BACKGROUND
We often believe that severe crimes committed today, such as murder and assault, are done intentionally with careful planning and action. However, we live in an illusion if we think like that. Although some murders may deal with advanced planning and a definite purpose, in most cases people become murderers instantly without realizing it due to the sweep of panic attacks. A panic attack is a severe form of anxiety that can trigger anytime unexpectedly, with or without any external stimulus arousing it. A person loses all their senses when experiencing a panic attack and becomes unconscious of what he says or does. A typical panic attack starts suddenly with a person shaking his hands uncontrollably, staring with rage as his body starts trembling with feet advancing, and an immediate impulse vibrates from within to ignite destruction in some form or the other to the external world. During this phase, a person either starts swearing or abusing without being conscious of his words. In reality, it is an exaggeration blurting out from his frustration as he does not mean half of the things he says in a panic attack. While verbal abuse is one aspect of a panic attack, physical abuse becomes the other when the person starts harming himself or the other person by getting violent. Self-harm actions include scratching hard on the skin till it starts bleeding, pounding the head against the wall, hitting your fists against the chest and even using weapons like a knife to slit the wrist. Aggression becomes vital when the person gets physical with others and starts hitting them to vent his irritation. Such actions include:
- Slapping someone hard.
- Pushing someone heavily against the wall.
- Force them on the ground.
- Choking their throats.
In most cases, people get fatally injured when attacked by someone suffering from a panic attack and may even get prone to heart attacks and face difficulty breathing. They are then rushed to the hospitals as they require immediate treatment. Sadly, in the worst scenario, panic attacks can take away a person’s life in the heat of the moment. After killing someone, a person likely comes back to consciousness, and reality dawns on him how he became a murderer without any purpose or planning.
CAUSES OF PANIC ATTACKS
The exact cause of a panic attack is still unknown as the human mind is a mystery, and digging deeper into its topic raises more questions than producing answers. There have been ongoing debates regarding the trigger of panic attacks. Some believe it is caused in the spur of the moment when someone says something undesirable or presses on a sensitive topic to the other person, which may make them reactive. Some believe that it is a product of months of stress and frustration accumulated in the mind that tend to become uncontrollable and release themselves through the mind in the form of panic attacks. Some think that if someone has had a bad day or is dissatisfied with something else, even the slightest provocation against his likes can cause him to react. Some even say that people get influenced by watching violent films and shows on Netflix, inspiring them to behave aggressively. In extreme cases people start hearing external voices or undesirable noises in their brain when disturbed that provoke them to be violent. However, no one is entirely sure which reason is correct or if all of them are accurate to some extent, as debates on such topics might become sensitive for some.
DOS AND DON’T
Tackling someone suffering from a panic attack can become terrifying after understanding how they tend to behave and contemplating the extent of danger that such a condition can lead into. However, if possible, we must try our best to calm someone’s panic attack and stop them from becoming unexpected criminals. Here are some things that should be recommended when dealing with panic attack patients.
- Talk to them softly and calmly while maintaining eye contact even though they may be yelling their head off.
- Depending on the situation, try giving them a gentle pat on the back through reassuring words of love.
- Make them sit comfortably and give them a glass of water to calm their mental state.
- Apologize to them if you have said something triggering that caused them to react even though you were right. Asking for an apology won’t make you inferior if you remember that controlling a person from turning into a wild beast is essential.
- Please give them a tight hug and squeeze their hands. Trust me; it does make a lot of difference.
Here are some things one should never do when dealing with panic attack patients.
- Don’t react to whatever they say; control yourself from answering them back. This action will put more heat into the fire.
- Don’t shout at them, and do not threaten them of calling external help like the police if they do not stop, as this won’t make them stop at all.
- Do not ever imitate the actions of panic attack patients in front of them or make fun of them, as that will ruin the whole situation. Remember, the patients do not know what they are doing, so imitating them won’t help.
CONCLUSION
Although there is no direct answer for controlling panic attacks, we can all make a difference through the strength of love. Love is the most powerful weapon in this universe, as all living beings are hungry for it. Refrain from judging people around you so quickly, and take a moment to understand their situation from within. Your one kind gesture can save someone’s life and several lives around him.
