4 Things to Bring with You to Social Gatherings if You Struggle with Panic Attacks
A lot of my clients have been feeling extra anxious lately (understandably so) with the holidays coming up. Holiday gatherings can feel like a minefield for loss parents, where well-intentioned but often insensitive loved ones tend to ask invasive questions about having kids. And social gatherings also often mean you have to mingle with pregnant people or babies/toddlers. The endless triggers can easily bring on a panic attack for a loss parent.
Here is what I’ve been telling my clients: It can be helpful to bring a few small, strategic items with you to holiday gatherings to help you get through a panic attack or prevent one from even happening in the first place. The four items are:
Essential oils: Put a drop of lavender or eucalyptus essential oils on the inside of your wrist or simply sniff from the bottle. The relaxing scents can help calm the amygdala (the emotional center of your brain) and prevent/end a panic attack.
Mints of gum: Pop a mint or some minty gum if you feel a panic attack coming on. The strong taste and smell can re-activate your prefrontal cortex (the part of your brain that controls logic) and help you stay grounded.
Sour candy: Similar to mint or minty gum, sour candy (think War Heads or Sour Patch Kids) can keep you prefrontal cortex active and prevent the emotional part of your brain from taking over.
Ice cubes: Okay, this one is hard to bring with you, but if you find yourself facing a panic attack, find some ice cubes and hold them in your hands. The cold feeling will help your amygdala from over-activating. (If you can’t find ice, you can run your hands under cold water.)
What do all these items have in common? They all have a strong sensory experience, which helps activate the prefrontal cortex (the logic part of your brain that knows you’re safe) and calm the amygdala (the emotional part of the brain that is understandably over-activated by all the triggers).
I hope these ideas are helpful as we head into the holidays! If you have any other panic attack prevention ideas, please feel free to leave them in the comments.
