# Detecting Panic Attacks



## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

I had a question asked of me (another board in a PM) I thought was interesting. I had to answer of course, otherwise I'd be admitting I don't know everything and of course we know that isn't true. At any rate, I answered the question by a short lesson in collecting samples so as not to contaminate. I then gave a brief lesson on how I would teach the odor and work behavior, similar to what I'd do with a drug, explosive or even a track. I did express my ignorance about panic attacks and any chemical change. Secretly, I know I don't know it all ------------ yet.
What do you folks think of this, I did find it an interesting question.


"I am interested in teaching my dog to scent panic attacks as an actual task (he does some alerting, but I would like to solidify it.) I have heard that you can simply wipe the back of your neck during one, and your chemistry is different or something, then you put the towel or whatever in a plastic bag. I'm not real sure how to progress from there or where to find a reliable source of info to read for further info." 

DFrost


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## Mike Scheiber (Feb 17, 2008)

Try breathing into a paper bag that is supposed to help. Letting you dog lick your hand may also be comforting.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

My daughter actually has panic attacks, which thankfully she has learned to manage as she gets older. She sure does not need a dog to tell her she is getting ready to have one.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

David Frost said:


> I had a question asked of me ..... in teaching ... dog to scent panic attacks as an actual task ... DFrost


To alert for a very young child or someone with communication disabilities? Because my understanding for anyone else is that panic attacks are readily recognized, very early on, as Nancy says, from physical manifestations like racing heart, etc.

The PBS show _Dogs That Changed the World_ talked about scent for melanomas, prostate cancers, blood sugar changes, etc., but I am pretty sure that they mentioned behavioral changes (in panic attacks) that the dog picked up on.

Then what the dog would be trained to do would depend on the specific patient: calm and soothe the patient, or alert a caregiver, etc.


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

The person that asked the question didn't really give me any details. Admittedly I don't know much about panic attacks. I've always thought of them as one of those deals where ya just have grab hold of yourself and go forward. 

DFrost


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I think it's is one of those "If you can put a scent with it, you can train detection for it". 
having been a round a couple in my family that have had these episodes, I agree that the signs are pretty evident without a dog alerting on them. The person with them is the first to realize it's happening. I couldn't really tell you if there is any early warning (pre attack) chemical change though.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Until my daughter had them I never realized they can be pretty bad - and very real basically she has learned coping teqniques but there are real physiologic changes. Think about dumping a ton of adrenalin under normal circumstances. They treat them with drugs [Xanax] but she saw the impact of xanax abuse on a friend and has worked very hard to control it - but is still a reactive person by nature -- things that would not rattle you or me seem to throw her into a tizzy. The attacks are very real indeed. Heart pounding, sweat pouring off of her etc.

I think maturity and life experience really helps in that regard. Eventually so much shit happens in your life you learn to roll with the punches.


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## Mo Earle (Mar 1, 2008)

I wonder if the dog would be trained in a similar fashion as the dogs that are used to pick up the AURA just prior to a patient having a seizure- in which the dog forewarns the patient, so they can position themselves safely or take additional meds?


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

Mo Earle said:


> I wonder if the dog would be trained in a similar fashion as the dogs that are used to pick up the AURA just prior to a patient having a seizure- in which the dog forewarns the patient, so they can position themselves safely or take additional meds?


I wondered if it would be similar to that... 

Knowing almost nothing about seizure alert dogs, I was under the impression it was just something certain dogs did, and training was added to teach the dog what to do when they sensed a seizure coming.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

I trained a psychiatric service dog for a person with anxiety and panic. The dog "washed out" for reasons not related to task training.

A person with a panic disorder can always feel onset of a panic attack. However, the dog can pick up breathing patterns and body language sometimes before the person does.

A dog that worries the handler naturally (untrained) by licking and comforting is usually not a good candidate for this work, as the dog is feeding off the handler's stress. It becomes a self-fulfilling cycle of stress betweent dog and handler. It's also typically seen in nervy dogs.

A dog can be trained many behaviors to assist a person with panic attacks. 

Lead the handler away from crowded areas.
For people who become non-verbal during a panic attack, the dog can deliver a "talking card" to indicate whether or not the handler needs assistance.
The dog can deliver a phone or medications.
The dog can perform an active alert to prevent a handler that may go into a dissociative state.
The dog can alert by dialing a K9 rescue phone that is pre-programmed with a caregiver's number or 911.

As the handler progresses through a panic attack, many experience weakness and body chills. 

The dog can be trained to brace to support body weight.
The dog can be trained to lay on or with the handler and to cover the handler with a blanket.

The dog can also be trained tasks to prevent the onset of a panic attack.

These tasks are specific to the handler, but an example is, when coming home, to enter the house through a doggie-door, and turn on the lights in each room, then either barking or letting the handler in.

Panic attacks are very real, and can be severe enough to be debilitating. There are varied responses, but most include the feeling of dying or intense fear of death, heart racing, hyperventilation, vomiting, passing out, and body chills and tremors for hours afterwards. Not good stuff.

I would not train an alert for this by scent. I train to alert to increased breathing rate. Most people, if alerted soon enough, can use their coping techniques to lessen the effect of the oncoming attack.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Being more specific to address the OP's PM question rather than the PP comments:

While scent setection may be a viable option for training a dog to alert to a handler's panic attack, it is unlikely to be the best way to train the behavior. To be effective, an alert should interrupt the handler's acitivities with enough time for the handler to implement coping techniques to prevent or minimize the effect of the panic attack. Training the dog to alerts to changes in the handler's breathing rate is an effective and simple way to teach the dog when to alert.

Assuming the dog is operant, first clicker-train the appropriate alert response. 

_Remember that an alert that will stand up in court if the dog's status as a service dog is challenged will be an OBNOXIOUS alert that lasts 30 - 60 seconds. Licking the handler will not hold up in court as a individually trained task._

Once the dog performs the correct response accurately and enthusiastically, than train the dog the cue. The cue will be your rate of breathing prior to a panic attack. Cue (rapid breathing) before your dog alerts, click, reward.

When the dog reliably performs the alert response to the cue of rapid breathing, then the goal is to eliminate false alerts (offering the behavior) without losing the integrity of the alert. The way to begin is to give a no-reward marker anytime the dog performs the alert when the cue has not been give. 

As with seizure alert dog that are trained to the early signs of a seizure, the psychiatric service dog _may_ learn to pick up earlier (or additional) cues than it has been trained. For instance, the dog will learn, that if you are exercising and breathing rapidly, that you are not having a panic attack. The dog will learn very specifically other body language or scent indicators to identify the onset of a panic attack.


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## Michael Santana (Dec 31, 2007)

I recently read on the handlers "non-verbal" effects on the performance of his K9. Which is believed to be linked to the difference between the dogs performance during training and real situations. it simply states that the handlers sympathetic nervous system will cause the "fight or flight" reaction, causing his heart to race, adrenaline surge, and sweat glands to kick in. The dog would smell this and short there after there would be "action", causing the dog to directly associate the scent of his handler with "play-time". 
Seems to me that not much would change between this theory and that of the panic attack because the body reacts very similar. Not sure if this means that the only way of training the dog would to just let it happen, or if there is anything you could do to simulate this.


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