How to facilitate during a panic attack

An Australian meteorologist this week, while giving a live weather forecast on TV, started having panic attack.

Nate Byrne, news anchor, later BBC News explained that he was heading toward the studio’s “weather wall” when he suddenly realized he had lost his breath.

“The specific position — against the wall — is a trigger for me,” he said. “My body starts tingling. I start sweating. Everything in my body just screams, Run. Go. Get out.”

Having previously dealt with panic attacks on air, he and his colleagues knew what to do. Mr Byrne explained to viewers what was happening, then quickly transferred to the presenter while he went off camera to recover.

How can you facilitate if a friend, family member, or coworker is having a panic attack? We asked experts for their tips.

First, what is a panic attack?

A panic attack is a sudden wave of overwhelming fear and anxiety accompanied by physical symptoms.

For some people, this can cause the same sensations as a heart attack, including chest pain, tightness or a faster heartbeat, said Dr. Harmony Reynolds, a cardiologist at NYU Langone Health in Up-to-date York City.

Both panic attacks and heart attacks can also cause difficulty breathing, feeling lackluster, nausea, sweating, numbness in the hands and “a feeling that something very bad is happening,” she added.

A person having a panic attack may not speak as coherently as they normally would because they are struggling with intense anxiety. However, despite the intense feelings they feel inside, the person’s outward appearance may mask their anxiety.

“Often you don’t know someone is having a panic attack until they tell you,” says Lynn Bufka, a clinical psychologist and spokeswoman for the American Psychological Association who has treated patients with panic attacks and anxiety disorders for almost 30 years.

When should you go to the emergency room?

This could be It’s hard to tell apart between a panic attack, which typically doesn’t require a trip to the emergency room, and a heart attack. If there’s any doubt, or if someone has thoughts of self-harm or suicide in addition to panic symptoms, it’s best to go to the emergency room for an evaluation, experts said.

Panic attacks usually go away within about 15 minutes, whereas heart attack symptoms can last longer or may go away and come back. So if symptoms persist, seek medical attention, Dr. Reynolds said.

She added that if someone experiences similar symptoms in certain situations, such as being in a crowd or speaking in public, they are more likely to have a panic attack.

What are the warning signs?

If someone you love is prone to panic attacks, familiarize yourself with the signs that one is coming—and encourage them to do the same.

Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, experienced more than 100 panic attacks by the time he was 30.

When they first started, he went to the doctor many times. “I think I’m dying,” he said. “Can you check my heart?”

But each time he received a certificate of good health.

Eventually, he learned to observe his body’s sensations “in a neutral, nonreactive way,” he said, so that his physical symptoms wouldn’t overwhelm him. And he often reminded himself that the feelings he experienced were momentary: “This is fleeting; you’ve been through this before.”

How to facilitate someone during a panic attack?

“One of the most significant steps is to stay with the person to keep them tranquil,” said Dr. Ramaswamy Viswanathan, president of the American Psychiatric Association. Speak slowly and apply soothing words that let the person know they are secure and that the panic attack will not last long, he added.

Panic attacks typically “escalate rapidly, often within minutes, and stay at their peak for several minutes before decreasing in intensity,” says Dr. Viswanathan.

Ask the person in pain to focus on their breathing—you can even do a breathing exercise with them. Try to breathe slowly from your belly, not your chest, to facilitate open up your lungs.

In some cases, says Dr. Viswanathan, making repetitive physical movements, such as raising your arms above your head or tapping your feet, can also facilitate.

Dr. Bufka says panic attacks typically become less severe once a person learns strategies to deal with them.

This was the case with meteorologist Mr. Byrne, who he wrote about his panic attacks in 2022. In the article, he said he was working with a psychologist and was also taking beta-blockers, medications that can ease the physical symptoms of the “fight or flight” response to stress.

The first time he had a panic attack on TV, he said, “I thought my career was over.”

But “talking about my anxiety and seeking treatment means it’s something I can live with and manage,” he wrote. “It means I can continue doing what I love.”