Dealing with Panic Attacks
A panic attack is a sudden and intense fear response when there's no real danger and often when there's no apparent cause. The intensity of the body's reaction in a panic attack can be frightening.
What does a panic attack feel like?
The main symptom of a panic attack is a sudden and intense sensation of fear. When you are having a panic attack, you might think that you are going crazy, losing control, or having a heart attack—even that you are dying.
The body's reactions in a panic attack can include
- A pounding or racing heart
- Shortness of breath or overbreathing (hyperventilation)
- Sweating
- Shaking or trembling
- Dry mouth
When you are having a panic attack, you might feel
- Hot or chilled
- A choking sensation
- Numbness or tingling
- Chest pain
- Abdominal cramping
- Nauseous, dizzy, or lightheaded
- Confused
- Detached from your body, mind, or surroundings
Panic attacks usually begin suddenly, without warning, and last between five and 20 minutes. They can be very frightening and can leave you feeling drained and exhausted.
Many people who have panic attacks experience just one or two in their lifetimes. Others have recurring panic attacks, which can lead to fear of having another attack and affect how a person lives their life. This is called panic disorder (more on this below).
What causes panic attacks?
In most cases, there's no clear cause for a panic attack. They occur at different times and in a range of situations. You might notice that your panic attacks are triggered by a stressful event in your life or that they're associated with particular situations—or you might not. Panic attacks can occur without following any noticeable pattern.
What is panic disorder?
Panic disorder is a mental health condition in which a person has recurring panic attacks and ongoing worries about future panic attacks. These worries can lead to changes in behavior that restrict a person's activities. Panic attacks can be managed, and panic disorder can be treated.
How to Deal with a Panic Attack
Deep breathing can help you calm yourself when you experience a panic attack:
- Take slow, deep breaths. It may help to count to four or five with each inhaled breath and each exhaled breath to slow the pace of your breathing. Some people find it helpful to place a hand on their abdomen and notice it rise and fall with each breath. This lets you feel the switch from shallow chest breathing to deeper abdominal breathing. Taking deeper, slower breaths works to slow your heartbeat and calm your mind and body.
- Grounding techniques can help you pull out of a frozen or detached state when you are having a panic attack so that you can think more clearly and takes steps to calm yourself:
- Stamp your feet. Shift your weight or wiggle your toes, paying attention to the sensations in your toes, feet, and legs.
- Rub your palms together, noticing the pressure, warmth or coolness, and sensations of touch.
- Tap your fingers in your lap. Pay attention to sensations in both your fingers and your lap, and to the rhythm you are tapping. Try alternating left and right taps.
- Look at an object, and name its color as precisely as you can (not just red or blue but maroon, crimson, turquoise, or royal blue).
- Picture the face of someone you love, or imagine their voice and what they might say to calm you.
- Call a favorite place to mind—what it looks like, its sounds and smells, what it feels like to be there.
Treatment for Recurring Panic Attacks
If you have recurring panic attacks, treatment can help reduce the number and severity of your attacks and give you a sense of confidence and control. Treatment options include the following:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy can help you change patterns of thinking that may be contributing to panic attacks and overcome fears of places and situations you associate with panic attacks.
- Medications, such as antidepressants and tranquilizers, may be prescribed by a doctor or therapist. These work in different ways to help control panic attacks.
For More Information
"Anxiety and Panic Attacks," Mind (2021)
Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/panic-attacks
"Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder," Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/symptoms-causes/syc-20376021
"Panic Disorder: When Fear Overwhelms," National Institute for Mental Health (Revised 2022)
Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/panic-disorder-when-fear-overwhelms
"Panic Attacks," Egton Medical Information Systems Limited (Revised 2022)
Link opens in a new windowhttps://patient.info/mental-health/anxiety/panic-attack-and-panic-disorder
"Strategies for Coping with Panic," No Panic
Link opens in a new windowhttps://nopanic.org.uk/strategies-coping-panic
Morgan, H. (2022, August 26). Dealing with panic attacks (B. Schuette & E. Morton, Eds.). Raleigh, NC: Workplace Options (WPO).