If you have panic attacks, what would you want from a workplace first aider?

[Ineedtobecalm]

I'm a work place first aider, we are under a massive amount of stress at work at the moment. Today I was asked to help a colleague having a panic attack, and I didn't know what to do. I suggested we take a gentle walk outside together once it had passed, and sat with her and tried to be reassuring that it would pass, and tried to be a good listener when she talked and cried.

Is there anything better that I should have done? I'm thinking of suggesting one of the first aiders should a mental health course.

I can only tell you about what I did. I don't know if it was the correct thing to do. My colleague who suffers with asthma had a massive panic attack at work. No paper bags around to help so I put there hand on my chest and told her to breathe with me. I was talking to her the whole time, I've got you, it's ok it's passing etc. She settled quite quickly but was exhausted afterwards. In all honesty. It was quite scary not knowing how to help. We are also looking at mental health first aid courses.
Sorry for spelling and etc phone app it terribly lagging

I had one at work once. I was in my forties at the time and one of my mentees in his twenties took it apon himself to give me a massive bear hug. Didn’t work but I appreciated the sentiment later. I think just taking the person away to a quiet environment and giving time and reassurance.

Anything that helps them to control their breathing will be helpful - but this is not necessarily deep breaths. Getting them to count out loud might be one thing they could do. Grounding techniques - ask them to name five things they can see, four things they can hear etc. Some people might find some kind of physical touch helpful but obviously that would depend on the person and how well you know them

I have them occasionally due to a phobia of sick. If I start to feel sick, I’ll work myself up into a panic and convince myself I’m going to be sick which leads to the panic attack.

For me, I need to cry to let the emotion out I think. I’m actually not sure why but I always calm down and am usually completely fine after I’ve cried it out. So if you have a meeting room you could take someone into that isn’t exposed to the rest of the office that would be great. We have one that is only used for things like this and meetings you don’t want overlooked.

The other thing is just getting the person to breath deeply. If someone encourages me to breathe, I can usually calm myself down pretty quickly.

However, I know my phobia and subsequent panic attacks are completely irrational and nothing terrible would actually happen if I was sick so I can usually talk myself out of it pretty quickly but I’m not sure about people who have them for other reasons

Thank you all, am taking this on board. I think normally I would have given her a proper hug, but of course strict instructions to socially distance. That could be some of the issue for her, I go home and have a husband and kids to give me all the hugs I need, she has had nobody to hug her for months.

Best thing is distraction and then focus on calm breathing. 54321 works well 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear etc. Another good one is to use right index finger to slowly move up and down the fingers of left hand breathing in as you move up the finger and down when you move out. It is simple but gives the person a chance to relax their breathing down. Then just listen to them. You did well

Private room but space to walk or sit. Access to cold air either window or fan. Ice cold water. Use a breathing app on mobile to slow down breaths. No chat other than reassurance that it will stop. But also don't downplay it. It feels horrific at the time and people will say don't panic, you'll be fine. Inevitably makes it worse. Acknowledge it, verify the emotion.
Afterwards when calm ask if there was a trigger. What did it relate to? What could help to avoid this? Give 5 or 10 mins just to calm. It's exhausting. Maybe mindfulness music.

Also when distancing/contact is less of an issue I'd highly recommend a weighted blanket. I have one at home and just putting it over my back really helps to ground me.

DH is great when I have a panic attack,
He normally knows as it's starting so this might only help on the edge of one rather than in the throws of a full blown attack.

Very calmly he asks me to count to ten, then look for so many red items, so many green items, how many bins can see etc until I have my breathing under control

I wouldn't appreciate a hug, I'm like a caged animal I lash out ask before you do something like that
DH gets me to sync breathing with him and don't try to address the issue until the panic is over. Point out they are safe and you will stay with them until they feel better.
It took DH a long time to help me, unfortunately you can't expect the same thing to work for everyone but they will appreciate you trying either way.

If I have a panic attack, I generally to need to sit down and calm down. Fresh air is usually helpful, maybe with a drink of water and a biscuit or something sweet. I don’t mind having someone with me, but can’t cope with a lot of fussing.

Take them to a quiet space. Ask if it has happened before. Check if they have any underlying health or mental conditions these wish to disclose in case you need to seek medical help. Ask what technique they normally use to relax- it might be lying in a quiet room, distraction (such as TV in the background), counting, focusing on one thing in the room etc. Ask if they would prefer to be left alone- some people feel pressured to talk and cannot relax fully with someone else there. Hope this helps.

