DEALING WITH A PANIC/ANXIETY ATTACK TO DO NOT TO DO Ask the person if this is the first time they have felt this way. If in doubt, if it is the first time, call for help. Ask how you can help. If the patient has already experienced a panic attack, they may know what could help them (e.g. having someone close by, having someone hold their hand, walking). Use a calm but firm tone of voice. If possible, accompany the person to a quiet place. Suggest breathing exercises and do them together with the person (e.g. box breathing a deep breathing technique that can help you relax and manage stress. It's a simple, four-step exercise that involves inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding again). Suggest, as an alternative to breathing, identifying and counting all the objects of the same colour in the room. Help regulate body temperature (e.g. providing a blanket). Don t minimise what s happening by saying calm down, it s nothing. Don t force the person to talk, drink, or move. Don t leave the person alone. Role-play PROBLEM A person is in a state of anxiety or having a panic attack Validate the patient's emotions Reassure that symptoms are temporary Offer choices and support Monitor symptoms AIMS Location: waiting room of a medical centre Characters: calm and reassuring nurse and person having a severe panic attack Case-study: the nurse notices that the man is having a crisis and approaches, takes him to a quiet room, and supports him. The man describes his symptoms and says that it often happens to him and that he has already ended up in hospital. The nurse suggests a box breathing exercise and does it with him, continuing to reassure him that he is not alone and that the situation is temporary. EXERCISE 1 Location: high school Characters: a student experiencing a panic attack for the first time, a teacher, classmates (max 3 people) Case-study: During a maths test, Marco begins to show signs of discomfort, shaking his chair, sweating, and breathing heavily. The teacher and classmates notice his symptoms, and the teacher helps him calm down, trying to figure out if it's the first time this has happened. A few days later, the teacher suggests a class discussion about the incident to raise awareness among the students about what happened. EXERCISE 2 364 extra