How to Help Someone That is Having an Anxiety Attack

Helping someone that is having an anxiety attack isn't an easy task. It takes knowledge of the disorder, compassion and patience. Anxiety is a condition that varies from sufferer to sufferer with a list of symptoms ranging from excessive fear and irrational thoughts to many physical sensations. An anxiety sufferer may feel overwhelming feelings of dread or fear that they are dying or going crazy. Many visit the emergency room or family doctor several times before being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

Instructions

• 1

  Ask how to help. Be prepared for a different answer than what's been received before. An anxiety attack may present differently each time and therefore may require a different approach.

• 2

  Stay calm and try to be as understanding possible. Because anxiety attacks are not always fully understood, it's easy to become angry or frustrated with the actions of an anxiety sufferer.

• 3

  Give positive reinforcement and don't take any refusal of help personally. The very nature of anxiety disorders is volatile and can fluctuate wildly with each attack.

• 4

  Stay with the anxiety sufferer and encourage them to breathe regularly. Breathing is often erratic during an anxiety attack which perpetuates even more anxiety symptoms.

• 5

  Learn about anxiety. Knowledge is power in helping someone suffering from an anxiety attack. Being well informed assists the helper in reminding the sufferer that this is anxiety and will pass. In an anxiety attack, rational thought on the part of the sufferer is limited.