One of the biggest fears of people who suffer from panic attacks is that it will happen to them in public. We all have work situations to face – important board meetings, taking care of patients, giving a presentation, discussing work with colleagues. How embarrassing to have a panic attack in this scenario!

Just the idea alone can drive you into having an attack – literally. Sometimes it is the fear of having a panic attack alone that can cause one.

It might be better for your mental health to be prepared for this type of scenario – it might calm your fears a bit and help you to not feel so helpless. You will feel that you are gaining some measure of control over your life and the situation, and that is big step forward already.

Some of these measures might work for you, some might not since it depends on your particular situation and personality.

Breathing: Many doctors advocate breathing practices to help calm yourself when you are having a panic attack. This is also why lots of people breathe into a paper bag. There are therefore two things to do to prepare yourself. Firstly, you need to learn how to breathe. Yoga classes are very good for teaching advanced breathing techniques. It is not always easy to stand still and breathe deeply in a social or work situation, but if you can excuse yourself at all to find some private space you can execute your breathing exercises – even before your panic attack starts in all earnest. Secondly, remember to pack a paper bag if it works for you! This brings us to the second step in being prepared:

Pack a bag: This might be easier for a woman than for a man, but if you are a man it might be worth investing in some form of wallet that is big enough for everything that you might need to help you get through a panic attack. This includes, but is not limited to:

1. Medicine – if you are using any medication that can be taken during an attack. Also remember to include instructions, since you might not be in a state to explain the dosage or method of taking.

2. Names of doctors and close family members to be contacted in an emergency. Put this on a stiff card, with black writing on white so that it is clearly visible.

3. Anything that will distract you or help you to overcome the attack faster. This can include anything from comfort objects, such as a stuffed toy, photos or religious objects, to physical comfort such as creams, aromatherapy oils and so forth. It all depends on what works for you and what not. Experiment to see what helps.

4. Devise distraction mechanisms: Some people find that it helps to put distraction mechanisms in place, in other words, mechanisms that will help distract the mind to help it not focus on the panic but on other things. Some of these distraction mechanisms include listening to music, focusing on something outside your body, saying mantras, pinching yourself, forcing yourself to think positive thoughts and so forth.

But basically most of these steps are measures to ease the stress of a panic attack and does not really help with prevention. In the long term, it is best to try and find a permanent solution. If you do not like the idea of medication due to the side effects involved, you want to consider a non-medication alternative to cure panic attacks.