10 August,2025 07:37 PM IST | Mumbai | Akshita Maheshwari
Man gets slapped mid-panic attack in IndiGo flight on August 1
"A slap is the worst possible solution to a problem," says counselling psychologist Kruttika Dixit, reacting frustratedly to the recent slap incident. On a routine IndiGo flight last week from Mumbai to Kolkata on August 1, a passenger experiencing a panic attack was met not with empathy but with a slap from a fellow flyer. The incident sparked outrage online, but it also raised a more troubling question: What happens when someone in a public space visibly struggles with anxiety or overstimulation? More often than not, they're met with confusion, judgement, or outright hostility.
Whether at a packed gig, in a running local train, or mid-air at 30,000 feet, our public spaces remain poorly equipped to respond to mental health crises.
The most sensitive and anxiety-inducing time on a flight is take-off and landing, a time when the cabin crew isn't present in the cabin. "I can't leave my jump seat at that time. By the time I can go into the cabin, passengers may have taken things into their own hands," says former cabin crew member Priyanka, who worked in the aviation industry for 12 years before quitting the high stress job in 2020.
In a surprising insight Priyanka reveals that it is only after COVID that mental health management began to be included as part of training. "Before that [COVID], we were just there to ensure safety and a smooth flying experience - we never had a toolkit for mental health," she says, speaking to us over the phone. Until the SOP was established, the techniques used were just, well⦠common sense. "In general, we followed simple steps. You have to come from a place of empathy. First see if they are here alone or with someone, ask the fellow passenger about their medical history, ask the passenger all the Ws (what, where, who, when), and of course, follow the chain of command and keep the pilot informed," she adds.
Rani Kaur is prone to get overstimulated in big crowds and is easily disoriented when surrounded by cacophony, but people-stressors are equally daunting.
She recalls an incident earlier this year in the immigration line at Delhi airport. An officer walked up and asked her to start a new line as the current one had begun to snake around. Kaur walked to begin the next line, but others didn't take too kindly to this and that's when the yelling began.
"They were shouting and saying that I had jumped the queue - but I was following instructions. Anyway I went all the way back to the original line," says Kaur. As she passed the angry travellers Kaur heard something that triggered her, "A woman told me âIss papa ki pari ko toh jaana hi padega' [Daddy's princess has to go back at the back of line]. She didn't even know me," says Kaur, part incredulous and
part annoyed.
This set off her panic attack. "Thankfully, the same officer noticed and helped me through the line," she says. Kaur isn't the only one experiencing the dehumanising effects of spending hours in a cold, clinical and unfeeling space like an airport. In fact there is a term for it - "airport effect". This is the perfect storm of a panic attack as emotions are heightened due to travel anxiety and time feels non-existent, almost disorienting travellers.
Kaur has found her own formula to keep calm during a potentially triggering situation - breath work is the key. "I keep doing breathing exercises and music is my go to. It calms me down," she says. Other than devising her own panic-proof plan, the 50-year-old has to take the additional mental load of walking on eggshells and curbs her reactions, "It is also important to remember not to retaliate. That person's aggressive behaviour is also a reaction of being in that environment. People are very fickle these days; even something small can set them off," she adds, offering more empathy than she has received.
While flights may cause the airport effect, live festivals are breeding grounds for an anxiety attack. The music is too loud, lights are too bright, and the blood alcohol level in most attendees adds to it all. The man behind Spoken Fest, one of the most popular live festivals in Mumbai, Roshan Abbas, believes in the power of a well-managed venue, "Venue management is the best way to go about it. You have to pick a venue that has multiple exits, and washrooms at every corner. If people can easily flow in and out, then overcrowding is very easy to manage," he says.
Abbas also pointed to having a medical desk, well-trained staff, and a free supply of water. "I find it exorbitant that people charge R100 for water. We make sure it's freely and readily available to everyone," he says, "At the third Spoken Fest, people could come and talk to a professional therapist, as a part of the activities," he adds.
Naman Pugalia, chief business officer (Live Events), BookMyShow, said, "Our events feature designated safe zones with dedicated counsellors and Quick Response Teams trained to assist attendees of all communities. These safe spaces offer a vital refuge for anyone experiencing emotional distress or mental health challenges, with trained professionals providing immediate support in a non-judgmental, compassionate setting."
It was a bad day for Garima Chhabra (name changed); college was already a bust, and later in the day she made a few too many mistakes while working as an intern. Finally, as she was heading back home, she caught a local train to Vile Parle. What should have been a quick ride home, turned into one of the worst panic attacks she's ever had. The 21-year-old spiralled in the running train, and doesn't remember most of her journey. "It was all hazy, but suddenly the noises around me were too loud, my heart was beating too fast, I was shivering in the Mumbai heat. All I could think was âWhy do I even live here? When will it go quiet?'" she says.
