A Road to Calm

A Road to Calm

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I have struggled with panic attacks throughout my journey with my mental health. However, during COVID, they really ramped up. And they happened at the worst times…when I was driving. One minute, I would be driving and listening to my music, and the next, I would be completely engulfed in a panic attack, unable to breathe. More than once I had to call my parents to pick me up and abandon my car somewhere to retrieve later. It became a hindrance to my daily life. I didn’t know when they were going to strike. Driving had become my safe space during COVID. It gave me the freedom I desperately wanted and needed while my family was quarantined together. I couldn’t let my mental health get in the way of the one outlet I had. I brought this up to my therapist and we began problem-solving. Eventually, she brought up the idea of making a panic attack kit! 

“Panic attack kits” are useful, personalized tools that you can create to cope with overwhelming anxiety or panic. We decided I could keep one in my car so when I started having a panic attack I could easily pull over and have my coping skills all in one place. My panic attack kit included lavender essential oil, sour candy, fidget toys, and some comfort items. I put these into a small, cute, zippered bag I found at my house and kept that in my glove compartment. I wasn’t entirely convinced it would actually work for me, but I was desperate for a solution. The first panic attack I had after, I was prepared. I felt the familiar panic set in, but this time, I had a plan. I tried my best to pull over calmly as I grabbed the bag out of the glove compartment next to me. I went straight for the essential oil and inhaled its strong scent. To my surprise, it began to calm me down. My senses were distracted from the rising panic in my nervous system. It was working! After a couple of minutes, I was able to get back on the road.

I soon learned that essential oils were the most effective tool for me. Now, when I felt the panic overcome me, I could pull over and sniff the little vial of concentrated lavender scent, and the smell would shock my system enough to distract from the panic symptoms that were creeping up on me. I would only have to spend a few minutes pulled over using my coping skills before I was able to get back on the road and keep driving. As I continued to use my panic attack kit as needed, I found, over time, that my panic while driving began to decrease. Slowly but surely, I stopped having panic attacks while driving altogether. I credit this to better medication management, the end of quarantine, and, most importantly, my panic attack kit! 

Because this tool worked so well for me in my own life, I constantly share it as a resource for others. So many young people today struggle with anxiety and have panic attacks. This kit is so easy to make and use and can be discreetly kept or taken almost anywhere. For example, if school is somewhere where your anxiety/panic spikes, this can be an easy addition to a backpack. You can even keep a smaller version in a purse! You can add any coping skill that is helpful to you personally, such as headphones, earplugs, emergency anxiety medication, etc. Hopefully, this tool can help you the same way it has helped me!

 

 Written by a Youth MOVE Massachusetts Youth Advocate

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