One of my best friends suffers from general anxiety disorder and panic attacks.
She often experiences panic attacks that are so debilitating that it makes it hard to breathe.
Sometimes she is able to pinpoint what triggers the attacks, but other times it is hard for her to figure out the reason behind them. A few weeks ago, we went to an outdoor festival. It happened to be a really hot and humid day, but we figured as long as we stayed hydrated we could handle the heat. The festival had many different vendors, loud music, people dancing, and a stage for performances. The festival was in a large city, so there were many people there and it was quite crowded. We were on line for a food truck, and I noticed that my friend was starting to get shaky and ancy. I asked if she was okay, and before I knew it she was sobbing and having a panic attack. I thought to myself that I needed to get her out of this heat and humidity immediately. My instincts kicked in and I looked for any businesses near us that could possibly have nice, cool air conditioning. I saw a hotel right near us. I told her to keep taking deep breaths and I dragged her to the hotel lobby. As soon as we walked in, the cool, crisp, dehumidfying air conditioning hit our entire bodies and instantly made us both cooler. I sat her down on a couch in the air conditioned hotel lobby. I got her some water from the front desk. I told her to keep breathing and that we were safe, in air conditioning , and away from people.