“A COOLING VEST HELPS ME AGAINST PANIC ATTACKS”

As I (male, 25 years old) suffer from panic attacks, especially during/before presentations at university, but also in crowded trains and on airplanes, a visit to a psychotherapist has revealed that this panic is often triggered by heat. And yes, as soon as the thermometer rises to over 27 degrees, my pulse increases like in fear of an imaginary lion chasing you.

That’s how I came across e-cooline.

After it got hot outside again, I was finally able to try out the vest.

I had two presentations to give and I wore the vest for both of them. Since I cycle to university, this alone increases my heart rate considerably. But I could greatly reduce it with the vest. Even during the time right before the presentation, which everyone knows is the worst time, I was able to keep a cool head thanks to the vest. The tingling of panic, the restlessness and the nervous shaking of my legs were only in the back of my mind. I could breathe normally. I wore the vest over a breathable shirt. It was great. Just knowing “Yes, you can finally concentrate on your studies” helped.

Another situation, in which I could test the vest was in the lab: midsummer with a lab coat and long trousers, closed shoes. The window cannot be opened for reasons of contamination. But with the vest, I could work without having to go through all the escape plans in the back of my mind and where I could best lie down if my circulation failed.

By the way, the vest didn’t soak the lab coat above it in water. I admit that I was wet the first time. Then I got the hang of wrapping the vest in a towel after wetting it to release any excess water. After that, the gown stayed dry.

Circulation and panic attacks? Yes, the two go hand in hand and spiral downwards: “don’t panic now, don’t do it, oh my circulation, oh dear, oh no, where’s the next chair?” And there’s already the panic attack, and with it the circulation drops. But with the vest? No problem! The panic was noticeably contained. And the circulation was stabilized.

Other students were fascinated by the principle of evaporative cooling in a vest.

I can recommend the vest to anyone with panic attacks. Why should you take psychotropic drugs, which damage the kidneys and liver and make you addicted? Keeping a clear head with the vest is better. Of course, the vest only stops the panic attack to a certain extent (which I have not yet achieved), and the vest is not a substitute for psychotherapy. But it is a very effective substitute for expensive medication that does more harm than good.