How to Ground Someone Having a Panic Attack

According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, about 3% of American adults struggle with a panic disorder each year. Women are also twice as likely to develop a panic disorder than men.

Is someone in your life struggling with a panic disorder and panic attacks?

This guide will help you learn how to ground someone having a panic attack. Keep reading to learn what you can do.

Symptoms to Look Out for

A panic disorder is characterized by recurring panic attacks. These attacks are best described as moments of intense fear.

There are many panic attack warning signs to look out for, including some of the most common physical signs. Many people experience dizziness, shortness of breath, a rapid heartbeat, and trembling during a panic attack.

A looming fear of death is another familiar feeling. Recurring panic attacks may lead someone to isolation and loneliness. At Solara Mental Health, you can receive specialized care for this debilitating disorder.

You Might Need to Get Help

While most panic attacks are short, some of them can last hours. One panic attack can lead to another.

If your loved one requires emergency assistance, immediately contact help. Panic attack symptoms are similar to heart attack symptoms. If your loved one is experiencing chest pain and hasn’t had a panic attack before, you should call 911.

A sign of worsening conditions can manifest itself if the pain moves to the shoulder or army during a panic attack. In the event of a worsening condition, a medical provider should be notified immediately.

Stay Calm Yourself

People with anxiety are experiencing very intense feelings and symptoms during a panic attack. One easy way to help ground them through that experience is to remain calm.

While you might feel scared yourself, showing that you’re afraid can worsen the person’s panic attack. Remaining steady by your loved one’s side can help them stay present and know that they can get through what they’re feeling.

It is one way to help control the environment around your friend or family member. They’ll feel protected knowing someone is there to hold them through this experience.

Talk Positively

Talking positively and gently is another way to help ground someone having a panic attack. Tell them that they are experiencing a panic attack. Recognizing what they’re feeling by name can relieve their fear.

Validate what they’re going through and offer positive statements. Tell them that what they’re experiencing will pass. Let them know that although it’s scary and uncomfortable, they can get through it.

Having a conversation with someone as they are having a panic attack can help keep them distracted from the more extreme feelings.

Provide Space if Needed

Anxiety and stress affect every person differently. One person with anxiety and experiencing a panic attack might feel comforted and grounded by having someone to talk to, and someone else might not.

Your friends or family members might feel better grounded by being given more space. The intensity of the panic attack might make talking too overwhelming.

Reassure your loved one that you’re available but give them the space they need to push through the panic attack themselves if that helps them best.

Ask How Else You Can Help

Remember that those who struggle with a panic disorder know themselves and what helps them cope best. If you know a friend or a loved one who struggles with panic attacks you can talk to them about what you can do to help.

Your loved one might have a hard time speaking to you in the middle of a panic attack, but you’ll know what you can do if you’ve had a conversation with them before.

During the attack, you should still ask your friend what you can do to help. What works today might not work tomorrow and it’s important to do everything you can to help them feel better.

Help Them With Some Grounding Techniques

There are different grounding methods you can try with your friend during their panic attack. These techniques can help them recenter themselves.

Four practical techniques:

If they can move, ask your friend to sit down in a comfortable chair with their feet on the floor. This can help them regain control of their surroundings.
You can also try the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. This grounding method uses the five senses to help the person focus on other things in the room and not on their panic attack.
Have your friend identity five things they can see, four they can touch, three things they can hear, two things they can smell, and one thing they can taste.
Another grounding tool would be to remind them to remain calm and take slow and deep breaths in and out. Helping your loved one control their breathing is the best way to push through a panic attack. Have your friend copy this pattern so they can recenter themselves.

Continue to Provide Support

Friends offer emotional support when you need it. It is why they’re an essential part of life. It’s imperative to continue to support your friend as they learn to manage their panic disorder.

They might feel embarrassed about you having witnessed their panic attacks, but you should let them know that you’re there to support them fully. Check-in from time to time and learn the best ways to help them.

