Panic Attack Kit

So -- what can John's caregivers do the next time he is having a panic attack?  I have no way of what might actually work...but it's not that hard to find things that could wake up his other senses...I tried to think about taste, smell, touch, sound...

I put together a kit...with various things that might be used to wake up a person's senses...

 

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While you are waiting for Rita to come, there are things in this kit you can use to help John.  Repeat every action, slowly, to the count of 10...

1.      The Party Blowers: Sit him in a chair and ask him to breathe deep...in through his nose and out through his mouth...THIS IS SO IMPORTANT....slow, deep, even breaths...count to ten...in through his nose, out through his mouth...

2.      Put a small dab of the camphor ointment at each nostril....breathe in through his nose, blow out through his mouth.

3.      Sit knee to knee...hold his hands...try to make eye contact...while repeating these words over and over...

”You will be fine, John....Rita is on her way....

“You will be fine, John....Rita is on her way....”

To engage John’s senses....use any of these items:

·        A sour sucker:  try to get John to lick the sucker.

·        Lotion: Rub it into John’s hands....

·        Facial spray:  spritz his face.

·        Bag of slime:  place it in his hands...

·        Stress balls: encourage him to squeeze them.

Keep repeating this mantra...while touching his hands...

“You will be fine, John....Rita is on her way....”

 “You will be fine, John....Rita is on her way....”

Repeat these actions and these words until Rita or Ross arrives.