The world moves quickly and can seem complicated at times. Too many stressors can be too much to handle. One in five adults sometimes suffers from panic attacks – relatively brief periods marked by a paralyzing terror or fear. Often these attacks feel life-threatening and are indeed jarring and disorienting. These days, because such episodes can be triggered or exacerbated by the mere act of reading about them online, people need to know how to recognize panic attacks and learn skills to stop them. We’ll teach you what panic attacks are and suggest techniques for handling them in this guide.
Understanding Panic Attacks
Before we get to the coping strategies, though, it’s probably worth just defining exactly what a panic attack is. A panic attack is a period of intense fear or discomfort that builds up to a peak within minutes. In that time, you might experience:
Rapid heartbeat or palpitations
Sweating
Trembling or shaking
Shortness of breath or feeling smothered
Chest pain or discomfort
Nausea or abdominal distress
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Feelings of unreality or detachment
Fear of losing control or "going crazy"
Fear of dying
After all, while these panic attacks can be truly terrifying, they can never be truly dangerous to your physical well-being. Your body’s fight or flight alarm has sounded off, but the proverbial bear or saber-toothed tiger is not out to get you.
Strategies for Coping with Panic Attacks
Recognize and accept the panic attack
The first thing to do is to identify what’s going on. Tell yourself: ‘This is just a panic attack and it will pass.’ Acceptance can make the experience less severe because, if panic is a form of resistance, then exerting less opposing force will involve less strain.
Practice deep breathing
Bringing your attention to your breath will help dampen the stress response within your body by doing the following. (1) Let yourself breathe in through your nose, filling up your lungs and your awareness with the sensation of breathing… (2) Now let that breath out… (3) Continue to breathe this way, noticing the sensation with every breath…
Inhale slowly through your nose for 4 counts
Hold your breath for 4 counts
Exhale slowly through your mouth for 4 counts
Repeat this cycle several times
Use grounding techniques
Grounding brings your awareness back to the present moment and your here and now. One technique is 5-4-3-2-1:
Identify 5 things you can see
4 things you can touch
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
Challenge negative thoughts
Catastrophizing is common in the midst of panic attacks, so bring your A-game to the thought-challenging. Practice coming up with realistic alternatives to your automatic thoughts. For instance, if you’re thinking, ‘I’m going to die’, tell yourself, ‘This is just a panic attack. It’ll pass.’
Progressive muscle relaxation
Practicing the following exercise can help you relax by lowering generalized muscle tension: Tense up the muscle groups in your body starting with your toes, then moving up to your head, tensing each body part for 5 seconds, and then consciously relaxing it.
Mindfulness meditation
A consistent practice of mindfulness can help us become more aware of our thoughts and sensations in our body, which may help us tolerate panic attacks better, for example.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol
Both caffeine and alcohol can increase anxiety and sometimes cause panic attacks. Try reducing or eliminating them from your diet.
Exercise regularly
Try exercising – physical activity can reduce stress and tension. It’s recommended to be active for at least 30 minutes, most days of the week.
Seek support
Seeking support from friends and family can make a big difference. Many communities offer free or low-cost counseling services.
Consider cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
CBT, which can be especially helpful in handling panic attacks, aims to identify and change dysfunctional thought patterns that trigger and maintain anxiety.
Preparing for Future Panic Attacks
While reducing the frequency and intensity of your panic attacks is a major goal of treatment, you should also expect your treatment to include preparing you for panic attacks that happen. You might want to put together a ‘panic attack kit’ containing:
A list of coping strategies that work for you
A reminder card with positive affirmations
A small object to use for grounding (like a smooth stone or stress ball)
A bottle of water
Any prescribed anti-anxiety medication (if applicable)
Having this kit readily available can provide a sense of control and preparedness.
When to Seek Professional Help
If you feel like you are having recurring panic attacks and that they are becoming a daily concern, or you feel like they’re hindering your ability to succeed at work or in relationships, definitely seek a professional opinion. A clinician can properly diagnose and come up with a plan to treat you. They may suggest that you seek therapy, medication, or a combination of the two.
Your panic attacks are not a sign of weakness or incompetence, it’s a sign that you might need to be even more extraordinary because plenty of successful people before you have conquered panic attacks and gone on to do great things with their lives. You don’t have to stay in the prison of panic either, there is a way out, with the right tools and some support.
Not only are you learning about panic attacks, you’re gleaning coping strategies and recognizing when a support system is the right call. Never discount the importance of caring for your mental health. You can’t grow, succeed, or thrive in your personal or professional life without it.
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