When your friend doesn’t have to worry about feeling embarrassed, there’s one less thing they have to feel stressed about. It can help them work through their panic disorder too.

How to Ground Someone Having a Panic Attack Explained

It’s vital to learn how to ground someone having a panic attack, especially if it’s your loved one struggling with panic disorder. You can help with grounding techniques and positive statements during a panic attack.

Contact Solara Mental Health if your loved one needs professional help to work through this disorder. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Anxiety, Panic

Learn the Difference: Panic Attack vs Anxiety Attack

Recognizing the symptoms and causes of a panic attack vs anxiety attack is a crucial step to releasing yourself from the grip of the attack.

One difference is that panic attacks may begin suddenly, while anxiety attacks escalate more gradually. Still, every person experiences panic and anxiety in different ways.

Once you can better differentiate between the two experiences, it might also be beneficial to share this information with a loved one. Then, they can better support you when you’re having a panic attack or anxiety attack.

Learning more about how your body responds to stress and trauma means you can begin to develop a deeper relationship with yourself. If you want to more fully understand your body, your mind, and your triggers, keep reading.

What’s a Panic Attack

When your autonomic nervous system takes charge of your body, it’s perceiving a threat to your person and reacting in the only ways it knows how.

This can also be referred to as your fight or flight response (which also includes the freeze and fawn responses).

Your body is bracing for impact, even if that potential danger is a conversation or a fear of elevators, and not a predator or hurricane. That being said, this stress is still genuine, even if the potential trigger doesn’t seem like it should be a “big deal.”

Panic attacks can arrive quickly. Sometimes there are no warning signs, and the physical symptoms can feel overwhelming.

In addition, panic attacks are typically more short-lived and subside in around 10 minutes. This may not be the case for all panic attacks, but it is a general estimation.

What’s an Anxiety Attack

Anxiety attacks can more frequently or easily be connected to a specific trigger.

For example, if you’re anticipating stress about a business meeting, that pre-event stress can cause an anxiety attack.

The level of overwhelm can vary for anxiety attacks. But the symptoms are more likely to linger in your body for minutes or hours after recovering from the attack.

These symptoms may grow and subside multiple times throughout the experience, as well.

Frequent anxiety attacks can be a result of other mental health conditions or phobias. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), claustrophobia, and other memories of trauma can cause extreme anxiety.

All the Symptoms

The symptoms of panic attacks and anxiety attacks are similar. So, it’s understandable why it can sometimes be difficult to differentiate between the two.

But there are a few symptoms that might be able to help you identify which experience you’re having, and potentially why it might be happening.

Panic Attack Symptoms

Some panic attack symptoms include chest pain, nausea, sweating, and dizziness.

While an anxiety attack could exhibit similar symptoms, a panic attack can also include feeling a loss of control. This feeling can be accompanied by a fear that you will die, or mentally dissociating from yourself or your surroundings.

Anxiety Attack Symptoms

Symptoms of an anxiety attack might also involve irritability, numbness in your arms or legs, and shortness of breath.

Anxiety attacks are currently included in the DSM-5, or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. But, some other symptoms attributed to anxiety attacks are extreme worry and distress, and restlessness.

Possible Triggers

What causes panic attacks and anxiety attacks could be any singular event or a combination of stressors.

An upcoming work project or social gathering could trigger an anxiety attack. Recalling past trauma or being in a toxic relationship could cause a panic attack. Or, the resulting reaction could be vice versa.

What You Can Do

While you can’t necessarily control when or how a panic attack or anxiety attack occurs, there are some things you can do to reduce your stress.

Over time, you can learn to recognize and accept your emotional and physiological responses.

At Home

There are some holistic relaxation practices you can incorporate into your routines and reactions at home to help with anxiety and panic. Some of these include breathing patterns and other mindfulness efforts.

Learning to relax and destress isn’t something that happens in a day or two. It is a regular practice of returning to the present moment.

You have to learn to recognize that your body’s response to danger isn’t founded in any physical threat to your well-being.

