Panic attacks are not entirely uncommon in active power exchange play. Advanced play, such as suspension, may occasionally bring about a panic attack.
A panic attack is what happens when the recieving (submissive) partner suddenly displays what may look to others like unreasonable, illogical fear and complementatry behavior. It may result from a variety of things. Most likely causes are unexpected claustrofobia, the sudden awareness of what is actually happening, upcoming hyperventilation or simply an overdose of emotions. Dehydration and lack of nutrients are wellknown factors, contributing to panic attacks and so are stress, lack of sleep and recent use of alcohol or recreational drugs and sometimes medication.
Panic attacks should not be confused with seizures. These are the result of a medical condition, such as diabetes or epileptic and other brain-related diseases.
In a suspension context, a few things should be considered carefully:
Anyone with a serious medical condition: diabetes, brain-related diseases, a heart- or vascular system related condition, cara (lung and breathing related conditions) as well as people on serious medication schemes as well as EVERYBODY who is on a psychiatric medication scheme DO NOT BELONG IN A SUSPENSION SITUATION! Neither as giver, nor as a recipient. There are simply too many dangers and unpredictable hazards and reactions involved and a giver with a heart condition is just as dangerous as a recipient, suffering from the same problem!
Alcohol, poppers and recreational drugs DO NOT BELONG IN THIS SITUATION! All of these will not only “blunt” your perception and awareness, they also come on top of the chemical factory inside – in other words the hormones (adrenaline and endorphines especially) produced by your body as a result of the action. People under the influence of any of these substances have a tendency to overestimate their own capacities and skills and their reactionlevels and awareness drop quite dramatically. On top of that, there are the physical “activities” to consider, such as increased metabolism (in other words having to pee more frequently) and the risk of nauseau, dizzyness and possibly bad trips, if recreational drugs are involved.
Preventing Panic Attacks
Your main line of defense against panic attacks are communication and sustenance.
Communication means true and open communication, including talking about what you are afraid of, not comfortable with, what is new to you and maybe even ghosts from the past. This may sound silly, but if you fell of a swing when you were five, this may come back and haunt you when in a suspension! The giver (dominant) should be aware of such factors. The recipient should tell him or her and the giver should not be afraid to ask and ask again. This is one reason why advanced play, such as suspension bondage, belongs in a stable relationship. It is not something you just do for a kick with someone you barely know!
The importance of food and beverages during any power play is frequently overlooked. Both partners are using tremendous amounts of energy and these should be replenished regurlarly DURING a session, especially if this session takes a longer period of time (which it usually does, especially if advanced techniques are involved). And bear in mind that “working up to it” (the time that elapses between announcing the session and actually starting it) is also part of the session and that too will eat up energy! This is especially important for people who have to drive to be able to meet each other. The second you leave home and maybe even before that (for example when packing your toy bag) your session starts and the increased energy consumption begins.
Depending on how much you drink and your physical proportions: if you had a “heavy bar night” the night before, it may take your body between 24 and 48 hours to fully recover from alcohol consumption. Quite a lot of people are technically speaking still drunk the next morning (and may even loose their driver’s license as a result!). Contrary to popular belief: coffee does NOT help the recovery from alcohol effects. In fact, it increases such effects! This means that if you have a session or a meet planned for Saturday, it may not be a good idea to drink too much on Friday night. And that again goes for both partners involved.
It is a good idea to replenish your needs regularly. Every half hour is generally considered to be good timing, but much depends on your personal needs. Don’t drink large quantities (having to pee in the middle of a suspension scene is NO fun), but instead drink a few sips every now and then. Fruit juices are a good choice and so are isotonic (sports) drinks. Plain water will also do nicely. No soft drinks and most certainly no “bubbles”. For food either bananas (bite of some of it and save the rest for later), sweets, some chocolote or an occasional sushi are all very good choices. Again, do not eat large quantities, just a bite or two regularly will do nicely.
