"Help, an Alarm! I Can't Breathe!" How to Assist Those Suffering from Anxiety

"Over 40 anxiety victims," these are the numbers reported last Saturday night - the first night of the severe escalation in the south. The following morning, additional numbers were reported, and at this moment the numbers continue to climb rapidly.

It is true that the attacks in our small country have become part of the routine of life, but still the fear is great, and the atmosphere in the south, as in other parts of the country, becomes heavy and threatening, causing more and more people to feel anxiety. What can really be done when the routine turns into a war routine? When not only children are afraid, but adults are also very worried, not only about the present but also and especially about the future?

Endless Trauma

Mordechai is a three-and-a-half-year-old child living in Sderot. Tali, his mother, is one of those who sought professional help. "I don’t know what to do," she tells me with pain, "Mordechai has been sleeping in our room - the parents' room since the last escalation. In recent months, he felt safe knowing we were beside him. Now that the alarms have started again, he's simply become a different child; I don’t recognize my own child. I sought help because I think he needs treatment."

When I ask her to tell me what he is going through, Tali surprises me by describing an unusually quiet and calm child. "But that's exactly the problem," she exclaims, "My Mordechai was never like this, he is always energetic, mischievous and happy, and suddenly, from the moment the alarms began, he sits all the time staring at me with big glassy eyes. In the last 24 hours, he hasn't spoken a word, just silent and staring. I feel like I've lost my child."

Ziva, another resident of the south, tells of a different reaction. "I can't control myself," she admits, "every time I hear an alarm, I immediately start screaming, feeling my sanity slip away. Even yesterday, when an ambulance passed by on the street with its siren on, I started screaming, thinking it was another alarm. The media reports on victims being evacuated to hospitals, but people don’t understand that there are many more victims. Almost every house in our city has anxiety victims. It's an impossible situation."

Rivka from Ashdod adds a crucial point: "These are traumas that never end, I can attest that almost everyone in this area carries scars from previous attacks. These anxieties don't fade for days and nights. How can they be erased? We are literally in a battlefield."

Yes, You Can Help

Hadas Peleg, in charge of the resilience unit of United Hatzalah for partnerships between the state's formal bodies and the professionals working in the field, notes that unfortunately, they are familiar with the situation closely. "Our unit arrives at the scene and provides support - mental first aid to the victims on site. We take care of stabilizing the person suffering from anxiety and helping him return to functioning, despite what happened to him, with the ultimate goal of helping him return to being who he was."

Have you treated many such cases recently?

"Unfortunately, we've treated dozens of such cases in the last 24 hours," she replies.

Hadas also emphasizes: "It must be understood that when a missile falls on a person's house, he immediately enters a chaotic state, feeling that the foundation of his life has slipped, that a higher power has taken something from him that was not under his control. It affects his personal security and the possibility of living normally. The feeling is that the ground is slipping beneath his feet, which is why so many people react with anxiety."

(Photo: Flash 90)

But surely there's a difference between those experiencing a fall on their private home and those who merely heard the alarm...

"You'd be surprised," Hadas tells me, "but it's not a given. Some people suffered close hits and yet did not experience it as anxiety, and on the other hand, there are those living in the Tel Aviv area who react to the situation with anxiety and are desperately in need of help. When we hear in the media about those who 'lost a house', we always associate the trauma with them and forget that there are also neighbors and passersby who were caught in a nightmare scenario against their will. Such an experience can lead them to fear and the feeling that something similar might happen to them. And as I said - it can happen in central Israel, not just in the south."

According to Hadas, there are always people who manage to 'calm' themselves in different ways, but there are those who suffer an anxiety attack, which can manifest in various ways. "The expression of anxiety is influenced by our culture, our age, and our personal characteristics," she explains.

Just like in the case described by Tali, Mordechai’s mother, Hadas also notes that there might be a response of complete shock. "The person in front of us simply stops communicating and will be difficult to talk to. He will be quiet, confused, and will stare into space without purpose. It will be an 'empty' silence. At such a stage, our role is to try to establish communication with him, to help him get up and help himself. One should use simple and direct questions, preferably ones that aren’t answered by 'yes' or 'no'. Ask him what he needs right now and how you can help him, there's no point in doing actions for him, but rather helping him perform the actions he wants to perform. When our anxiety victim is characterized by silence, it is also important to find out who the people are he would be happy to have around him. For example, if it’s children who have experienced anxiety, a trip for a few hours to the center, to grandmother’s house, may do them good and bring them back to life.

"On the other hand," Hadas continues, "there are anxiety victims who become hysterical and scared. This is also a type of anxiety, and in their case, one should act exactly the opposite - help them calm down, sit down, recover. It is worth noting that many anxiety victims will have difficulty breathing. When encountering such people, practice correct breathing with them – exhale together and inhale. I must stress that there are very simple actions that can really help anxiety victims. You just need to know how to present them correctly, to help the person reconnect with himself."

A Normal Response to an Abnormal Situation

If you've made an effort and still think that the person in front of you is experiencing anxiety and finding it difficult to recover, Hadas says it is advisable to refer them to treatment through various welfare agencies. "The normal range in which a person experiences anxiety of this kind is three days. During the first three days following the trauma, it is advisable to let them know that they are allowed to feel this way. This is called 'normalization'. Explain to them that what they are feeling is a normal response to an abnormal situation and a traumatic scenario imposed on us. But if after three days the severe symptoms persist, it is highly recommended to seek professional help.

(Photo: Flash 90)

"By the way," adds Hadas, "when it comes to children, it's very important to ensure they stay where they feel safest. Sometimes it might be best to keep them at home, in the warm corner, and move to a safe room when needed, and sometimes it might be better to remove them from the storm's eye.

"There are also games that can help relieve children a bit and help them practice self-control. Bubble games and guided imagery are especially recommended. Furthermore, when it comes to children, it is important to separate for them clearly between the alarm and the fall – explain to them that the alarm itself is not dangerous. On the contrary – it helps us and protects us. This way, children will learn that during an alarm we are not in danger, but must keep ourselves from getting into a dangerous situation."

Hadas concludes: "In the last 24 hours, the number of calls to our hotline has increased significantly. We recommend anyone fearing an anxiety attack to contact us at 1221 and request the resilience unit – mental first aid. If the situation is difficult, hospital evacuation is necessary."

Suffering from depression, anxiety, and low mental state? Contact the "Nefeshi B'She’elati" department at Hidabroot. For advice, call 073-3333331 or email anat@htv.co.i