|
Coping during an anxiety attack
Published April 2008
If a resident is having an anxiety attack, encourage the resident to use the following techniques:
- Instruct the resident to take slow, deep breaths
- Ask him or her to remember that fear is normal, but in this situation it is exaggerated
- Help the resident to understand that the feeling is not harmful, only unpleasant
- Encourage the resident to stand still, wait for the fear to pass, and not to run away
- Remind the resident not to add negative thoughts to the situation
- Tell the resident to keep his or her thoughts in the present and not to relive mentally the situation that causes the anxiety
- Have the resident change "what if?" thoughts to "so what?"
- When the resident begins to feel better, start to plan what to do next
|
EMAIL THIS PAGE
FORMAT FOR PRINTING
SUBSCRIBE