I like the idea of an Oximeter, so you can see that you are actually getting oxygen and that you WILL be ok.

There are specialist mental health first aid courses, might be worth seeing if you can get trained up.

I would agree that distraction is the key. I had a panic attack at work in my last job and a kindly colleague was hugging me but I found it unpleasant (not in a harassing way). Acknowledging and being guided by person and their experience.

My dd has anxiety attacks and we both have the app Calm on our phones for the counting of breaths.

She had one whilst in hospital before she was officially diagnosed, and as she started the nurse was quite stern in saying to count, breathe, count.
So if a phone isn't to hand that's what I do with her.

I'm also going to take from this thread with the looking for colours, items etc.

What's helpful varies from person to person. Although the nature of a panic attack is feeling unsafe and that it's never going to end, so calm and simple reassurance that they're safe, they're having a panic attack and it is going to pass soon is generally useful.

And starting by talking someone through regulating their breathing so they can be calm enough to take on board anything else around them or talk to you is sensible. Breathing with someone can bring a sense of safety.

For me, any attempt at physical reassurance or encroaching into my space would make things worse. I appreciate that's different for others.

Most of supporting people with "low level" mental health wobbles/flares as a first aider is covered by listening to the person and trying to understand what's going on for them in that moment and what they feel will help them rather than assuming or imposing your own ideas.

Acute psychiatric crisis would be a 999 situation regardless of how much first aid training you had.

There are mixed views in the mental health community about whether MH first aid courses are useful or harmful.

Breathe app can be handy - even if you don't breathe with it just watch it to soothe yourself.

Calm and Breathe are both popular.

Everyone is different. It might be worth speaking to them at a calm time and asking if there's anything in particular that helps them. I usually lie down, shut my eyes and count. Speaking to anyone about anything makes it worse. When I calm down some cold water and something sweet is good.

I've had panic attackS at work, most helpful has been a cool place with fresh air to sit in. Tissues for the crying and sweating that will follow. A calm voice just reassuring that's it's just a panic attack, there's no rush and my job (in my case, my class) is sorted. Water.

Afterwards, something sweet and being asked what I need for my next step e.g. go home to sleep or 'get back on the horse'. I've chosen both at different times.

Just being reassuring is hugely helpful- if you're in the the middle of an anxiety attack, the last thing you want is to be panicking about if it will affect your job.

I once had a panic attack on the phone to the employee assistance programme and they did breathing exercises with me.

I would want grounding techniques probably.

Acknowledge that it's an awful feeling but stress that however bad it feels it will pass.
I say hang on in there and the terror will dissipate. I try not to run from the situation but to hang on in there as its much better to feel bad temporarily rather than risk shrinking your world by not riding it out and making the fear bigger.
Lots of reassurance, you can do this, we've got this etc. Focus on your happy place, favourite thing to do, eat etc and try to get them to talk, about anything. They will try to resist at first because it's shifting the focus of their panic, but it really works if you can get them to talk.
Am glad that you care x

DO NOT TOUCH A PERSON HAVING A PANIC ATTACK WITHOUT CONSENT. People used to try to touch me when I was in the middle of one, I would scream and it would get 10 times worse. I couldn't control it. It was a massive trigger. You risk a few things: the panic attack getting far worse and more drawn out, the person running a mile, and/or getting a punch in the face.

Of course touch works for some people, but seriously you need to ask and wait until you receive clear consent.

Guide them to a private room, or at least where people can't see them. And get them to breathe in for 7 seconds, hold for 5, and breathe out for 7. Count with them, encourage them to count aloud.

I used to have panic attacks a lot and used to find I got really hot and needed fresh air or even just be near a window. It used to feel like I was suffocating so making sure there wasn't anything around my neck was good.

Luckily I don't get them much anymore but I think you are great for asking how to be helpful ❤

I had one panic/asthma attack, but the doctor telling me that all was fine fixed me. He just sat looking into my face saying NOW BREATHE WITH ME and he breathed in slowly. Mind you he also prescribed me ventolin tablets as they were at the time, but I was ok with someone just being in control.

I think that sitting and looking at someone and breathing slowly with them might help. Telling them to breathe slowly, not so much.