Panic is a misuse of oxygen.
I've always used the imagery of a storm - we keep our head down as we trudge through a traumatic event, only looking up and assessing the damage once the storm has passed. This feels even more powerful. The symbolism of a broken down submarine, where panicking will only make you suffocate faster. You must remain calm to survive longer, keeping your fingers crosed you hold your breath often enough/long enough to make it out alive. Only once you've returned to the surface and escaped the submarine can you hyperventilate all you want. Because it's true, we react/act out more after the trauma than we do during it.
