Link – A First-Aid Class for Mental Health

“Here’s a thought experiment: You’re walking down the street with a friend when your companion falls and gashes her leg on the concrete. It’s bleeding; she’s in pain. It’s clear she’s going to need stitches. What do you do?

This one isn’t exactly a head-scratcher. You’d probably attempt to offer some sort of first-aid assistance until the bleeding stopped, or until she could get to medical help. Maybe you happen to have a Band-Aid on you, or a tissue to help her clean the wound, or a water bottle she can use to rinse it off. Maybe you pick her up and help her hobble towards transportation, or take her where she needs to go.

Here’s a harder one: What if, instead of an injured leg, that same friend has a panic attack?”

I think this is very interesting. I once had a coworker who suffered from panic attacks, though she did not readily share that information with many people, for obvious reasons. She confided in me one day when she found out about my blog and the fact that I had dealt with serious depression.

My point is, that if you know someone who is prone to panic attacks or other sudden mental health episodes, like dissociation, etc. this training could be very useful. Short of that, do what I did with my coworker. I asked what I could do if she had a panic attack at work. She told me, and knew that if it ever happened, she could immediately come to me, and we would get through it together. It never came to that in the time she and I worked together, but it’s always good to know that there’s a plan, and to be prepared to help instead of having no idea what to do for them. The same way knowing what to do when someone is bleeding is incredibly useful.

Hmm that reminds me, I wonder where I can get CPR training, it’s been too long. Maybe I’ll check into that, and see if this training is available while I’m at it.

A First-Aid Class for Mental Health