Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBy PhoneIn Front of YouHow to Be HelpfulTechniques to Try in the MomentSigns of a Panic AttackProfessional Help
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
By Phone
In Front of You
How to Be Helpful
Techniques to Try in the Moment
Signs of a Panic Attack
Professional Help
This article will go over effective ways to assist someone who’s experiencing a panic attack.
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Anxiety Disorder vs. Panic Attack
Then, you can try one or more of the following approaches:
How to Comfort Someone Having a Panic Attack in Front of You
Witnessing someone having a panic attack in person you can be distressing or even scary. Here are a few ways to help someone stop a panic attack or manage their symptoms in person:
Being Helpful: Ineffective Communication for Panic Attacks
Even if you have good intentions, it’s possible to say something unhelpful or even harmful when someone is experiencingsevere anxiety. When someone is having a panic attack, here are a few things to avoid:
Here are a few helpful methods you can try at the moment if someone you care about is experiencing symptoms of panic:
Signs Someone Is Having a Panic Attack
If someone is having a panic attack, they may express feelings of dread, anxiety, worry, or doom. They may say they feel out of control or afraid of something without knowing the source of that fear. They might also find it hard to speak at all.
Physicalsigns of a panic attackmay include:
Professional Help to Recommend to People With Panic Attacks
Sometimes, a person needs professional help to deal with panic attacks and prevent future ones. You might suggest that they reach out to a healthcare provider about psychotherapy, such ascognitive behavioral therapy(CBT) ordialectical behavioral therapy(DBT), or medication.
If someone is experiencing more worrying symptoms, such as expressing thoughts of self-harm or suicide, they may need emergency medical help. Encourage them to call911or988(the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), or make the call yourself. You can also take the person to the hospital.
Finally, there are some overlaps between the symptoms of a panic attack and the signs of a heart attack. Sometimes, people who are having a panic attack may even think they’re experiencing a stroke or heart attack.
Call 911 or go to the emergency room right away if someone is experiencingheart attacksymptoms, such as:
Summary
Sometimes, the symptoms of a panic attack may be similar to those of a heart attack. If someone is experiencing symptoms such as chest pain that lasts longer than 20 minutes, get emergency medical help right away.
11 SourcesVerywell 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.National Institute of Mental Health.Panic disorder: When fear overwhelms.National Health Service.Anxiety, fear and panic.National Health Service.Panic disorder.Penn Medicine.Helping someone during a panic attack.NHS Inform.How to deal with panic attacks.Kandola A, Vancampfort D, Herring M, et al.Moving to beat anxiety: Epidemiology and therapeutic issues with physical activity for anxiety.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2018;20(8):63. doi:10.1007/s11920-018-0923-xNational Institutes of Health - NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education.Grounding skills.Vierra J, Boonla O, Prasertsri P.Effects of sleep deprivation and 4-7-8 breathing control on heart rate variability, blood pressure, blood glucose, and endothelial function in healthy young adults.Physiol Rep. 2022;10(13):e15389. doi:10.14814/phy2.15389National Institute of Mental Health.Panic disorder: The symptoms.MedlinePlus.Panic disorder.MedlinePlus.Heart attack.
11 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.National Institute of Mental Health.Panic disorder: When fear overwhelms.National Health Service.Anxiety, fear and panic.National Health Service.Panic disorder.Penn Medicine.Helping someone during a panic attack.NHS Inform.How to deal with panic attacks.Kandola A, Vancampfort D, Herring M, et al.Moving to beat anxiety: Epidemiology and therapeutic issues with physical activity for anxiety.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2018;20(8):63. doi:10.1007/s11920-018-0923-xNational Institutes of Health - NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education.Grounding skills.Vierra J, Boonla O, Prasertsri P.Effects of sleep deprivation and 4-7-8 breathing control on heart rate variability, blood pressure, blood glucose, and endothelial function in healthy young adults.Physiol Rep. 2022;10(13):e15389. doi:10.14814/phy2.15389National Institute of Mental Health.Panic disorder: The symptoms.MedlinePlus.Panic disorder.MedlinePlus.Heart attack.
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.
National Institute of Mental Health.Panic disorder: When fear overwhelms.National Health Service.Anxiety, fear and panic.National Health Service.Panic disorder.Penn Medicine.Helping someone during a panic attack.NHS Inform.How to deal with panic attacks.Kandola A, Vancampfort D, Herring M, et al.Moving to beat anxiety: Epidemiology and therapeutic issues with physical activity for anxiety.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2018;20(8):63. doi:10.1007/s11920-018-0923-xNational Institutes of Health - NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education.Grounding skills.Vierra J, Boonla O, Prasertsri P.Effects of sleep deprivation and 4-7-8 breathing control on heart rate variability, blood pressure, blood glucose, and endothelial function in healthy young adults.Physiol Rep. 2022;10(13):e15389. doi:10.14814/phy2.15389National Institute of Mental Health.Panic disorder: The symptoms.MedlinePlus.Panic disorder.MedlinePlus.Heart attack.
National Institute of Mental Health.Panic disorder: When fear overwhelms.
National Health Service.Anxiety, fear and panic.
National Health Service.Panic disorder.
Penn Medicine.Helping someone during a panic attack.
NHS Inform.How to deal with panic attacks.
Kandola A, Vancampfort D, Herring M, et al.Moving to beat anxiety: Epidemiology and therapeutic issues with physical activity for anxiety.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2018;20(8):63. doi:10.1007/s11920-018-0923-x
National Institutes of Health - NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education.Grounding skills.
Vierra J, Boonla O, Prasertsri P.Effects of sleep deprivation and 4-7-8 breathing control on heart rate variability, blood pressure, blood glucose, and endothelial function in healthy young adults.Physiol Rep. 2022;10(13):e15389. doi:10.14814/phy2.15389
National Institute of Mental Health.Panic disorder: The symptoms.
MedlinePlus.Panic disorder.
MedlinePlus.Heart attack.
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