Four Steps to Help Someone Having a Panic Attack
In the United States, 1 in 3 people will have an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. If your loved one is having a panic attack, there are several ways you can help. With a few research-backed techniques, you'll be better equipped to provide support.
Name it and stay calm
Gently name it, and tell your loved one that you believe they are having a panic attack. You can let them know that it will pass. And one of the best ways to help your beloved ones is to remain calm themselves by taking deep breaths and reminding themselves that this is temporary, even if they're feeling a little uneasy about what's happening.
Give them space
Your loved one may need some space during a panic attack. After reminding them that they can handle their symptoms, you can give your loved one space until their panic attack passes. If they do, improve their ability to independently experience their symptoms by offering the coping statement once or twice and letting them ride out their symptoms until they pass.
While someone is having a panic attack, we do want to be empathic (移情的), but we don't want to stress the idea that panic is dangerous, harmful, or needing to be reduced, minimized, or escaped. So, rather than giving your loved one lots of comfort and concern, it can help to remind them that they can cope with what's happening on their own. This gives them back their power to deal with the situation. You can do this by offering supportive statements like:
"You can handle these symptoms."
""
"This will pass."
A. Look after yourself
B. Offer a coping statement
C. Why are you so upset over that?
D. They might ask you to stick around.
E. The feelings aren't comfortable, but you can accept them.
F. Statistics show that women are twice as likely as men to have a panic disorder.
G. This can provide some context for what's happening and relieve the fear of the unknown.
