3 Helpful Ways to Calm Someone in Crisis
It all begins with an idea.
First of all, we need to define what a traumatic event is. According to this post, traumatic events are anything that can cause distress. In my case, exposure to drugs, alcohol, and physical abuse from a young age caused me many types of trauma. Many people have been affected by similar events as mine, so I don’t assume I’m special. I do feel lucky that I’ve been able to move on from the situation I was in as a child, and I plan to understand myself and make changes to help myself in the future.
So, how does someone get PTSD? The general consensus is, after witnessing or being a part of a traumatic event, the disorder can develop. This post shares that one in three people who are part of a traumatic event develop PTSD from it. PTSD is a serious disorder which can affect the way a person thinks, acts, and feels in many situations. Sometimes, an object, situation, or other things can trigger the person affected. This makes the person go into fight or flight mode, which is how the person copes with their trauma. Fight or flight is characterized by three responses- fight, flight, and freeze. The person will automatically respond with whichever response their brain has been conditioned to.
In any of these responses, a person who is “triggered” may end up having a panic attack. These can be easily spotted in some people, as they may start to cry unconsolably, become unresponsive, and hyperventilate. Others may have a harder time recognizing the panic attack, some symptoms are harder to diagnose like chest pain or nausea. In any case, once the panic attack is recognized, there are many techniques to help ease the symptoms. Some of these include:
Helping Focus. Asking questions like, “What is your name"?” will help take the person’s mind off the trigger response. Easy questions that a person doesn’t need to think about will let them respond instinctively. Questions someone needs to think about may make the attack worse, because it takes more mental energy.
Sensory Grounding. Another great tip is to change something in the environment immediately. By holding or touching something that feels different, the brain can be offered a distraction from the panic. Thinking about the new sensory experience is difficult- but can be done. Focusing on something in the exterior helps to distract from the internal issue.
Short, Simple Sentences. When in the middle of a panic attack, a person isn’t able to think much. By asking simple questions and making short statements, the person panicking isn’t given the chance to get overwhelmed by the noise. They need to get information as quickly and efficiently as possible, and too many word will only make their attack harder.
When you or someone around you is having a panic attack, it can be a scary time. It’s important to remember these can be helped, and with enough practice using different techniques a panic attack can be over within moments. After a panic attack, the person involved will be tired and should be allowed space and time to rest and recuperate. If you try these techniques, please let me know how they worked for you!