Real Talk Co.

Today we’ll be looking at if you should call 911 when someone is having a panic attack.

Should you call 911 if someone is having a panic attack?

You should call 911 if someone is freaking out and it’s their first time. Also, take into account if they’re a danger to themself or a danger to you. Next is to see if there’s alcohol involved because it can make them more aggressive or hard to deal with without restraints. And next is if they’re dealing with chest pains.

First time

I’m only recommending that you call 9-1-1 if it’s the person’s first time, and they never had a panic attack before.

A big part of beating this situation deals with your breathing.

A slow and steady pattern will work best if you’re in the middle of one.

We talked about it before, but too much of an imbalance in any one direction can prove to do you a lot of harm in the middle of a panic attack.

Another focus that you should have is to build a trust in your situation.

The first reaction that many other people is going to be to try to escape and go somewhere else.

But that can actually stress you out even more.

Literally running around and trying to move from place to place is going to raise your heart rate, get your blood pumping faster, and harder to breathe.

However, it will help to sit in a quiet place, it’s best to be in a calm spot because it’ll help you manage your breathing even better as well.

The main focus is to take control of your situation.

If they’re a danger to themself or you

The same way that you would fix most difficult situations is to figure the situation out properly.

In the case of knowing if you should call 9-1-1, it’s going to be best to see if they’re dangerous.

First is to see if they’re a danger to you.

If you’re on the outside looking in, then you’re just a bystander and you want to make sure that you’re safe in all situations.

Especially if you’re trying to help someone else out.

Again, everybody handles stressful situations differently, some may break down, and some may even become violent.

At this point you want to see if they’re freaking out and trying to put hands on you while they’re dealing with a stressful situation.

You may be smaller than the person you’re trying to help and they’re on the ground wanting help from someone.

At that point it’ll be a good move to call 911.

And then, it may be to where they’re a danger to themself.

“How could they be a danger to themself” you may ask.

And it’s in any way that looks like self harm to you.

If they’re doing anything that looks like it’s making their breathing or anxiety worse then just call the para team.

They’ll handle it best.

If alcohol’s involved

Next is the situation with alcohol.

Alcohol can be one of the easiest reasons to call 911.

First of all, alcohol makes it harder to make the right choice.

If whoever you’re trying to help is under the influence of alcohol as well, then just make the call.

They’re already finding it hard to breathe at this point, and alcohol is supposed to be a depressant.

That’s going to make things worse regardless.

We’ve already had multiple posts that explained panic attacks’ relation to anxiety – and anxiety messes with the victim on an emotional level.

If they’re (the victim) is panicking while off alcohol then they could be doing things that make them out of character.

At that point, it’s a completely different person and it’s hard to guess their behavior.

Going back to the point made where they might be a danger to themself or a danger to you, then it’ll be best to call.

Most people that are intoxicated and under pressure seem to have the habit of having a “fight or fight” response.

And anyone could be a target at that point.

Chest pains

Last is finally the chest pain scenario.

Most panic attacks lead to issues with the chest area – mainly because these attacks have to do with the victim’s breathing.

The issue is that the person is having trouble breathing during the anxiety-fueled moment of spazzing.

Unless you’re skilled in applying a cardiac recovery method (possibly CPR) then it’ll be great idea to just make the call.

The physical act of applying pressure to the chest is one thing, but it’ll also be smart to talk with them through the ordeal and assure them that you’re going to help them get through it.

If they’re already losing control of their body and they get someone that’s trying to dominate them and add more pressure to an area that’s malfunctioning – it can be a problem.

But let’s assume you’re like most people in the world and CPR’s an unfamiliar topic, you’ll get for sure better results with someone that’s licensed and deals with these things on a daily basis.

It’s just a fail safe way to best serve someone that looks to be in real trouble.

Can you get fired from 911 from having a panic attack on a call?

You are protected from being fired from paramedics or any job for that matter thanks to the (ADA) Americans with Disabilities Act.

The ADA is a federal civil rights law.

It protects anyone from any discrimination against a person with a disability in everyday activity, including work.

It was officially made a law in 1990, and requires a case examination in order to have a certified receipt of service.

It covers all problems ranging from visual, speech, hearing and mental.

It makes a specific reference to PTSD as well.

Although it covers a broad list of issues, it excludes other medical problems too.

Appendicitis, short form depression, weight and height differences are a few to name.

Final thoughts

So let’s sum up everything that we learned.

It’s going to be a good idea to call paramedics if the person you’re trying to help is going through any of these things.

• They’re unaware of their condition
• If they’re a danger to you or themselves
• Under the influence of alcohol
• Having chest pains

What do you think?

Drop a comment below and let us know what you think.