Managing and Overcoming Panic Attacks
Your heart is racing, your chest feels tight, and you're convinced something is terribly wrong. Maybe you feel like you can't breathe, or you're suddenly dizzy and disconnected from reality. You might think you're having a heart attack, losing control, or going crazy. Within minutes, the symptoms peak, leaving you exhausted, shaken, and terrified that it will happen again.
If you've experienced a panic attack, you know how frightening and overwhelming they can be. At Be Seen Therapy, we work with many individuals who struggle with panic attacks, and we want you to know something important: panic attacks, while terrifying, are not dangerous. They cannot hurt you, even though they feel overwhelming. More importantly, there are effective strategies for managing panic attacks when they occur and reducing their frequency over time. You don't have to live in fear of the next attack.
Understanding What Panic Attacks Really Are
A panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear or discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes. During this time, your body's fight-or-flight response activates even though there's no actual danger present. Your nervous system essentially sounds a false alarm, triggering all the physical sensations designed to help you escape a threat, but without an actual threat to escape from.
Panic attacks involve both physical and psychological symptoms. Physically, you might experience rapid heartbeat or palpitations, chest pain or tightness, shortness of breath or feeling smothered, sweating or chills, trembling or shaking, nausea or stomach distress, dizziness or lightheadedness, or numbness or tingling sensations. Psychologically, you might feel fear of dying or having a heart attack, fear of losing control or "going crazy," feeling detached from yourself or reality, or intense dread that something terrible is about to happen.
These symptoms are caused by a flood of adrenaline and other stress hormones that prepare your body to deal with danger. Your heart races to pump blood to your muscles, your breathing quickens to take in more oxygen, and your senses heighten to detect threats. The problem is that this entire system activates in response to internal triggers, misinterpreting normal body sensations or anxious thoughts as signs of danger.
Why Panic Attacks Happen
Panic attacks can occur for various reasons, and understanding your personal triggers is key to managing them effectively. Here are the most common causes and contributing factors:
Biological Factors
Some people have a more sensitive nervous system that's quicker to activate the fight-or-flight response, making them more susceptible to panic attacks even without obvious triggers.
Trauma and Stress
Traumatic experiences can leave your nervous system in a heightened state of alert, making panic attacks more likely as your body remains primed to respond to perceived danger.
Anxiety Disorders
Panic attacks often occur in the context of panic disorder, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, or other anxiety conditions where worry and fear create a cycle of escalating symptoms.
Physical Health Issues
Certain medical conditions like thyroid problems, heart arrhythmias, or low blood sugar can trigger panic-like symptoms, which is why medical evaluation is important for anyone experiencing panic attacks.
Lifestyle Factors
Excessive caffeine, lack of sleep, high stress, substance use, or poor nutrition can all increase vulnerability to panic attacks by keeping your nervous system activated.
Fear of Panic Itself
Once you've had one panic attack, fear of having another can actually trigger more attacks, creating a self-perpetuating cycle where anxiety about panic becomes the trigger.
Understanding what contributes to your panic attacks helps you address root causes while also developing skills to manage acute symptoms.
Managing Panic Attacks in the Moment
When a panic attack strikes, having tools to manage the immediate symptoms can make a significant difference. Here are proven techniques to use during an attack:
Panic attacks typically peak within 10 minutes and rarely last longer than 30 minutes, so reminding yourself that this feeling is temporary and will pass can reduce the fear that intensifies symptoms.
Slow, deep breathing helps counteract the hyperventilation that often accompanies panic, so try breathing in slowly for four counts, holding for four counts, and exhaling for six counts.
Grounding helps you reconnect with the present moment when you feel disconnected from reality, using methods like the 5-4-3-2-1 technique (name 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste).
Panic attacks trigger thoughts like "I'm dying" or "I'm losing control," but reminding yourself that these are symptoms of anxiety, not actual danger, helps reduce the fear response.
If possible, move to a quiet, comfortable location where you can focus on calming techniques without additional stimulation or the pressure of others watching.
Pressing your feet firmly into the floor, splashing cold water on your face, or holding ice can help bring your awareness back to your body and interrupt the panic cycle.
These techniques work by engaging your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the "rest and digest" response that counteracts fight-or-flight activation.
Preventing Future Panic Attacks
While managing acute symptoms is important, the real goal is to reduce the frequency and intensity of panic attacks over time. Here's how to work toward lasting change:
1. Identify Your Triggers
Keep a journal tracking when panic attacks occur, what was happening before they started, what thoughts you were having, and what physical sensations you noticed first, as patterns will emerge that help you anticipate and prevent attacks.
2. Address Underlying Anxiety
Working with a therapist to address generalized anxiety, worry patterns, and stress helps reduce the baseline anxiety that makes panic attacks more likely.
