What To Do With Panic Attack In Public

Panic attacks will strike out of nowhere sometimes and can happen in unpredictable places. When you know that a panic attack is coming, start describing the feeling to yourself without judging it. Observe the sensations of your body, your thoughts. Try to rate your panic on the scale of 1-10, and ask yourself if you can tolerate this level of discomfort without going into a full blown panic attack.

If yes, try to tolerate the feeling for 5 minutes before using your coping skills.  If there is no reasoning anymore with your thoughts, use any therapeutic coping skills that work for you. Such as breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, tapping and so on. Always put your needs first in these situations, and be safe. If you worry about what people might think, you need to tell yourself “How does it affect me and my life in the long run?” It really doesn’t, some people will be helpful and some will not, that is life. What is important is to attend to your needs, and practice kindness towards yourself.

“If you worry about what people might think, you need to tell yourself “How does it affect me and my life in the long run?” It really doesn’t, some people will be helpful and some will not, that is life.”

If you are prone to panic attacks in public, try a little experiment, go out with your friend and practice what you would do during a panic attack and how your friend can help. You might even have fun with that. As I said earlier, reasoning with your brain will not work when there is a full blown panic attack. Your friend can reassure you with kind statements “I am here, you are safe, we will ride this wave, it will be over soon, etc.” While creating this safety for you, maybe even holding your hand or rubbing your leg, your friend can gently walk you through any coping skills that work for you.

“Reasoning with your brain will not work when there is a full blown panic attack.”

Therapy can aid with recognizing the red flags before panic attack and teach coping skills to prevent, slow down or tolerate the attack. It can also process some mental health issues, possibly trauma, that might cause these attacks, which can decrease the severity and frequency of them.