How Can I Help Someone Who Is Having A Panic Attack?
You have probably heard the term panic attack before, or you know someone, a coworker, a friend, or a member of your family who has already suffered from one of these attacks.
But what are the symptoms exactly? When we see a person have palpitations, spasms or tremors, sweating, anxiety, tightness in the abdomen or chest, nausea, vomiting, what can we do to help them?
Here are some simple rules that will help you help someone who is having a panic attack.
1) If you did not know that the person in question has had a panic attack from time to time, if this is the first time this has happened to them, or if they have other medical problems such as asthma or diabetes , call for help right away.
2) This scenario is usually scary for the person who wants to help. Take a deep breath and try to keep calm, both for yourself and so that you can transmit it. Keep your voice calm, reassuring and firm, accompanied by body language free from any sudden movements.
3) Avoid giving orders to the panicking person, and ask if they have any medicine they are used to taking to relieve their seizures.
4) Do not discuss the irrationality of the fear of the other with comments such as “it is only in your imagination”, because for the person, the situation that he is dreading is very real, threatening and out of control.
Feeling misunderstood will only make them more distressing. Also, if she insists that she is going to die, tell her that the seizure will last a few moments, but that it is only fleeting.
Even if you want to grab her arm or hand to show her your presence, it’s best to avoid touching her.
5) The person may remain paralyzed or flee, or even try to lock themselves in a room. She will tend to want to sit on the floor and not want to move. If so, after a while, offer to sit in a chair or on the bed.
6) Encourage her to continue by telling her that she is doing very well, and that she is making progress. Ask her simple questions like what is the color of the room we are in, what color is the tiles so that she diverts her fears to other things.
7) Listen to her, let her talk, and invite her to relax. It is important that she manages to regain control of herself.
8) Help her focus on her breathing by inhaling and exhaling deeply and slowly with her while counting the breaths out loud. First two seconds each time, then three, until you get to five. This will allow him to slow down his heart rate.
9) Invite her to cool off. Moistening her neck, neck and face will give her a lot of relief, especially if she is sweating profusely.
10) Support her at all times, until the crisis passes. If she does not have medication with her to calm her down, and if you find that she cannot calm down after fifteen minutes, seek medical help.
Most of the time, taking her to the hospital will only make her more nervous, so it’s best to ask her if she wants to go.
Various studies have reported on the effectiveness of the combination of drugs and therapy intended to modify behavior.
The patient will learn techniques that will allow him to cope with his panic attacks, to pinpoint the automatic thoughts that trigger them, false alarms, and finally to learn to see that they do not represent any real danger at all. as unpleasant as they are.
These tips are very useful when it comes to helping these people, as they provide a good solution for how to help people who are suffering from a panic attack.