In other words, your stress is still real and valid. But the threat your mind perceives will not actually physically harm you in that moment of overwhelming stress.

Practices like meditation, yoga, and journaling can also help bring your body back to reality and reset your mind’s perspective.

Lifestyle Changes

While practicing yoga and coloring are effective methods to relax, they can only help so much.

If showing up at your job every day is a constant source of stress, or your three cups of coffee are more for comfort than for increasing productivity, you might need to make some serious lifestyle changes.

Huge stressors like your job, your relationship, and your eating habits can be significant triggers for panic attacks or anxiety attacks. Altering your lifestyle is imperative to reduce your body’s overwhelming responses to stress.

Try to slowly cut back on your consumption of caffeine, alcohol, and drugs. Incorporate physical movement into each day. If you want to connect with others who are experiencing similar struggles, join a support group.

Panic Attack vs Anxiety Attack

It may be confusing to determine the differences between a panic attack vs anxiety attack. Ultimately, your main job is to take care of yourself and recognize how your body is responding to extreme stress.

If you resonated with this information, make sure you have all the information you need before you make any significant life decisions. If you’d like to seek out more in-depth personal care, check out our programs here.

Anxiety, Depression, Panic

The Best Reasons to Let Jasmine Plants and Their Essential Oils Help with Your Depression, Anxiety, and Panic Attacks

Scientists have concluded that the scent of jasmine has such therapeutic benefits that it could possibly end up being used as a medication alternative for depression, stress, anxiety, sleep, and other disorders.

Is jasmine (or any other plant) really capable of helping boost your mood and relieve anxiety?

It’s common knowledge that one benefit of having plants indoors is that they help improve air quality by circulating oxygen freely. Less well known is the fact that, as simple as it seems, there are several plants that can actually alleviate several mental illness symptoms of anxiety, panic attacks, and depression.

Your brain needs a sufficient supply of oxygen to function properly. Scientific research has already shown direct relationships between stress and tainted oxygen levels. When toxins exist in the indoor air spike, so do levels of stress/anxiety, which can lead to feelings of despair and hopelessness, otherwise known as depression.

Has anyone ever told you that when you start feeling stressed, or feel a panic attack coming on, to take a break and walk around the block for a few minutes to “clear your head”? By the way, it really does work!

It should come as a “no-brainer,” then, that one of your first lines of defense against stress, anxiety, panic attacks, and depression is to keep the air clean in your environment.

And if you’ve never smelled jasmine, know that the scent rising off of the petals is delightfully sweet and inviting. No wonder that jasmine’s scent is found in more than 83 percent of all women’s fragrances and in about one-third of all men’s.

JASMINE FOR ANXIETY, PANIC ATTACKS AND DEPRESSION

Jasmine oil is derived from the white/yellow jasmine flower (often listed as Jasminum officinale), and therefore sports a pleasant, flowery scent. It has been used for centuries in Asia as a natural remedy for depression, anxiety, emotional distress, low libido, and insomnia. The word Jasmine has evolved from the Persian yasmin, meaning “a gift from God” due to the patently strong aroma created by the jasmine flower.

Researchers have shown that jasmine essential oil and plant aromas can sedate lab mice quite quickly. When exposed to the fragrance of jasmine, normally active mice will cease all movement and activity and “just chill” in a corner of their cages.

Jasmine’s scent directly impacts a brain/central nervous system chemical known as GABA, which results in the calming of the nerves, a soothing of anxiety/mild depression, and the facilitating of rest. This GABA effect was bolstered by more than five times when exposed to jasmine fragrance, to be more precise, overshadowing the same effect caused by other scents. Jasmine was also shown to be more effective than anti-anxiety meds and sleeping pills in promoting quality sleep. One study indicated that the disbursement of jasmine fragrance into a roomful of sleeping test subjects noticeably led to less tossing and turning and heightened sleep efficiency, even without additional sleep time.

