Having a friend who suffers from anxiety attacks can be a stressful thing, in and of itself.
Watching someone go through an attack can make you feel helpless and even afraid.
There are good ways to help yourself cope with this situation though, and there are also ways for you to help a friend who suffers anxiety attacks.
The important thing is to make yourself aware of these things and to take action.
The first thing you should do is educate yourself.
You aren't a doctor and, if you aren't planning on becoming one, any intensive study isn't necessary.
Reading basic material though can help quite a bit.
Not only should you read about anxiety attacks themselves, but you should also learn about whatever condition your friend may have, if anything at all, that leads to their attacks.
For instance, in many cases, it is an underlying anxiety disorder that leads people to having attacks, and you should therefore learn about that disorder.
From there, your support is always key.
Supporting those who suffer from anxiety attacks isn't necessarily a difficult thing either.
It generally involves little more than listening and trying to be empathetic and sympathetic to what they are going through.
Oftentimes you'll find yourself listening to the same thing, the same problems repeatedly, but that's okay.
If they choose to talk about it, it's because they need to talk about it.
Don't rely on rationality as a means of helping them.
To you, the cause of their anxiety may seem mundane and "Get over it" seems to be the most appropriate response.
The fact is though, the known cause isn't really the underlying cause.
Simply getting over it isn't possible.
Whenever this type of thought crosses your mind, just remember that your friend doesn't want to be a victim.
If they could stop it that easily, they would.
Another important factor of being supportive is to encourage your friend to seek or sustain medical help.
If they aren't actively being treated for their disorder, things will only get worse.
Without medication or therapy, anxiety attacks will just keep coming and that will be difficult for both you and your friend.
When they are willing to share such information, it's also good to learn about what medication they are on, and how often they are supposed to take it.
When you want to be more actively involved in helping your friend prevent attacks, always be on the lookout for warning signs.
An attack itself can come on suddenly, but more often than not there is a clear chain of events that leads to that attack.
Stressful situations and life changing events are most notable here.
When you witness your friend going through something like that, be on guard, help them through it or, if possible, get them out of it.
Remember though, your mental health is important as well.
Should your friend's condition be too much to bear at any given time, discuss that with them and let them know you need a bit of time to step away.
In cases where things affect you a lot, seeking out your own help, from a professional or otherwise, may be a wise idea as well.