3. Practice Regular Relaxation
Daily relaxation practices like meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, or yoga help keep your nervous system regulated, making it less reactive to stress.
4. Maintain Physical Health
Regular exercise, adequate sleep, balanced nutrition, and limiting caffeine and alcohol all support nervous system stability and reduce panic vulnerability.
5. Challenge Avoidance Patterns
While it's tempting to avoid places or situations where you've had panic attacks, avoidance actually increases fear and makes attacks more likely, so gradual exposure with support helps break this cycle.
6. Develop a Support System
Having people who understand panic attacks and can provide reassurance during difficult moments reduces isolation and the fear of being alone during an attack.
Building these preventive strategies takes time, but they create lasting change in how your nervous system responds to stress and perceived danger.
Therapeutic Approaches for Panic Attacks
Professional treatment can be incredibly effective for panic attacks, often providing relief faster than managing on your own. Here are the most effective therapeutic approaches:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps you identify and challenge the catastrophic thoughts that fuel panic attacks, teaching you to reinterpret body sensations in non-threatening ways and gradually face feared situations.
Exposure Therapy
This approach involves gradually exposing yourself to the physical sensations of panic in a controlled way, helping your brain learn that these sensations aren't dangerous and reducing your fear response.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT teaches you to accept anxiety and panic symptoms without fighting them, reducing the struggle that often intensifies attacks while helping you focus on living according to your values.
EMDR for Panic Rooted in Trauma
When panic attacks stem from traumatic experiences, EMDR can help process the underlying trauma, reducing the nervous system reactivity that triggers panic.
Mindfulness-Based Approaches
Learning to observe your thoughts and sensations without judgment helps you develop a different relationship with panic symptoms, reducing the fear that amplifies them.
Medication When Appropriate
For some people, anti-anxiety medication or antidepressants prescribed by a psychiatrist can provide additional support, particularly during the initial phases of learning coping skills.
The most effective treatment often combines multiple approaches tailored to your specific situation and needs.
The Panic Cycle and How to Break It
Understanding the panic cycle helps you interrupt it at various points. The cycle typically follows this pattern: you notice a physical sensation or anxious thought, which triggers fear that something is wrong, leading to more intense physical symptoms as your fight-or-flight response activates, creating catastrophic thoughts about what's happening, which further intensifies your symptoms, reinforcing your fear of panic attacks and making future attacks more likely.
You can interrupt this cycle at multiple points. At the initial sensation stage, remind yourself that body sensations are normal and not dangerous. During the fear response, use grounding and breathing techniques to calm your nervous system. When catastrophic thoughts arise, challenge them with evidence-based thinking. As symptoms intensify, implement the coping strategies you've learned. After an attack, process the experience with self-compassion rather than self-criticism.
Breaking the panic cycle takes practice, but each time you successfully interrupt it, you build confidence and reduce the fear that perpetuates future attacks.
When Panic Attacks Become Panic Disorder
Occasional panic attacks are relatively common, affecting many people at some point in their lives. However, panic disorder develops when you experience recurrent unexpected panic attacks, worry constantly about having more attacks, change your behavior significantly to avoid panic (like avoiding certain places or activities), or experience persistent anxiety about the implications of attacks (like thinking they mean something is seriously wrong with you).
If you recognize these patterns, seeking professional support is particularly important. Panic disorder can significantly impact quality of life, leading to avoidance of work, social situations, or daily activities. The good news is that panic disorder is highly treatable, with many people experiencing significant improvement or complete resolution of symptoms with proper treatment.
Finding Support at Be Seen Therapy
At Be Seen Therapy, we understand how isolating and frightening panic attacks can be. Our anxiety specialists use evidence-based approaches to help you understand your panic attacks, develop effective coping strategies, address underlying anxiety and trauma, gradually face feared situations with support, and build confidence in your ability to manage symptoms.
We create a safe space where you can explore your fears without judgment and learn that panic attacks, while uncomfortable, are not dangerous. Whether you're experiencing your first panic attack or you've struggled with panic disorder for years, effective treatment can help you reclaim your life from fear.
Moving Forward
Panic attacks are treatable, and you don't have to live in constant fear of the next attack. With the right tools, support, and understanding, you can manage symptoms when they occur and reduce their frequency over time. The strategies we've discussed work, but they require practice and often benefit from professional guidance.
If panic attacks are interfering with your life, reaching out for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. At Be Seen Therapy, we're here to support you through this journey, helping you understand your panic, develop effective coping strategies, and ultimately overcome the fear that's been holding you back. You deserve to live without the constant worry of panic attacks.
At Be Seen Therapy, we believe that you are meant to be seen, heard, and validated on your healing journey. If you're ready to take the next step toward growth and transformation, we're here to support you; contact us today to schedule your consultation.