Dealing With Panic Attacks
If a recipient is hit by a panic attack, it is a very good idea to NOT fully untie him or her. Concentrating on suspension only, bring the recipient down on the floor or otherwise in a somewhat comfortable position, such as sitting in a chair or laying on the bed. But DO leave all other restraints on. If you are the giver, you won’t be the first one to be physically attacked by someone who has a panic attack. Sometimes restraints have very practical uses.
Someone suffering from a panic attack is not a logical person and probably not open to any reasonable argument for a while. Instead, expect swearing, shouting, cursing, kicking, biting and in general (quite) aggressive behavior. The only way to counter this is by remaining calm, stable and reassuring. Simply sit out the storm. Your partner can’t help it and neither does he or she mean it. It is just a panic attack and it will subside faster, if the other partner stays calm. This is no time for discussion, neither is it good timing for expressing how “right” you are and how “wrong” the other, regardless if you have a point. Leave discussions for later, in the middle of a panic attack they will work as the proverbial oil on the fire.
Of course the recipient will want the remainder of the restraints to come off – preferably as quickly as possible. This a matter of negociation. “Yes I will untie your feet if you promise to stop kicking them around first.” Or “Yes, I will untie your arms, if you promise to calm down a bit.” In that way the giver can use the remainder of the bondage as an effective way to regain control over the situation and calm his or her partner down, step by step. Remember: as long as the attack lasts, there will be very little logic, so do not try to deal with it in a logical way, rather opt for an effective way. And bear in mind that a state of panic may return quickly afterwards, so even if your partner has calmed down a bit, don’t start a discussion. This is likely to turn into an argument very quickly. Instead, again do something useful. Like: have a drink together or move the attention to something else. Humor is a very effective weapon against panic and anger, just make sure the jokes are not at the expense of your partner!
The Aftermath
It may be obvious that if a panic attack happens, it can not just be put aside. When the calm has returned and the clouds have all gone – that will probably be a day or two after the event – there is a need for serious discussion. Most importantly: try to evaluate what actually happened and what may have caused the attack. Play back the session in your head and try to envisage and examine every detail of it carefully. It is not a drama. On the contrary in fact, it may be a very valuable learning experience. Also, there is no need for guilt, even though both partners – for various reasons – will feel guilty. In the words of Murphy: “Shit happens!” Power exchange is all about emotions, good ones AND bad ones. It is no big deal, as long as you learn from it and move on.
Panic attacks for example have little or nothing to do with determination. There are very good examples of highly experienced people who had it happen, even in the middle of performances. The reasons for them may be futile and sometimes could not be foreseen, such as hormonal changes during the female cycle, or stress at work, or just an unfamiliair scent or noise. Quite a few things can trigger panic attacks. Remember, the recipient is usually on an endorphins trip and their brain will be doing lots of things, hardly any of which is logical. For example: the adrenaline rush that preceeds the endorphins high changes your perception. Smells and scents may (and probably will) become much more intens and things may even smell entirely different (chocolate may suddenly “stink” for example). You hear more and sharper as a result of adrenaline and familiair sounds may suddenly sound quite alarming. Need an example? All of us have been “jumpy” at times. An unexpected hand on your shoulder, that would otherwise feel comforting or at least would not be alarming, will make you jump five feet into the air when you’re “jumpy”. That is what adrenaline does to your senses.
Having said that, there are very good reasons for trying to establish what exacly caused the attack. There might be a hidden trauma somewhere. Or there might be something that can quite easily be avoided the next time. If the cause is a trauma, professional help may (and probably will) be needed. But if it is not, it is probably a good idea to try and do the same thing again, only in a more conditioned environment (as a test-session rather than a full swing session). This will help to reassure the recipient in the same way as it is a good idea to get back behind the wheel as soon as possible after a car accident. It might even help the recipient to learn to feel a panic attack coming up and warn his or her partner in advance.
The above article is a reprint from our information/educational site Kink Culture.
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