IBS AND HYPERVENTILATION: HOW CAN I GET OFF THE FEAR ROUNDABOUT? FIRST AID FOR PANIC ATTACKS
If you try to fight the panic and give yourself messages like, ‘I am going to be sick, pass out or wet myself each time you have a panic attack, you are planting a seed in your mind that will make you react in the same way the next time. It will be the trigger for stimulating more adrenalin, more fear. If on the other hand you teach your body to give the correct messages to your brain, you can break this chain reaction. It is not suggested that it is easy to accomplish and it is not always possible to think clearly enough about what to do when you are actually in the throes of an attack. This is why it is so important to practise your response when you are relaxed and give yourself the firm command: ‘This is panic and I can control it.’
First Aid for Panic Attacks
Since the main cause of the unpleasant feeling is an imbalance of oxygen and carbon dioxide the aim is to stabilize this as quickly as possible. Let your breath out in a long sigh and then cupping your hands around your mouth. This enables you to re-breathe your own carbon dioxide (don’t hold your breath). If you are home you could place a paper – never plastic – bag around your nose and mouth. Do not blow or breathe deeply into the bag, just let the breaths come; they will slow down naturally as you get your own carbon dioxide back from the air in the bag. You can also slow the breathing down by splashing cold water on the face or by putting cold cloths or ice packs over the cheeks and nose. A packet of frozen peas wrapped in a dish towel has often been used to good effect.
If breathing is the first thought during panic the second thought should be: ‘Eat or drink something sweet as soon as possible’.
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