Am I Having a Panic Attack? 4 Steps to Calm Down (and 2 to Never Do)

 

This is a sudden bout of extreme anxiety that can be brought on by a strong fear of something (phobia) or an emotional upset. A panic attack is often accompanied by hyperventilation and/or an unusually fast heart rate.

 

Panic Attack Symptoms to Know

• Signs of fast breathing, such as hyperventilation or overbreathing
• A very fast pulse rate
• Feeling of tension that causes a headache or chest tightness
• The patient may be very apprehensive and may even have a fear of dying

 

How to Handle a Panic Attack

Do: Remove the cause. Try to find out the cause of the patient’s fear and separate her from it. Either remove it from her or move her away from it.

Don’t: Restrain someone who is having a panic attack. And never attempt to slap the person to “snap her out of it.”

Don’t: Ask the patient to rebreathe air from a paper bag. This can cause low blood oxygen levels.

Do: Be firm. Try to calm the patient by talking firmly but kindly and calmly to her. Explain that she is having a panic attack and keep others away.

Do: Encourage her to breathe calmly. Breathing more slowly will help to calm her and stop her hyperventilating. Try to encourage her to copy your breathing pattern.

Do: Monitor the patient. Stay with her until she has recovered. If she has a history of panic attacks, advise her to seek help to learn how to control them.

 

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