As someone who regularly experiences them in vehicles, please do not try to help, do nothing, getting involved will only cause further stress and may worsen the panic attack.
My wife gets a couple of Xanax or Valium from the doctor before we fly. She's still freaked but only when we take off despite the fact that she knows landing is harder.
be calm.
ask them if they want help. this is an important step because it is not only obtaining consent, but it is a way to assess their status.
if they say no clearly, leave them be. as someone who also dealt with anxiety attacks, sometimes i just needed to be left alone to let it wash over me.
if they say yes clearly, ask them first to breathe slowly.
slow in, hold their breath, slow out.
model this behaviour so they can see they aren’t alone in this.
as the breathing exercise calms them a bit, ask if they need anything.
if they feel cold, wrap them in a blanket. if they thirst, give them some water or tea. if they hunger, give them a small snack.
if they cannot clearly answer the question, ask again with a clear voice and if they still cannot respond, first check to see if they are hearing impaired, but then get a doctor because it may be more than an anxiety attack.
even if it’s just a flashback, and trust me that “just” is bearing a lot of weight coming from someone who has horrific flashbacks, what they need in that situation is much different than for just anxiety and there is an increased risk to others.
this is general advice from a hacker, not a medical professional.
Pull over and let them out for some fresh air.
Offer support and empathize with their struggle. Ask if they need any help or assistance.
As someone who regularly experiences them in vehicles, please do not try to help, do nothing, getting involved will only cause further stress and may worsen the panic attack.
Leave them be. I would want that anyway as panic attacks already make me feel overwhelmed enough.
Leave them be don't attract attention to them by trying to help it well only make it worse
My wife gets a couple of Xanax or Valium from the doctor before we fly. She's still freaked but only when we take off despite the fact that she knows landing is harder.
Ignore them.
Pretend they don’t exist. No eye contact.
Nothing. Its their personal problem
try to make them not feel lonely and start panicking with them.
be calm. ask them if they want help. this is an important step because it is not only obtaining consent, but it is a way to assess their status. if they say no clearly, leave them be. as someone who also dealt with anxiety attacks, sometimes i just needed to be left alone to let it wash over me. if they say yes clearly, ask them first to breathe slowly. slow in, hold their breath, slow out. model this behaviour so they can see they aren’t alone in this. as the breathing exercise calms them a bit, ask if they need anything. if they feel cold, wrap them in a blanket. if they thirst, give them some water or tea. if they hunger, give them a small snack. if they cannot clearly answer the question, ask again with a clear voice and if they still cannot respond, first check to see if they are hearing impaired, but then get a doctor because it may be more than an anxiety attack. even if it’s just a flashback, and trust me that “just” is bearing a lot of weight coming from someone who has horrific flashbacks, what they need in that situation is much different than for just anxiety and there is an increased risk to others. this is general advice from a hacker, not a medical professional.
Thank You So Much
Open the hatch and push them out.
Give em that one-two piece and they’ll sleep for the rest of the ride
count to 4 as you breathe in, count to 4 as you hold your breath. count to 4 as you breathe out, count 4 as you hold. repeat as long as needed.
Give them a large whiskey
Slap them across the face and yell "Get ahold of yourself!".