Diffusing a Panic Attack

1. You can’t breathe. You can’t move. You feel paralyzed. You feel like you’re dying.  The world is shaking. There is an impending feeling of doom and danger in your bones. It feels like the world is going to end and take you with it. The horror I just described is what a typical panic attack feels like. It feels like your entire life is put on hold and you are about to have a full body mental breakdown. If you have experienced this, you are not alone. I have experienced many panic attacks, and so have 35% of all college students – that is 18 million – according to a study conducted by the University of Michigan. If you haven’t, let me tell you it is not fun. In one way or another, firsthand or second hand, we have all experienced a panic attack. This means we all know how important it is to know how to diffuse the situation effectively.
2. Knowing the correct ways to diffuse a panic attack can help you to prevent extreme mental consequences to yourself and others around you.
3. There are three main ways to diffuse a panic attack: box breathing, the 5-4-3-2-1 method, and what I like to call “cold therapy”.’

A. Box breathing is an easy method to calm yourself down in any stressful situation.

• • Teach (find square, count, breath)
  • Class walkthrough

Knowing discrete methods to talk yourself out of a panic attack is important, and one way to use that is paying attention to your senses.

B. This method takes a bit more memorizing but in my personal experience, it works the best.

1. 5 senses

• • • • 5 – see
      • 4 – touch
      • 3 – hear
      • 2 – smell
      • 1 – taste

1. 1. 2. Give examples
      3. Discrete & nice for classrooms/presenting

In addition to breathing and sensory tools, here is cold therapy.

C. I like to call this “cold therapy” because it deals with cold things.

• • • Touch/hold cold things
    • Examples are ice, cold windows, etc.
    • Helps you come back to reality

4. Box breathing, the 5 4 3 2 1 method, and “cold therapy” are my top three most effective ways to diffuse a panic attack. They work the best – in my experience – and are some of the easiest to do.

5. It is important to know how to handle this situation for yourself or others because it can feel like the world is ending, and you need to do something to help yourself come back to reality. From my experiences, the best way to retain this information is to rehearse these beforehand. That will get you ready to perform these tasks when you need them. And whether it is panic attacks or just feelings of panic, knowing these tools can help you live your day-to-day life with less stress.