You are at home with your best buddy. You have invited them over to play a game of charades, watch a movie and have some fun together. They are drinking beer, trying to guess what you mean by twisting your hand and pretending to choke when they suddenly zone out. They appear to be looking weak and holding their hand against their chest. Sensing a medical emergency you immediately stop and ask them what is happening. They point towards their hand when you realise they are actually bleeding from the back of their hand and are trying to apply pressure. They had accidentally cut themselves with the bottle opener. You rush to your storeroom, kick out a few useless boxes and finally find what you are looking for. You take your first aid box and with some cotton and cleaning antiseptic you clean the fresh cut. As you are able to stop the bleeding, you tie a bandage around their wrist nice and neat. They look at you with gratitude for your quick thinking.
What if something different had happened? What if we go back and tweak the scenario? Let’s read it again.
You are at home with your best buddy. You have invited them over to play a game of charades, watch a movie and have some fun together. They are drinking beer trying to guess what you mean by twisting your hand and pretending to choke when they suddenly zone out. They look like they are gasping for air as they hold their chest tightly. Their face is losing color and starting to look pale. You realise what is happening, but you don’t have any first aid kit like before prepared to help them. You’re not even sure it’s a medical emergency. You rush to the kitchen and fill a glass of water for them and a pain-killer as you stand blank. Pacing fast, you hand them that glass of water but they refuse. They are unable to communicate to you but they take out their prescription from their pocket. They point towards the antidepressants and SSRIs they had been taking, you catch on to what’s going on. You help them take a deep breath and slowly help them control their breath. You put on some calming music and ask them to focus on their environment. As they get better, they talk to you about their panic attack and tell you that they have been dealing with anxiety for a while now. You empathise with them but keep thinking about having the same kit that you would have them if they had cut their hand.
A panic attack mimics a heart attack but is only a symptom of anxiety. It includes an inability to breathe, nausea, dizziness, pain in the chest, shaking, sweating, rapid heartbeat and palpitations.
What is a Mental Health First Aid Kit?
A mental health first aid kit has things and tools you would need when you are having a tough day or when you feel an oncoming panic attack. A Mental Health First Aid Kit tends to your mental health needs in times of an emotional emergency.
It could be bought online from popular e-marketing sites like Amazon or Ebay or you could make one of these at home. They are easy to make and might help you circumvent a mental health emergency easily.
Here’s what you can put in your mental health first aid kit.
A pen and a journal
You may find journaling a healthy form of venting. After getting everything out of your system, you may feel lighter and better. If journaling doesn’t work for you, try sketching or drawing instead. Keep the tools you need to help. It could be any hobby you like or anything you find comforting.
A stress ball
A stress ball is a ball made up of cushion-y material. You can squeeze it in your hand which has a good possibility of releasing endorphins. You could order one on Ebay or Amazon. They are cheap and useful. Some people also like fidget spinners or fidget cubes better, whichever makes you feel more at ease.
A list of people you can contact
A list of people you can contact in case things go out of hand will make you feel more secure. It could be one of your friends, your significant other or a mental health professional, somebody you find it easy to talk with and someone who is comforting to be around.
Meditation packet
You could take a deep breath and focus on relaxing your body by tending to the sources outside in your environment. In certain cases, it feels better to focus on your environment and notice the various objects present. Focusing on how your body works could also be a soothing experience. You could also have a calming video link bookmarked on your phone.
A list of happy memories
A list of memories you have made with the people you love, or some card or a letter that someone gave to you could also come here. A photograph that makes you feel happy or reminds you of something blissful could also do the trick. A gift that someone wrapped up for you that has an emotional significance to you could also be useful.
A list of calming songs
A list of songs that make you feel calm or better, some sounds or music you like to listen to, or anything that has emotional value to you. A song that makes your heart beat along with it, something that helps get more air in your system that you think you are getting or just something that reminds you of something beautiful.
A calming food or snack
It could be a sort of tea like chamomile, or it could be some form of scent that you find comforting. Some people prefer ginger tea because of its calming effect, some others prefer chocolate, you could have your own different idea of a calming snack.
Feel free to customize your kit according to your needs!
Remember, it isn’t a substitute for professional help and can’t offer the same benefit as therapy, just like a first aid kit isn’t a substitute for a doctor.
Image source – unsplash.com