Scientists went on to say that this demonstrated link between jasmine aroma and relaxed mood may be among the strongest arguments in support of the viability of aromatherapy as a mental health treatment method.

JASMINE ESSENTIAL OIL FOR ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

Scientific studies show some other benefits of indulging in the scent of jasmine:

Almost instantaneous soothing of nervous tension; alleviates spasms
Promotes feelings of contentment and happiness
Boosts cognitive performance, concentration, and alertness, even in the late afternoon hours when most people are beginning to slow down and “fade out” for the day
Balance of mood swings, blood pressure, PMS symptoms, hormones, menopause/hot flashes, and libido
Defuses aggression
Boosts vigor/vitality
Can lower blood pressure
Long-term treatment for insomnia
Relieves fatigue
Combats bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
Alleviates coughing
Skin care; including reduction of visibility of scarring/scar tissue

How do you use jasmine oil?

What are the best ways to apply and enjoy the benefits of jasmine oil/plants? Here are a few:

You can inhale the jasmine fragrance through your nose or apply it directly to the skin. Even just a few drops will have a noticeable effect before long. How soothing is it? Some research has referred to the jasmine scent as being “as good as valium at calming the nerves without the side effects.”
Don’t worry about combining it with a carrier oil. Use it undiluted for the best results.
You can, however combine it with other essential oils, as well as with lotions, coconut oil, and for a variety of other household/personal uses. Try it as a massage oil or in candles/soaps.
Combine with other essential oils (e.g., citrus oil, vanilla, lavender, rose, sandalwood, frankincense, and others).
Apply a few drops to a washcloth (with or without lavender oil) and toss in the dryer with your clothes. Voila! Your own homemade dryer sheets that will soften your clothes, make them smell great, and boost your mood!

Keep in mind that while jasmine plants/oils can help alleviate depressive/anxiety-driven symptoms, they are no substitute for proper therapy with someone properly trained and licensed to help you with any serious cases of mental disorder. Consult with a mental health professional.

WHAT DO YOU USE FOR ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION ALLEVIATION?? LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW!

Are you struggling with depression and/or anxiety? Both are treatable, and their treatment usually leads to an improved sense of overall wellness and better sleep. If you or someone close to you need to talk to someone about mental health issues that seem overwhelming, we can help. Consider reaching out to our expert team at Solara Mental Health at 844-600-9747.

Anxiety, Panic

Am I having a panic attack? 4 Quick Management Tips

Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

Have you ever wondered how to stop a panic attack?

Does the following sound familiar?

You are breathless, sweaty, and your heart feels like it is pounding its way out of your chest. A blinding sense of crippling fear keeps you gasping for air. You clutch your chest, not knowing what to do or where to turn. The fear only intensifies. 911 is called. Now you’re being raced to the ER, and worried you are having a heart attack. This has never happened before! And you’re too young to die!

While such symptoms could very well be signaling a heart attack (you did the right thing by calling 911, just in case), it is highly likely that you have just been introduced into the world of panic attacks. Some panic attacks may be isolated incidents that come and go, only occurring once or twice in your life. However, if such attacks are recurring, it may be an indication that you have panic disorder, along with 6 million other Americans (2.7 percent of the U.S. population).

Some more statistics in regard to panic attacks follow:

Research indicates that nearly one-fourth of individuals in the United States experience some form of a panic attack at least once in their lives.
Women are twice as likely than men to experience a panic attack, according to studies published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
In the U.S., 0.8 percent of the population experiences at least one panic attack coupled with Agoraphobia (an irrational fear of places or situations in which one feels trapped, embarrassed, or helpless, i.e., social anxiety) in their lives.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., impacting the lives of 40 million adults in the U.S. 18 and older (18.1 percent of the population) annually.
Fortunately, panic disorders are very treatable, though less than 40 percent of those who suffer from them receive treatment.

