In crisis right now

If you might hurt yourself or someone else, or you're in immediate danger: call your local emergency number now — in the EU that's 112. You don't need to explain perfectly. Just say you need help.

If you're panicking or overwhelmed

Panic feels endless, but it crests and falls like a wave — usually within minutes. You don't have to fix anything. Just ride it:

1. Feet on the floor. Press them down hard. Feel the ground holding you.
2. Long exhales. Breathe in for 4, out for 8. The long out-breath is the brake pedal — five of these starts to slow the wave.
3. Cold water. Splash your face or hold your wrists under cold running water for 30 seconds. It directly slows the heart.
4. Name the room. Out loud or in your head: five things you see, four you can touch, three you can hear. This pulls the brain back to the present, where you are actually safe.
5. Don't be alone with it. Text or call one person: "I'm having a hard moment, can you stay with me?"

Our five-minute resets have guided timers for the breathing and cold-water steps if you want company through them.

If you need a human, tonight

Crisis lines are free, confidential, and staffed by people trained for exactly this moment. You don't need to be "bad enough" to call.

• Emergency services: 112 in the EU, or your local emergency number.
• Befrienders Worldwide — befrienders.org — emotional-support helplines in dozens of countries and languages.
• IASP crisis centre directory — iasp.info/crisis-centres-helplines — find a helpline in your country.

After the wave

When the acute moment passes, be gentle with yourself for the rest of the day — water, food, rest, no big decisions. And when you're ready, the questionnaire can help you build a rhythm that makes these waves rarer and smaller over time.

Synapse Cura is an educational resource, not a medical or crisis service. If crisis moments are recurring, please reach out to a doctor or mental-health professional — that's strength, not failure.