I work as a paraprofessional and I got to attend my first teacher's institute day. I got to travel to another school and take part in different workshops that would (hopefully) help me with the students that I work with. There were tons of teachers from different schools at this event. According to the keynote speaker, there was over 850 people in attendance. We were all herded into the gym, which became very crowded very quickly. I've never been very comfortable in large crowds of people, especially people I don't know. I find a seat near the edge so that I'm not wedged in like a sardine in a small can. Then it begins.
The discomfort of all these people around me starts to take its toll. It feels like my skin is crawling, the voices are too loud and it is starting to get too warm. I get up, under the pretense of giving up my seat to another educator so that he could be by his coworkers. My true reason was that I was so uncomfortable that it was getting hard to breathe. I figure if I got up and stood by the doors, I'd be fine. I'd be able to move and breathe. Yeah, I wish it would have been that easy.
As I stood by the door, more teachers continued to come in. It became more and more crowded and my safe haven was being invaded and the feeling of panic began to creep in more and more. All of a sudden, the panic bomb exploded. I couldn't take it any more. I had to get out. I all but ran out of the nearest door, through the commons and out the door that I had entered the school. I couldn't breathe. The tears flowed and I started babbling how I couldn't do it. I needed someone to talk me down from the panic attack so I called my mom. To make a long story short, she talked me down from the cliff of anxiety. I began to breathe again and was able to hear the end of the keynote speaker's speech and attend the workshops.
Why am I talking about this? Why is it important? Many of us may know someone who suffers from panic or anxiety attacks but we may not understand why people have them. If you suffer from them, you have probably been told to "just get over it" or "there's nothing wrong with you". For those that do suffer from these attacks know that it is something that you just don't "get over". It is physically and mentally exhausting. We don't know what will trigger these attacks or how long they will last. We actually forget how to breathe, as impossible as that sounds, which is why many people who are having an anxiety/panic attack can actually pass out because we aren't getting enough oxygen.
The best thing that you can do if someone you know is going through an anxiety attack is help them remember how to breathe. Talk them through it. You can say things like "breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth". Don't try to hug them during an attack unless they are okay with it. Many times, a hug can make it worse since the person can feel like they are being enclosed without a way to escape.
Be kind. Show compassion. And always remember to breathe
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