4.1 Panic attacks

Panic attacks are perhaps one of the more common crisis situations you might encounter. A panic attack can be brought on by anxiety and stress, so a learning environment with presentations, exams and tests can be a triggering place for anyone who experiences them. For some learners, being fearful of having a panic attack can make them feel anxious and stressed, which in turn can increase the chances of a panic attack happening. So being mindful of your learning environment, the activities and learning situations is important for educators. Measures to support learners are often simple and do not impact on the overall learning experience for everyone. Sometimes just allowing a learner to be seated with easy access to an exit, or to work in group situations with people they feel comfortable with, is all it takes to appropriately support them.

The ‘expert in the room’ is very often the person themselves, and quite often they will know what can trigger a panic attack and will have strategies to help mitigate and lessen the impact of it. Being empathetic could mean you find out more about how it feels to experience a panic attack, the likely causes and what a learner’s coping strategies are. Equipped with this understanding you will be better placed to provide the right support.

If you would like to understand more about panic attacks and recommended treatments, you can find out more in this free OpenLearn course: Panic attacks: what they are and what to do about them.