Panic attacks and techniques to skip them
Panic Attacks- how to prepare, recover and maybe skip the next one
Here I will review a few ways to prevent the next attack of overwhelm or “panic attack”.
The biggest problem is that an attack is unpredictable. We never know when the next one will occur and you need to have a few tools in your “tool box” to deal with them when they arrive but better yet- let’s try to skip the next one all together.
So what is a panic atack- here is a quick analogy that I have come up with that really helps families and patients visualize what they are actually feeling and help understand interventions better. This is what I call the “full basket” - this could be a full laundry basket stuffed to the brim or a garbage can. Now when a child has a panic attack they are dealing with the “overstuffed basket” and the “1 more little thing” that happens sets them off, throws them over the edge and the basket explodes - clothes everywhere 🌋…the straw that broke the camels back. VERY VERY OFTEN people state that they were not even stressed out about anything major when they have their panic attack and this is why. They were already overloaded and 1 more little thing… that’s all it takes. ..
The key here is to keep the basket as empty as possible. Literally deal with the laundry every day instead of letting it get overstuffed. It takes DAILY WORK to get there. Breathing strategies to practice on a DAILY basis and also to use when having an episode of overwhelm/panic are listed and reviewed below. These all support the idea that deep breathing naturally will de-stress you and allow you some room to actually breathe. Again, best practiced daily to keep an empty basket ( prevent the panic attack) and can also be useful when needed during an attack. If not practiced when NOT in a state of panic however, they will be less useful during an actual attack when you really need these tools.
Visit here for a review of some of the calming techniques listed below:
Pizza breathing
4 Square breathing
Grounding
5-4-3-2-1
YOGA- combines stretch, breathing and meditation with link to free resources here.
Other techniques used to help work on the other “stuff” that is stressing you and/or your kid out:
Communicate and ORGANIZE everything under your control:
a. daily planner: your life, school, exams and important deadlines AND fun events to look forward to. Get them all planned and on the shared visual calendar.
b. journal: this can be random thoughts of the day, help organize thoughts, use it as a “rage page” to YELL your emotions on paper or to strategize a plan to deal with something that is difficult to manage. free journal printables
Structure:
a. kids (and most humans and animals) really thrive most with structure. Have some timeline to the day and expectations- you will find less fights to do what they are supposed to and less anxiety about unexpected things.
Start the day off on a good foot. Plan the evening before and have morning clothes out to limit the morning debate and school or daycare bag packed. If you are less stressed, then so are they. Unfortunately our feelings are contagious.
UnPlug: limit screen time and social media. The constant connection makes anxiety worse even though with their addiction it will feel worse at first when you take it away. Start with decreasing it by 1 hr and work up to 2 hrs of less screens. ** Most important is the hour before bed - because sleep is one of the most important things to help keep our emotions in check.
SLEEP- kids need on average 9 hours of sleep at night.
Nutrition- healthy foods are needed including fruits, vegetables and proteins to maintain blood sugar are another very important factor in our emotional state. Being HANGRY does not help our emotional stability - check in that your teen is not skipping meals or eating carbs /sugar all day causing a blood sugar crash.
I hope this basic overview helps with insight into some ways you can help and tune into how small changes and acknowledgment can make a big difference.