Chhabra's first panic attack hit her in Standard 9, with academic pressure at its root. "I worked myself to a point where there weren't even five minutes when my brain wasn't âon'. I thought that's how everyone's brain worked," she says.
Panic attacks in public are especially scary for Chhabra. "You're lost in a crowd. People don't even notice something is wrong. I don't blame them; no one teaches you what a panic attack looks like." Having one in such a public space like a train was especially jarring for her. "This is Mumbai. No one notices," she says, with a resigned smile.
So what arrangements do the railways make to ensure emotional safety? Chief Public Relations Officer with the Western Railways, Vineet Abhishek, tells us that 14 stations on the Western Railways are equipped with emergency medical rooms and 108 ambulances are available on call. He says, "Recently we have also launched a remote video conference-based medical support system called Namaste Health App to a lot of fanfare."
The Namaste Health is an app which addresses health emergencies by providing immediate medical consultation.
Claustrophobia is a big trigger for many. In hospitals, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines are where patients often have panic attacks. Head of Radiology at Fortis Hospital, Dr Chetan Khadake, says that as doctors they are sensitive to this fear that many suffer from. "We make sure to guide our patients very well through the process. They know every detail of what is going to happen to them before they go into the bore. Knowing helps them gain a sense of control. In some cases we even do mock drills."
For Dr Khadake, a big part of the job is gauging how deep a patient's anxiety runs. In most cases, a sensitive conversation might help a patient, but for some severe cases, doctors even opt for sedatives. "We've had cases where patients feel very scared and begin screaming inside the machine. As doctors, it is then very important for us to be able to tell which cases might need a sedative." MRI machines often also have an emergency button as a safeguard, which patients can press if it gets too much.
In the case of children, a sedative is often part and parcel of an MRI. "It's hard to make them understand what is happening to them. If they move too much inside, they might even hurt themselves. It's generally safer to give a sedative then," he says.
"More than claustrophobia, patients are very anxious about getting a diagnosis. An MRI machine comes with the connotation that there is going to be a serious diagnosis. People immediately think âMaybe I have cancer'. That, coupled with claustrophobia, can send patients over the edge."
The most vulnerable to panic attacks are, perhaps, children. Educator Swati Popat Vats believes in music as a therapy tool for them to deal with panic attacks. She says, "In the song âIf you're happy and you know it, clap your hands', we've added a line, âIf you're angry and you know it, stamp your feet'. Being able to put a name to their emotions, and having an actionable solution like âstamping your feet', all of that then packaged in a song, that really helps." Vats also explains the science of a panic attack. "The amygdala, which is the emotional core of our brain, freezes. You hear of fight or flight, right? But there's also freezing. You're not thinking, you're only reacting," she adds.
Vats says that it's very important to sensitise teachers also on how to handle a student having a panic attack. She gives advice for teachers whose students may experience a panic attack, "Breathe with them. As they see you breathe, they will imitate you. Speak very softly to them, loud sounds might trigger them. You could also sing to them, âI am breathing, everything is okay'," she hums, "If the child is thrashing, then very gently hold their shoulders to reassure them. Kids are very sensitive to touch, so it is very important that one is careful with it."
For those who live with anxiety, the world isn't just overstimulating - it can be unsafe. While training and protocols may take time to build, empathy doesn't. Sometimes, all it takes is for someone to notice, and to stay, without judgement, until the storm passes.
If you are ever going through an anxiety attack, Counselling Psychologist Kruttika Dixit gives advice that might help you get out of it: "The first thing you can do is consciously take a deep breath, allow yourself to calm down, and ground yourself in reality. Remind yourself that the thoughts causing the panic are not reality. Reality is where you are right now, in this moment, with people around you who can help.
"Often, traumatic incidents or past memories can trigger panic attacks. Social anxiety or phobias can also be contributing factors. So getting out of the triggering situation if possible."
If someone around you is experiencing one, here's how you can help them, she says, "You should know what a panic attack looks like, recognise the signs and symptoms of a panic attack as a first step. If a person is feeling anxious, starts breathing heavily, or even faints - recognising these signs is crucial.
"As for the kind of assistance that can be provided: the first and most important thing is to not react in an overwhelming way like panicking yourself. Provide them with a safe space, tell them that you're there with them, and ask them to breathe deeply along with you. Then there's also a mindfulness technique called the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, where we ask them to notice five things they can see, four things they can hear, three they can touch, two they can smell, and one they can taste. If the person is someone you know, you could also hold their hand. Physical touch might help, but only if the person is known to you."
