I have to write about a hotline thing because something happened that is personally important to me and how it unfolded was so interesting.
I was on the hotline last night and I had a call that was hands-down the most severe panic attack I have ever had to deal with. It was a very serious call in all respects, I can't write specifics except to say that 1) it was a very serious call and 2) the caller couldn't breathe enough to speak because of the panic attack.
After unsuccessfully trying to get them to speak I did a quick breathing exercise that got them to the point of getting just enough oxygen so they could begin to speak- and after that, they recovered nicely.
We talked and the call completely de-escalated in 14 minutes, and- again, it was very serious.
Then I was told we're not allowed to do any breathing exercises.
Wait-- what??
I actually did not know that- even after over 2 1/2 years doing this.
FWIW this situation is an outlier, and I don't think- to my knowledge- I have ever done breathing exercises with anyone before.
Or if I have, it was a long time ago and I don't remember- the point is this is rare.
And it made zero sense to me.
None.
Because what I did with the caller was extremely effective and was exactly what they needed to get just enough oxygen in their system, and it took maybe 40 seconds. Breathing is the most basic essential thing, especially in a panic attack.
So this gave me an inner conflict, because I had such a strong knowing that I did the right thing for the caller in this particular instance, and then I'm told it's not allowed.
Today I texted the director of crisis management to ask for clarity and his perspective, and can we chat for 5 mins? It was really bothering me.
He said the same stuff I heard last night about it not being in the training, not part of the protocol, we aren't supposed to do it, but even he said he would talk to J, who is the boss of the organization- for even more additional clarity. How can we just let someone keep gasping for air when a fast and simple breathing exercise would fix it? I couldn't get past it.
In general, I completely understand the policy, I just didn't understand it in the context of this specific rare situation call. And I was locked in my mindset.
He said this does come up from time to time with volunteers- and yet, he took me seriously enough to escalate it even further! That was awesome!
So he called me back and passed on some info.
Yes it's true we should never do breathing exercises.
Why not?
He talked about not problem-solving, not in the training and all that, but what completely shifted my perspective is this:
A breathing exercise is considered "prescriptive".
And we are not mental health professionals.
If it doesn't work to calm someone's anxiety, it could make it worse and there is a possibility of hyperventilation which then is a medical emergency that we would have caused.
And from what I heard, I think that might have happened once, probably a long time ago.
That's what completely shifted my head about it.
Possible medical emergency.
I never even considered the possibility it might not work, because breathing is so basic.
That's what you do for a panic attack.
Total 180 shift for me.
Wow.
This is the thing about the hotline- well, my experience with it anyhow- there is a lot of "wait- WHAT??" and in the context of the hotline, what seems to make no sense actually makes all the sense in the world.
This was a valuable learning experience on many levels.
I can even take it further into the CPR certification at the boathouse.
We occasionally get panicky people there too.
If I am ever in a situation anywhere where someone is having a panic attack so severe they can't breathe, and I can't get them talking, I will never do a breathing exercise with them, I'll just call 911.
If I'm not allowed to do something on the suicide hotline, I'm not doing it anywhere, ever!
This whole experience just goes to show that a little bit of additional knowledge completely changes what we might think is right. It was interesting to observe my own perspective completely shift.
I appreciate all the people who were part of this learning experience.
