How to Help Someone Having a Panic Attack
Knowing how to help someone having a panic attack can make a world of difference to a person who is in the midst of what can be a truly terrifying experience.
To learn more about Mental Health Treatment options at New Mind Wellness, call us today or verify your insurance online. We’re excited to help you start your personal recovery journey.
What Are Panic Attacks?
Panic attacks involve the sudden, often unpredictable onset of extreme fear, and variety of other physical and psychological symptoms.
They are usually brief, usually peaking within five to 10 minutes and rarely lasting longer than 20 minutes. However, during this relatively short time panic attacks can cause a person to experience substantial distress.
Symptoms
The physical symptoms of a panic attack can include:
- Excessive perspiration
- Hot flashes and/or chills
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Feeling like you may be about to faint
- Tremors, shakiness, and unsteadiness
- Stomach ache
- Nausea
- Tingling or numbness in your hands and feet
- Racing heartbeat
- Chest pain
- Sense of being smothered, choked, or unable to catch your breath
The psychological impact of a panic attack can involve:
- Fear that you are losing control, losing your mind, or “going crazy”
- Depersonalization, which is the sense that you have become detached from your thoughts, emotions, and body
- Derealization, which is a sense of environmental detachment that can include feeling like the world has been drained of color or that you are viewing your surroundings through a pain of glass
- Intense fear that you are about to die
Causes
Several mental and behavioral health conditions are associated with panic attacks, including:
- Panic disorder
- Depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Specific phobia
- Agoraphobia
- Social anxiety disorder (social phobia)
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Many medical concerns can also cause symptoms that can feel like a panic attack, such as:
- Asthma
- Epilepsy
- Heart disease
- Cerebrovascular diseases
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Parkinson’s disease
- Hormonal abnormalities
Some people have panic attacks after using certain prescription medications or recreational substances, including:
- Antidepressants (particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs)
- Corticosteroids
- Mefloquine (an anti-malarial drug)
- Isotretinoin (an acne medication)
- Alcohol
- Cocaine
- Cannabis (marijuana)
- Amphetamine
- Methamphetamine
- Lysergic acid diethylamide
- Psilocybin (magic mushrooms)
How to Help Someone Having a Panic Attack
Here are a few tips for how to help someone having a panic attack:
- Remain calm: It can be upsetting to see someone you care about having a panic attack. But if you respond with an outward display of alarm, that can exacerbate their symptoms. Speak in a calm voice. Let them know that you’re with them and will help keep them safe.
- Don’t dismiss their distress: When someone is having a panic attack, the symptoms they are experiencing are 100% real. As you reassure them that they’re safe, take care not to imply that what they’re feeling doesn’t actually exist or is “all in their head.”
- Ask them what they need: If the person has had previous panic attacks, they may be able to tell you exactly how you can help them. Even if they haven’t, asking them what they need can help them shift their focus from the problem (their current distress) to potential solutions.
- Use grounding techniques: Check out the next section for information on a deep breathing exercise and the 5-4-3-2-1 method, which are two grounding techniques that can be particularly helpful for someone who is having a panic attack.
- Stay with them: Even after the person’s symptoms subside, they may still need help to reorient themselves or simply sit and process their experience. Don’t leave until you’re sure they’re OK and they don’t need any additional assistance.
Ways to Respond if You Have a Panic Attack
If you’re the person who’s having the panic attack, here are a few self-care strategies that can help you get through the experience safely:
- Reassure yourself: If you’ve had one or more prior panic attacks, remind yourself that what you’re feeling is temporary and will soon pass. You’ve made it through an experience like this before without incurring lasting damage, and you’ll soon do so again!
- Find a safe space: You should ideally stay where you are, but if your location puts you in danger or exacerbates your symptoms, take appropriate action. For example, if you’re driving a car, pull off the road and turn off the engine. If you’re feeling faint or otherwise unsteady on your feet, find a comfortable place to sit.
- Practice deep breathing: Focusing on your breath can be an excellent way to calm and ground yourself. Here’s one of many breathing exercises that can help:
- Inhale deeply through your nose. Silently count to four while doing so.
- Hold your breath while silently counting to four again.
- Exhale through your mouth while counting to five or higher.
- Repeat as necessary until your anxiety begins to dissipate.
- Use the 5-4-3-2-1 method: This grounding technique incorporates your five senses to help you take your focus
- Name five things you can see from where you are.
- Find four different textures to touch.
- Identify three unique sounds.
- Detect two smells.
- Describe one thing you can currently taste.
- Talk to someone: If you’re with someone that you trust, let them know what’s happening and what they can do to help. If you’re by yourself or among strangers, call or text a loved one. Talking through the experience with a close friend or family member can be extremely beneficial. If you have had multiple panic attacks, discuss them ahead of time with your loved one so they’ll be prepared if you contact them while one is occurring.
Find Help for Panic Attacks in Philadelphia
If you have been experiencing panic attacks due to panic disorder or another mental or behavioral health concern, New Mind Wellness is here to help.
Our mental health treatment center in Philadelphia, PA, offers personalized services and compassionate support at the partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient levels. Our team will work closely with you to identify the programs and therapies that best align with your unique needs, so that you can find your path toward a healthier and more hopeful future.
To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free mental health assessment, please visit our Contact page or call us today.
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