Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsBreatheStimulate the SensesRelocateRepeat a PhraseRelax Your MusclesPractice VisualizationExercisePractice MindfulnessFocus on an ObjectTell a Trusted PersonCold Water Facial ImmersionAfter a Panic AttackTreatmentPanic Attack vs. Anxiety
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Breathe
Stimulate the Senses
Relocate
Repeat a Phrase
Relax Your Muscles
Practice Visualization
Exercise
Practice Mindfulness
Focus on an Object
Tell a Trusted Person
Cold Water Facial Immersion
After a Panic Attack
Treatment
Panic Attack vs. Anxiety
The first step in stopping a panic attack is to recognize the symptoms. Once you know you are having a panic attack, you can stop or control it with mind-body techniques such as relaxation, distraction, and mindfulness.
For example, distraction techniques such as smelling something strong or exercising can help you focus on other things. Mindfulness techniques such as paying attention to each of your senses or naming objects in the room can also help you stay in the present rather than becoming anxious about the unknown.
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How to Spot Panic Attack Symptoms
When you have a panic attack, you may have one or more of these symptoms but not necessarily all of them:
These symptoms can range in intensity and can occur before, after, or along with physical symptoms. The experience of having a panic attack can bring about additional fear or anxiety of future panic attacks.
When panic attacks continue to occur over time, it could be a sign of apanic disorder.
Panic attacks are often mistaken for heart attacks, strokes, or other serious medical conditions, given their sudden onset and intense physical symptoms. If this is your first panic attack or you are unsure whether you’re having one, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest emergency room for an evaluation.
Before a Panic Attack
Panic attacks can occur for a number of reasons:
What Is a Phobia?
Knowing the situations and triggers that may cause panic attacks can help you prepare for them. Having tools ready to use when needed offers some control over the situation and can lessen the intensity of symptoms.
Periods ofhigh stressor facing a known cause of extreme worry can bring on a panic attack. In these circumstances, paying attention to your body and practicing relaxation techniques can help stop symptoms before they happen or before they worsen.
Helping Someone Through a Panic Attack Virtually or In Person
Breathing exercises can help prevent hyperventilation, slow down a racing heart, and interrupt the body’s natural panic response to extreme stress. Some examples include:
To interrupt the automatic reactions that happen in panic attacks, use a strong smell, like peppermint oil, or touch something very cold like an ice cube to snap the body and mind out of current symptoms.
Remove yourself from the situation, if possible. It might help to move outdoors or to a quieter room. Avoid places where there is loud music or a lot of activity. This will help remove some of the sensory input that can intensify a panic attack. It will also allow you to focus on your breathing and other exercises that could help you stop the attack.
It may help to have a phrase or mantra that you turn to when you feel a panic attack coming on. This can be anything you find soothing, such as “It will be okay,” a phrase from a favorite book or movie, or something that has spiritual meaning for you. When you focus on repeating a phrase, it can help reassure you and promote regular breathing.
Panic attacks can cause muscle tension.Relaxing your muscles can help get your mind off of your fear, and may also help relax your mind.
Pay attention to which muscles seem to be tense. If you’re not sure, try tensing the muscle for a few seconds, then relaxing it.
Visualization can be a great way to get your mind off of your fear. Think about a place that brings feelings of calm and happiness. This can be a real or imagined place. Add as many details as possible, including sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and feelings.
Find the Tools That Work Before a Panic AttackIt helps to have a set of tools ready to use before you have a panic attack. Find techniques that help you relax and stay in the present moment. Practice using these techniques so you know what to do when panic attack symptoms appear.
Find the Tools That Work Before a Panic Attack
It helps to have a set of tools ready to use before you have a panic attack. Find techniques that help you relax and stay in the present moment. Practice using these techniques so you know what to do when panic attack symptoms appear.
Go for a quick walk outside to change the environment and change your heart and breathing rates. Exercise can release endorphins that will help your body relax. Exercising regularly—even when you are not having a panic attack—can also help you reduce your overall stress and anxiety symptoms.
Mindfulness helps keep the mind in the present moment. Since anxiety is related to having intense fear about the future or the unknown, using mindfulness lessens anxiety symptoms and brings the focus to the here and now. Some mindfulness exercises include:
If you are prone to panic attacks, you may find it helpful to carry an object that you can take out whenever you feel an impending attack. This object might be something like a small figurine or charm, a crystal, or a piece of jewelry. Try holding the object in your hand and thinking about its details, such as its shape, color, and the way it feels in your hand.
How to Distract Yourself During a Panic Attack
If you are with someone you trust, it can be helpful to tell that person you are having a panic attack. A trusted person can get you somewhere calm and sit with you until your panic attack is over. They may also be able to help you with your mindfulness techniques, visualization, or other strategies you have developed to help stop your panic attacks.
Immersing your face in cold water for 30 seconds may help reduce the symptoms of anxiety and panic.Cold applied to the face activates the parasympathetic nervous system and decreases the heart rate immediately.
What to Do After a Panic Attack
After a panic attack is over, it can be helpful to practice self-care. Doing some light exercise or stretching, taking a relaxing bath, or listening to soothing music can help bring the body and mind back to a calmer state.
It can also help to keep a journal for tracking panic attacks. After a panic attack has passed, try writing down everything that led up to it, including any potential triggers. Keep track of as many details as possible, including any thoughts or feelings that came up before and during the panic attacks. Over time, a journal will help you identify trends that can allow you to prepare for the next one.
Remember that panic attacks are not your fault. They can feel like lonely experiences, but they are very common. Most people recover from panic attacks without requiring treatment, and very few people develop a panic disorder after having a panic attack.
Treatments to Stop Panic Attacks
Sometimes, panic attacks cannot be managed entirely alone. Panic attacks that become an ongoing concern or cause significant anxiety or fear can be a sign of panic disorder. In this case, it might be necessary to see a healthcare provider.
Mental Health Therapy
Apsychotherapistcan work with you to manage or overcome panic attacks with differenttypes of therapies. There are two types of therapeutic interventions that have been shown to have the best outcomes:
Cognitive behavioral therapy is typically done over a period of weeks and may involve up to 15 individual therapy sessions. One study found CBT to be between 85% and 90% successful in treating panic disorders.
Medication
The key to managing a panic attack is being sure that what you’re experiencing is a panic attack. Some people confuse panic attacks with anxiety.
Anxiety and panic attacks are both very common. They are both often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed as medical conditions.
Panic attacks tend to come on suddenly and can happen from either a calm state or a state of feeling anxious. They often occur without warning or a known trigger and bring a sense of doom, intense fear, and a feeling of dying.
Similarly, both anxiety and panic attacks have physical and psychological symptoms. With panic attacks, however, the symptoms tend to come on quickly and are often only present for up to 10 minutes. With anxiety, symptoms can be present for a much longer period of time.
Summary
Panic attacks can produce physical and emotional symptoms such as a racing heart, dizziness, and a sense of impending doom. If you can recognize the symptoms of a panic attack, you may be able to stop it using mindfulness, distraction, and other relaxation techniques.
If you have frequent panic attacks, talk to your healthcare provider. Medications are available that can help reduce the severity and number of panic attacks you have. Talking to a therapist can also help.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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