Guide
Fear of injections: what can help children (and parents)?
by Michael Restin
How to help someone having a panic attack
14.12.2023
Translation: Katherine Martin
Even if panic attacks are physically harmless, they can feel life-threatening to the person experiencing them. Here’s how you can help someone in a state of acute anxiety.
The anxiety comes out of nowhere, setting your heart racing and making it difficult to breathe. Your mouth goes dry, your hands are wet with sweat and dizziness is setting in. It’s a panic attack.
A horrible feeling only those who’ve experienced it can fathom. Although this acute anxiety, accompanied by a raft of physical symptoms, isn’t dangerous in itself, the threat feels completely real to the person experiencing it. It can even get so bad that they fear for their life.
This article contains tips on how you can assist someone having an acute panic attack. It’s not a substitute for a first aid course or getting professional help for an anxiety disorder. The information was taken from a combination of official health care providers, first responder guidelines (in German), and non-profit organisations devoted to tackling anxiety (website in German).
Stay calm
If someone around you suffers a panic attack, it’s important you respond appropriately. Here are a few ways to support the person and make them feel safe in this difficult situation.
The important thing? Staying calm yourself. This is the only way you’ll be in a position to help.
Is it really a panic attack?
As the symptoms of a panic attack can resemble a heart attack or other medical problems, you first need to determine whether the person really is having a panic attack. Only a medical professional can establish this for certain. If in doubt, call the emergency services or go to an emergency room.
How you can help someone experiencing acute panic
- Ask the person what they need. Perhaps there’s something that helped them during a past panic attack.
- Help the person to get to a safe, private place. However, it’s important you don’t do so against their will. Ask if they’d like to sit down. For some people, going out for some fresh air also helps.
- If the person wants to tell you something or asks you for something specific, be sure to listen. Validate their feelings and try to get them what they want.
- Be supportive. Speak calmly and softly in short, simple sentences. Remind them that the feeling will pass soon. It can also be helpful to acknowledge how frightening the situation is and make it clear that you’re there to help.
- Encourage the person to try out coping strategies such as breathing exercises. Some people find it calming to count backwards from 100.
- Wait patiently with the person until the panic attack is over. Unless, that is, they ask you to leave or to give them space. (However, if you do leave them, make sure there’s no acute risk to their health.)
What not to do
It’s vital the person feels their anxiety is being taken seriously. After all, the panic they’re experiencing is real, not just in their head. Instead of downplaying or trivialising what they’re going through, try to support them and validate their feelings.
- Don’t tell the person to calm down and don’t judge them.
- Try not to ask too many questions.
- Avoid telling them not to worry.
- Don’t assume you know what the person needs.
- Don’t disregard the person’s feelings or beliefs – even if they don’t make sense to you.
If in doubt, get help
Getting assessment and support from trained professionals can help, especially if the person’s having a panic attack for the first time. If the person’s worried about their health or wellbeing, it’s important to encourage them to seek treatment from a doctor or another qualified professional.
Header image: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock
Science editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always outside - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.
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