Dermatologist Shereene Idriss describes her first panic attack in eight years at an airport and four techniques that helped: exhaling longer than you inhale, naming objects around you, talking to yourself like a patient, and splashing cold water on your face and neck.
Last week, I had my first panic attack in over eight years. The last time I had a panic attack was when I was fired while pregnant. This time, I was all alone at an airport, and I suddenly felt like the walls were closing in. I couldn't catch my breath. My heart was racing, and I genuinely felt that something absolutely terrible was going to happen to me. By the way, I'm a dermatologist. I didn't have access to any sort of help, but what I did helped me. So I thought that I would share and pass it along. Number one, when I tried to slow my breath down, I realized I felt. More lightheaded because I was already breathing very fast. So instead I tried to slow my exhale. So I would count to 4 while inhaling and then I count to 6 while exhaling. And that was the first thing that I did to try to get my nervous system more regulated. Then number 2, I was like pacing all over the place. I felt like my feet were not touching the ground. I just felt like I had to sit down, put my feet on the floor, and to get my attention out of the alarm bells going on inside, I just started naming what I would see. Like, those are the escalators, that's the gates, that's the Auntie Annie's. And I would basically just try to get all of my attention on Number 3, I spoke to myself like I was my most important patient. You're having a panic attack. You are safe. It feels scary. It will pass. Don't try to fight it. If you fear it, it will make it worse. Just breathe over and over and over, remembering that I am safe. And number 4, I have to thank my friend Lauren, who I called in the moment, and she told me to get some cold water and put it on my face and the back of my neck, which sounds obvious but wasn't obvious because I was overheating. But the sensation gave my brain something immediate to focus on. I'm so glad you shared that. and physical to focus on while I slowed my breath, and it truly, genuinely, I think helped me the most. But most importantly, I think a panic attack can make you feel like you are in danger even though you may not be, and understanding what is happening to your body and how to help you ride it out is extremely empowering. And I talk about taking control over your skin and understanding skincare and understanding cosmetics, but also understanding how to help yourself when you're losing control over your mind. In a moment in time, I think, is also very empowering. So I hope this video helps. If you feel the need to share it for somebody who could help, please feel free to do so. Let me know below in the comments if I missed anything. But, um, yeah, hopefully I do not experience that in the very near future again.
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