🧠 “First Aid for the Mind: How to Recognise a Panic Attack in Public—and What to Do”

🧠 “First Aid for the Mind: How to Recognise a Panic Attack in Public—and What to Do”

By Dr. Anjali Menon, Global Psychiatrist & Mental Health Educator

We’ve all seen someone freeze in a crowd, clutch their chest in a metro, or gasp for breath in a classroom. But how many of us truly know what’s happening—or how to help?

In a country where mental health is still whispered about, recognising a panic attack in public is not just compassionate—it’s lifesaving.

🚨 What Is a Panic Attack?

A panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear or discomfort that peaks within minutes. It’s not “drama,” “overthinking,” or “attention-seeking.” It’s a real, physiological storm.

“The body believes it’s in danger—even when the mind can’t explain why.”

🔍 How to Recognise a Panic Attack in Public

🩺 Physical Signs:

• Rapid heartbeat or chest pain

• Shortness of breath or choking sensation

• Sweating, trembling, or chills

• Dizziness or nausea

• Tingling in hands or face

• Feeling faint or disoriented

🧠 Emotional Signs:

• Overwhelming fear or sense of doom

• Feeling detached from reality

• Inability to speak or respond

• Urge to escape or hide

👐 How to Help Someone Through It

✅ DO:

• Stay calm: Your energy matters. Speak slowly and gently.

• Ask what they need: “Would you like me to stay with you?”

• Guide their breath: Try 4-7-8 breathing or simply say, “Let’s breathe together.”

• Ground them: Use the 5-4-3-2-1 method (5 things they can see, 4 they can touch…)

• Give space if asked: Step back but stay nearby

• Validate: Say “You’re safe,” “This will pass,” “I’m here for you”

❌ DON’T:

• Say “Calm down” or “You’re overreacting”

• Touch them without permission

• Crowd them or draw attention

• Offer medical advice unless qualified

• Assume they want to talk—some prefer silence

🧾 What to Say (and What Not to Say)

Helpful phrases:

• “I’m right here.”

• “You’re not alone.”

• “Let’s breathe together.”

• “This will pass.”

Avoid saying:

• “Just relax.”

• “You’re being dramatic.”

• “Snap out of it.”

• “You’re scaring people.”

🧠 My Clinical Advice

As a psychiatrist who’s worked in Mumbai’s busiest hospitals and lectured at Harvard, I’ve seen panic attacks misjudged as tantrums, seizures, or even possession. The truth is:

“Mental health first aid should be as common as CPR. Because the mind deserves rescue too.”

🔍

• How to recognise a panic attack

• Helping someone with anxiety in public

• Panic attack symptoms and support

• Mental health first aid India

• What to say during a panic attack

• Grounding techniques for anxiety

• Breathing exercises for panic

• Public panic attack response

• Indian psychiatrist mental health tips

• Emotional first aid guide

Panic doesn’t ask for permission. But compassion doesn’t need one either.