Panic Attack Definition and Additional Symptoms

What exactly is a panic attack? Panic attacks, though driven in large part by subjective internal perceptions, are very real to the individuals who experience them. They are extremely horrifying, they can happen at the drop of a hat, inflicting immediate fear and nervousness for at least 10 to 15 minutes (which can feel like an eternity if you’re suffering from one).

Along with the physiological panic attack symptoms indicated above: dizziness, a choking sensation, chills, hot flashes, nausea, stomach cramps, chest pain, intense headache, numbness, and a sense of detachment or of “losing one’s mind” can be added to the symptoms list. Note that panic attacks should not be confused with anxiety attacks (anxiety attacks involve worry about a future event, while panic attacks are driven by an intense fear sparked by an immediate, perceived threat going on right now).

One of the worst components of a panic attack is the overwhelming fear of having another one. This may cause you to stay away from certain places and situations where one may occur.

Panic Attack Causes

It’s currently not known exactly what causes panic attacks or panic disorder, but researchers believe that genetics, acute stress, a stress-and-negative-emotion-prone temperament, family history of panic attacks/disorder, a traumatic event, major life changes, excessive smoking/caffeine intake, and/or changes in cerebral functioning.

Panic attacks can occur instantaneously, without warning, though after a time of recurrences, they are typically triggered by certain situations and/or places.

What to do in Case of a Panic Attack

A panic attack is a condition of adrenaline being released into your bloodstream. Stopping one is as simple as stopping the crisis response from your brain to keep your adrenal glands from producing adrenaline. By learning four steps, you can minimize and shorten a panic attack:

Relaxing, Deep, Slow Breaths – Make yourself aware of the fact that you are having a panic attack, and that nothing else is threatening you. Continue your deep, slow breathing, which will relax your body, and begin to impede the release of adrenaline.
Stop Panicked Thoughts – Instead of letting panicky thoughts flood your head, as loud as you can, inside your head, shout “STOP!” a few times in order to interrupt the emergency response messages that your brain is sending out to your body to produce adrenaline. Once your crisis response thoughts have been cut off, you can replace them with soothing thoughts.
Positive Self-Talk – Positive self-talk should be at least as strong as the panicked thoughts that got you all worked up. Once you’ve “STOPPED!” the flow of negative thinking inside your head, replace those fears with more grounded thoughts to help you cope better with the situation. Remind yourself that you “are only having a panic attack which can be over in just a few minutes if I just relax.” Or, you may remind yourself that you “have gotten through panic attacks like this in the past,” and that you “will easily get through this one.” Remind yourself that everything will be just fine. You can prepare a customized list of positive self-talk statements ahead of time to help you cope with your next panic attack effectively. Read through your list a couple of times every day.
Embracing Your Feelings. Embracing and accepting your feelings exactly for what they are, rather than minimizing them, is critical in minimizing a panic attack. Identify your emotion(s) (usually fear), and think through why you’re feeling this way. Remind yourself that it’s perfectly reasonable to be afraid of what you are (stage fright, having a heart attack, public speaking, job stress, etc.). Practice the speech you’ve prepared thoroughly, get a check-up, take any precaution to get yourself prepared and to ensure your safety. Then, to reinforce your positive self-talk, you’ll remember that you are well-prepared, or that you had a check-up recently. This preparation/safety measures will help you keep your panic attack in perspective, and will keep your panic attack in check so it doesn’t overwhelm you.

Talk to your physician or mental health care professional about what you’re doing to help yourself manage your panic attacks/disorder, and get some insight and suggestions from him or her. Group therapy can also be very helpful.

There’s no known way to prevent panic attacks or panic disorder, but it is recommended that you get timely treatment for attacks as they occur, that you follow the treatment plan your physician gives you and that you engage in physical activity regularly, to help deter anxiety.

Do you suffer from panic attacks? Do you suspect you might have panic disorder? No worries; you can handle this! If you or someone close to you need to talk to someone about mental health issues that seem overwhelming, we can help. Consider reaching out to our expert team at Solara Mental Health at 844-600-9747.

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