How to Stop a Panic Attack
- Sandra Thompson, PhD
- Oct 16, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Dec 9, 2024
How to Stop a Panic Attack: Practical Strategies to Regain Control
Panic attacks can feel overwhelming and terrifying, often occurring suddenly and without warning. They are characterized by a rapid onset of intense fear or discomfort, accompanied by symptoms like a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, and a feeling of losing control. While panic attacks are not life-threatening, they can significantly disrupt your daily life and well-being. However, with the right techniques and mindset, you can manage and even stop a panic attack in its tracks.
Strategies to stop a panic attack, reduce its intensity, and regain control of your mind and body:
Understanding Panic Attacks
Before diving into how to stop a panic attack, it’s helpful to understand what a panic attack is. A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear or anxiety that triggers physical symptoms such as:
Rapid heartbeat or palpitations
Shortness of breath or a choking sensation
Chest pain or tightness
Dizziness, lightheadedness, or feeling faint
Trembling or shaking
Sweating
Nausea or upset stomach
Feelings of detachment from reality or "going crazy"
Panic attacks often occur without an obvious trigger, though they may be linked to stress, anxiety, or trauma. It's important to note that panic attacks are typically not dangerous, but they can feel extremely distressing. Understanding how to manage them is key to regaining a sense of control and reducing the frequency and severity of these episodes.
1. Focus on Your Breathing
One of the most effective ways to stop a panic attack is to control your breathing. During a panic attack, people often hyperventilate, breathing too quickly and shallowly, which exacerbates feelings of anxiety. By slowing your breath, you can activate your body's relaxation response, which helps counteract the symptoms of panic.
Tip: Try deep breathing techniques, such as the 4-7-8 breathing exercise:
Inhale quietly through your nose for a count of 4 seconds.
Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
Exhale completely and slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds.
Repeat this cycle 3–4 times to help calm your nervous system.
Tip: Another effective method is diaphragmatic breathing. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. Breathe in deeply through your nose, ensuring your stomach rises (not your chest). Slowly exhale through your mouth, letting your stomach fall.
Focusing on your breath helps shift your focus away from the panic and brings your attention to the present moment.
2. Ground Yourself in the Present
During a panic attack, it’s common to feel detached from reality or have a sense of impending doom. Grounding techniques can help bring you back to the present moment and reduce feelings of dissociation.
Tip: 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique
This involves using your senses to reconnect with the environment around you.
Name 5 things you can see.
Name 4 things you can touch.
Name 3 things you can hear.
Name 2 things you can smell.
Name 1 thing you can taste.
This exercise helps you shift your focus away from your panic and onto the sensory details of your environment, bringing you back to the present.
Tip: You can also try holding onto a solid object like a chair or a rock, or pressing your feet into the floor to help you feel more grounded.
3. Challenge Negative Thoughts
Panic attacks often cause irrational thoughts and fears, such as believing you're about to die or that something is terribly wrong with your health. However, these thoughts are typically not grounded in reality.
Tip: Cognitive reframing can be helpful in challenging these negative thoughts. Start by acknowledging the fear (e.g., "I'm feeling like I'm about to pass out"), then counter it with a rational response (e.g., "This feeling is scary, but it will pass, and I am safe").
Tip: Remind yourself that panic attacks are temporary and that they do not pose a danger to your physical health. Repeating a calming mantra like "This will pass" or "I am in control" can help break the cycle of panic.
4. Use Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a technique where you systematically tense and relax muscle groups in your body. This practice helps you release physical tension that may be contributing to the panic attack, promoting relaxation.
Tip: Start by tensing the muscles in your toes for 5 seconds, then slowly release the tension. Move up your body, tensing and relaxing each muscle group in turn: feet, calves, thighs, abdomen, chest, arms, hands, shoulders, neck, and face. By the time you reach your head, you'll feel more relaxed and less physically tense.
