A panic attack often gives the person experiencing it the impression that they are dying and/or can push them to commit the irreparable. Knowing how to soothe him can save his life.
- A person in the midst of a panic attack may feel a strong sense of danger, even imminent death.
- Talking to her kindly, without judging her and reassuring her can help regulate her breathing
- There are several techniques to help alleviate the symptoms
A panic attack is an acute anxiety attack occurring suddenly and characterized by psychic, psychomotor, physical, neurovegetative symptoms. A person in the midst of a panic attack may experience a feeling of danger, even of imminent death, an inability to act and think, an amplification of ambient stimuli, a feeling of malaise, dizziness, heart palpitations, tremors, flashes of heat or even diarrhea and breathing difficulties (feeling of suffocation).
Generally, the symptoms of a panic attack reach their maximum intensity within 10 minutes and can lead a person to commit impulsive and reckless acts in certain serious cases, such as throwing themselves out of a window or rolling on the floor screaming. “Panic Disorder affects about 1 to 3% of French people at one time or another in their lives. It concerns two to three times more women than men”specifies the site Ameli.
How to help someone in the middle of a panic attack?
During a panic attack, a person may feel like they are dying. It is essential that a loved one knows certain methods to alleviate the symptoms. Occurring unpredictably, panic attacks can be frightening. The first thing to do is to stay calm. Talking to her kindly, without judging her and reassuring her can help regulate her breathing. Help her inhale, then exhale slowly. Use a reassuring and peaceful tone.
It is also possible to help the person to sit on a chair, with their feet firmly planted on the ground and to invite them to breathe quietly by making them realize how comfortable and safe they are sitting on this chair. . The 5-4-3-2-1 technique also helps to distract her by inviting her to focus on something else in the room: on the identification of five elements, four objects to touch, three noises to hear, two smells different and a taste.
You can also count with her from 1 to 10 calmly, or make her do simple little calculations to force her to concentrate on something else and calm down. You can also ask her what day of the week you are, what she’s doing here at this place, what she does for a living… force her to think.
What to avoid doing
It is important to be patient, reassuring and gentle to calm the person experiencing a panic attack because the symptoms may take a long time to subside. Do not get upset and avoid phrases like “calm down”, “don’t worry” or “try to relax” which only remind her that she is agitated, stressed and panicking. Be friendly and caring. A panic attack is daunting and disconcerting, but can happen to anyone.
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