or your loved one may have a panic attack? Let's look at the main symptoms of this disease.

Symptoms of a panic attack

A person in this state experiences an uncontrollable attack of fear. It is characterized by the following manifestations:

Cold sweat
A panic or anxiety
Migraine
Crazy Consciousness
begins to darken in the eyes
It becomes difficult to breathe
, the limbs

begin to tremble at the panic attacks on the physiological side.

After a person experiences stress, our body reacts to it. The first reaction is to release adrenaline into the blood. Further, there is a decrease in blood vessels, breathing becomes more intense, heartbeat accelerates. The result is hyperventilation of the lungs. There is a rapid accumulation of lactic acid in muscle tissues. There is pain in the body. And all this together tells the brain that the body has just experienced stress.

Further, our body understands that it has just experienced a state of stress, but such a state is not received without a reason, as a result, the body reacts with a panic attack. I must say that people who are not prone to panic attacks react differently to minimal stress.

If you feel panic, fear, anxiety before an event, such as a job interview, final exam, public speech, an important conversation with a loved one, and other similar events, then this is normal. This is a natural reaction of the body and nervous system before a significant event in your life.

But if you or your loved one is experiencing all of the above symptoms without a good reason or life threatening, then it may very well be a panic attack.

“Do you suspect that you or someone close to you has a panic attack?

Get a consultation at the psychiatric department of the KORSAKOV clinic. ”

Causes of panic attacks

The causes of panic attacks are now being actively studied by medicine. As a rule, an attack of uncontrolled panic occurs in patients with vegetovascular dystonia, and this phenomenon can also be inherited. People who have suffered any mental illness or are in a state of prolonged stress for a long time are also at risk and prone to panic attacks.

I must say that attacks can occur suddenly, but also external stimuli can lead to panic attacks. If a person has undergone heart surgery, a stroke, a change in hormonal levels, then he is at risk.

Causes of panic attacks in women

We would like to single out the female body and its inherent causes for panic attacks. Changes in the hormonal background as a result of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, childbirth, menopause negatively affect women's health. If external factors are superimposed on this, then very often a woman cannot cope with general stress, and panic attacks begin.

Causes of panic attacks in adults

Certain types of people are at risk for panic attacks. From our practice, we want to single out the following groups of working age: workaholics, overly responsible people experiencing highly emotional stress. Also, if a person experiences high-intensity physical or intellectual stress, the body reacts with stress and the risk of panic attacks increases.

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What to do in case of panic attacks

It is important to properly help with this condition. If you understand that you are prone to panic attacks, or among your acquaintances there is such a person, then you should know how to act when a panic attack occurs.

First aid for panic attack

If you observe symptoms in a loved one that are similar to what we do, or the person himself knows when this condition will begin and asks for help, it is necessary to provide assistance. Take the person outside to get access to oxygen. If this is not possible, open the windows and fill the room with fresh air. Support a person: talk, ask about his well-being, it is important to speak in a calm, soft and measured voice. A tactile sign of attention is also important: hug a person or take his hand.

If you yourself are prone to seizures, you need to know both self-help methods and measures to prevent seizures.

Panic Attack Prevention

If you realize you are having panic attacks, you should make a list of things you can do to help you regain your sense of calm.

Switch your attention. You understand what caused a panic attack, learn to switch and not think about the event that caused it. To do this, learn to control your condition.

Concentrate on something. Choose any object in the environment, its detail. Carefully study the selected object, try to notice all the details of which it consists. Focusing on the details will help restore clarity of thought.

Treatment of panic attacks

Panic attacks are treated with medication or psychotherapy. We will talk about effective methods of treatment.

Medical treatment

The purpose of the method is to stop a panic attack and control future attacks.

There are many drugs available to help control panic attacks and control the body. Any medications are prescribed by an experienced doctor (psychotherapist or psychiatrist). In no case do not try to choose the drug yourself, consult with a specialist. When choosing a drug, the doctor takes into account the individual characteristics of the patient and predicts possible side effects, based on this, the drug is selected. Tell the specialist in advance about your individual intolerance to substances (if you have already experienced this) and about your lifestyle (when you drive, whether you play sports, when you fall asleep and what time you get up).

Psychotherapeutic treatment

In psychotherapy it is necessary to identify the cause. The doctor must determine why a panic attack occurs. The psychotherapist diagnoses the patient and, based on this, selects the necessary method of treatment. Let's talk about each method in more detail.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

In this method, the therapist teaches the patient to control his thoughts. The patient learns to understand the conditions and factors that cause anxiety. Together with the doctor, the patient understands his lifestyle and rhythm of life, and work begins to return the state of control. The course is discussed with the attending physician individually. The goal of therapy is to establish control over the patient's emotional background.

Psychoanalysis

In psychoanalysis, it is necessary to find out what factors influenced the occurrence of panic attacks. This may be a change of residence, conflicts in the family, a hidden feeling of resentment, problems from childhood, a feeling of guilt towards a loved one, etc. After establishing the true factor, the doctor explains to the patient how to properly seek a solution to the problem.

Classic hypnosis

Used as a therapy. I must say that hypnosis is not suitable for all patients due to the fact that for some it simply does not work. A relatively fast method of therapy, the doctor makes certain settings for the patient, which require several sessions.

Erickson hypnosis

Suitable for almost all patients. The doctor draws the patient's attention to his inner experiences, then directs him to the necessary solutions to problems. During the procedure, the patient communicates with the doctor and communicates with the doctor.

Family therapy

There is a joint work with family members: the therapist tells about the patient's experience to his family members. A list of recommendations for patient support is jointly thought out. The problems that have arisen in the family are considered, and ways to solve them are proposed. The patient is treated as part of the family.

Gestalt Therapy

With this method, the attending physician looks for an imbalance in a person. Moreover, this balance is considered as a set of human needs. The psychotherapist looks for what needs the refusal occurred, communicates with the patient and offers a solution. To restore balance, a person must satisfy his vital needs.

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Useful advice from a psychotherapist at the Korsakov Medical Center

To reduce the frequency of panic attacks and get rid of it, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle. Do not load the nervous system, eliminate overvoltage and irritating factors. Meditate, learn the described breathing exercises. Work on your irritants, learn to restrain and control them. Work on concentration in psychotherapy sessions.

Watch your diet: do not consume sweets and coffee in large quantities.

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