Dealing with anxiety and panic attacks
There are some simple strategies that can help someone in the throes of an acute anxiety or panic attack:
- Sit with the person and offer calm, physical reassurance
- Assure them that this will pass, and that they will be OK
- Encourage them to breathe slowly and deeply as this aids relaxation
- Try and connect them with sensory stimuli to ground them – ask what they can see, hear, smell etc.
The main aim is for the person to feel safe so they are able to calm down. Caregivers may want to discuss this with their child outside the attack, perhaps identifying an object or photograph that will help them when they start to feel their fear response kicking in.
If someone is having a mental health crisis or emergency, immediate expert advice and assessment is needed.