The Panic Attack Preparedness Kit

As much as we don't want it to happen, you never know. And while you should never, ever avoid doing something because you might have a panic attack (this is a certain route to agoraphobia), it never hurts to be prepared. Just as some women will never leave home without a hairbrush and lipstick in their purse, I never leave home without my Panic Attack Preparedness Kit. The Boy Scouts would be proud.

What you decide to put in your kit depends on your own personal anxiety symptoms. If you tend to hyperventilate, a small paper bag could come in handy if that is a technique that you use. If you get nauseous, a couple of Peptol Bismol tablets are handy. Personally, I never leave home without Xanax. Nothing stops a panic attack in its tracks like a milligram of Xanax placed under the tongue. It's nasty tasting, but if the anxiety is bad enough to resort to the emergency Xanax, then you won't even notice the taste. I have not tried it, but I hear that Clonazapam is also made in a sublingual tablet. The reason that the pill works faster under your tongue is because the active ingredient is absorbed directly into your bloodstream by the large veins located there. Just in case you were wondering.

Another thing that I include is ten milligrams of Propananol. One of the symptoms I get is a racing heart, and sometimes I get skipped beats, otherwise known as PVC's (Premature Ventricle Contractions). I especially hate those, and like knowing that I have a pill that will put them in check. That one does not work by putting it under your tongue, by the way.

If you get hot flashes, one of those instant cold-packs that are typically found in first-aid packages will feel good. You can put it on your neck to cool your body as quickly as possible.

Sometimes, all you need is a distraction from whatever is at hand. I have a whole bag of things that I take when I fly. It can help to do things with your hands, such as knitting. If you are able to concentrate, a crossword puzzle can do the trick. The thing that I simply must have with me (second only to the emergency Xanax) is a journal. I use it to write positive affirmations, stories, coping strategies, etc. The act of writing is itself soothing, and I sometimes end up with some pretty good material for a story, such as the time I was waiting in the ER and wrote down a conversation between a prisoner chained to a bed and the attending police officer.

These things provide me with an emotional safety net. However, I find that they are most effective when they are already in my bag and I am not thinking about them or possible situations that could arise. I don't want to trigger that good old anticipatory anxiety! Keep the positive thoughts, but be prepared if it makes you feel better. Remember, these things are not to fight anxiety, which never works, but to help manage it.