PMR can be especially helpful if you are experiencing muscle tightness or discomfort during a panic attack.
5. Find a Safe Space
If you’re in a public or crowded environment during a panic attack, it can help to move to a quieter, more private space. A familiar, calm environment allows you to focus on your recovery without additional distractions or feelings of embarrassment.
Tip: Find a spot where you can sit down, take deep breaths, and focus on your calming techniques. If you're at work, this might mean stepping into a private office or bathroom. If you're at home, retreat to a quiet room where you can lie down or sit in a comfortable position.
Having a safe space can help you regain control of the situation and feel more secure during a panic attack.
6. Practice Mindfulness and Meditation
Mindfulness and meditation techniques help you cultivate awareness of the present moment without judgment. By practicing mindfulness, you can observe your thoughts and feelings without getting overwhelmed by them, which is especially useful during a panic attack.
Tip: Focus on your breath or engage in a simple mindfulness practice, such as focusing on the feeling of your feet on the ground or the air entering and leaving your lungs. When you notice anxious thoughts or feelings arise, gently acknowledge them and return your focus to your breath.
Tip: Meditation apps like Headspace, Calm, or Insight Timer offer guided meditations specifically for calming anxiety and panic attacks. Even a few minutes of meditation can help reduce the intensity of an attack.
7. Seek Professional Help if Necessary
If panic attacks are frequent or severe, it may be helpful to seek support from a mental health professional. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based therapy that can help you manage and reduce panic attacks by addressing negative thought patterns and developing coping strategies.
Tip: A therapist can work with you to identify triggers for panic attacks, develop personalized coping techniques, and gradually expose you to feared situations in a controlled way to reduce your anxiety over time.
Tip: Medication may also be an option for some people with frequent panic attacks. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications can be prescribed to help manage symptoms and reduce the frequency of attacks. Talk to your doctor about your options.
8. Create a Long-Term Plan for Prevention
While the strategies mentioned above can help you stop a panic attack in the moment, preventing future panic attacks requires a longer-term approach.
Tip: Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep can help reduce the overall levels of stress and anxiety that contribute to panic attacks.
Tip: Learn and practice relaxation techniques regularly, such as mindfulness, deep breathing, or yoga, so they become second nature when panic arises.
Tip: Avoid stimulants like caffeine and alcohol, as they can exacerbate anxiety and increase the likelihood of panic attacks.
Stopping a Panic Attack and Finding Relief
Panic attacks feel awful, but they are manageable with the right techniques. By focusing on your breath, grounding yourself in the present, challenging negative thoughts, and using relaxation strategies like muscle relaxation or mindfulness, you can stop a panic attack and regain control over your body and mind. ⭐️ Youtube has great resources, from professionals, that will show you how to "breathe" through a panic attack.
It’s important to remember that panic attacks are not life-threatening, and with practice, you can reduce their frequency and intensity. If panic attacks persist or interfere with your daily life, seeking professional support is an important step toward healing and recovery.
👉🏼PANIC ATTACKS AT WORK: Workplace anxiety is the presence of anxiety symptoms, such as feelings of unease, worry or apprehension, about work. Watching or experiencing a panic attack at work might feel scary and overwhelming. It’s an intensely physical reaction to mental anxiety and stress, and it can be confronting. Managing panic attacks at work is part of a manager’s responsibility to the health, well-being and performance of their team.
Common causes of a panic attack at work:
RESOURCES: PANIC ATTACKS
Panic Attacks At Work: A Manager’s Guide: https://nilohealth.com/blog/panic-attacks-at-work-a-managers-guide/
How to manage a Panic Attack at Work: https://hbr.org/2023/01/how-to-manage-a-panic-attack-at-work
Workplace anxiety: what to do if you feel too anxious to work: https://www.priorygroup.com/blog/what-to-do-if-you-feel-too-anxious-to-work
Anxiety at Work: When to Quit: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/anxiety-at-work-when-to-quit/
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