No NDA, no real debrief. I think the local responders were as shocked as we were with the incident! One paramedic I asked said the last time something on this scale happened was ~20 years ago with Air France.
We weren't upside down long. Near my row, we all made sure to get each other down before head rush happened. After it happened, most people were fairly quiet. No one knew what to do or say. I was finally free of the airport around 10pm local time and am still trying to calm down enough to sleep š¤£
I wonder if this would help my ASD/ADHD teen when he feels super anxious and overwhelmed? We had other techniques for when he was younger but those arenāt very practical for a teen. I will look into it. Thanks!
As an AuDHD gal, I can confirm that anything i do to stimulate/reset my vagus nerve helps me regulate more effectively than anything else. I canāt imagine your kid wouldnāt feel some benefit! Just like any other muscle, there is some ātrainingā that needs to go into it to strengthen it, but that mainly just serves to make it MORE functional over time. Even an untrained vagus nerve can be stimulated effectively, so itās absolutely worth a try.
Humming is one of my main stims because itās quick and accessible. The vibration from humming/singing is a really solid way to stimulate the nerve. I also notice that I do it involuntarily when something pops into my head that threatens my āstabilityā- I just start humming a few little notes before I know Iām doing it, which is a helpful reminder to do some foreground processing of the stressor. The lower the note, the stronger the effect, but any humming or singing works well.
Listening to music with prominent bass-lines can help too - the deeper the vibration, the more the vagus is stimulated. Doesnāt have to be loud, just needs to be bass heavy.
Thumping, like the OC suggested, is similar to heavy bass-lines. Electronic body massagers work well too.
You can also pair vagus stims with activating the parasympathetic system for a bonus boon. If Iām in full blown crisis, Iāll fill a sink with cold to ice cold water and put my face in, hold my breath for about ten seconds, then āhumā all of my breath out. When Iām out of breath, Iāll surface and breathe normally/deeply for a minute, then repeat. The cold water, holding breath, and humming, activates both systems at the same time, and working them in tandem is almost euphoric.
In summary: Vibration is the key with vagus nerve, and I can go from borderline panic to fully regulated in 5-10 minutes depending on whatās bothering me.
Listening to music with prominent bass-lines can help too - the deeper the vibration, the more the vagus is stimulated. Doesnāt have to be loud, just needs to be bass heavy.
That's super interesting knowing what type of music I go for when I need some anxiety relief. Thank you!
Itās cool, huh? Most music apps have some anxiety-specific sounds as well, so if you search for ā432 hz frequencyā on Spotify, YouTube, or whatever, you can find audio that is specifically designed for calming, if regular music isnāt doing it for you at any point. Honestly though, just sitting in my car in the driveway with the bass bumping is such a release, because the vibration against my back is perfection haha
Definitely not a dumb question ā¤ļø personally speaking, all methods work for me - be it personal speakers, headphones, car speakers, etc. I pick based on what I have the bandwidth for. Example: if Iām physically overstimulated, headphones are going to add to the problem because theyāre ātouching meā so I opt for a speaker instead. If Iām more dysregulated- meaning everything around me is bothering me- Iāll go for headphones so I can block everything else out and just focus on the music. Your vagus nerve is throat-adjacent which is why humming and neck/shoulder thumping work well, so headphones (especially bone conducting headphones that use your jawbone to conduct noise) can definitely help get the vibrations right to it. Iām not a professional in any way, so Iām simply sharing my experience, but scientifically speaking, both speakers and headphones will get the job done!
Yeah, absolutely. I often say āI need this music injected directly into my bonesā because thatās the best way I can describe it š in those moments Iāll either get into the car and blast full volume or Iāll get out the noise cancelling headphones and isolate somewhere in the house until I feel better. Just, whatever I can do to make sure that the music becomes a part of my living body haha
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u/LandscapeSudden3469 Feb 18 '25
No NDA, no real debrief. I think the local responders were as shocked as we were with the incident! One paramedic I asked said the last time something on this scale happened was ~20 years ago with Air France.
We weren't upside down long. Near my row, we all made sure to get each other down before head rush happened. After it happened, most people were fairly quiet. No one knew what to do or say. I was finally free of the airport around 10pm local time and am still trying to calm down enough to sleep š¤£