Panic attack symptoms usually peak within ten minutes or so, but can leave you feeling exhausted and living in fear of the next one.1
Learning new techniques to interrupt panic attacks quickly can reduce their intensity and duration, giving you back some self-control. However, not all panic attacks and anxiety issues respond well to self-help strategies, and frequent attacks might mean you could benefit from more professional interventions.
If panic attacks are frequent and disruptive to well-being, a mental health professional can discuss appropriate treatment options for your needs. This page can also help you better understand how to stop a panic attack fast, as it discusses:
These symptoms can be genuinely terrifying. In fact, your body likely activates the same fight-or-flight responses it would during an actual life-threatening danger, flooding your system with adrenaline and stress hormones.3 These physical sensations can become so severe that many people experiencing a first panic attack go to the emergency room, convinced they’re having a heart attack or stroke.
Panic attacks can occur without warning and without an obvious cause, but they can also be situational, happening in crowded spaces, when driving, or in social situations. They can occur at any time of day or night, with their unpredictability becoming as distressing as the attack itself.
Plus, when panic attacks become frequent and recurring, they may indicate panic disorder.
Panic disorder develops when you experience ongoing panic attacks and become worried about having more, concerned about their consequences, and making major changes to try and avoid them in the future.4 An official diagnosis requires this to happen for over a month.
The calling card of panic disorder is literally the fear of fear itself. After experiencing attacks, you become hypervigilant to any bodily sensation that might signal another episode. For example, a slightly elevated heart rate from climbing up flights of stairs might trigger an immediate worry that you’re having another attack, which then goes on to cause one.
Panic disorder can also lead to the development of agoraphobia, or the fear and avoidance of places or circumstances where escaping might be difficult or help could be unavailable.5 Driving, going to the store, and traveling can all become difficult, restricting your activities and isolating you from professional and personal obligations.
Are Panic Attacks and Panic Disorders Anxiety Issues?
Yes, the recurring panic attacks of panic disorder fall under the umbrella of anxiety disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-IV.
Panic disorder can frequently occur alongside other mental health conditions, known as “dual diagnosis” or “co-occurring disorders.” Many people with panic disorder also struggle with social anxiety or depression. This is because chronic anxiety or sadness can increase your vulnerability to panic attacks, and experiencing attacks can cause isolation and worry for the future.4
Having tools and techniques to interrupt an attack can reduce its intensity and help you regain control faster when panic strikes. Coping skills for panic work by engaging different parts of your nervous system, redirecting attention away from frightening symptoms.
Not every technique will work for you, so be sure to experiment with several different approaches to help you build a personalized toolkit for emergency anxiety relief.
The following are some helpful techniques that can provide emergency anxiety relief.
Grounding techniques for panic attacks help to anchor you in the present. For example, the 5-4-3-2-1 method asks you to identify five things you can see, four things you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste.
This sensory engagement forces your brain to process concrete, accessible information about your surroundings rather than focusing on internal symptoms of panic.
Other grounding techniques include describing things around you in great detail, touching different textures, and noticing everything you can about how they feel. Or, you could press your feet firmly into the ground and pay attention to the sensations this brings.
Challenging distressing thoughts during a panic attack can help to reduce their power. When panic is convincing you that you’re dying or going insane, remind yourself of the facts: panic attacks can’t kill you, the symptoms pass, and you’ve survived every previous attack.
Keeping a card with reassuring statements on you can also give you something tangible to reference and touch when panic distorts your thinking.
Activating your body’s natural reflexes to cold exposure can help calm your nervous system during a panic attack.
Splash ice-cold water on your face and neck or hold an ice cube in your hand. The sudden change in temperature triggers physiological responses that naturally slow the heart rate and reduce panic symptoms.
These techniques use physical pathways instead of asking you to control your thoughts and feelings, which can be useful when other thinking-based strategies feel impossible during extreme moments of anxiety or panic.
Slow, controlled breathing – inhaling for at least four slow counts, holding briefly, and exhaling for at least four – can activate your parasympathetic nervous system and reduce acute anxiety. However, forcing deep breaths or breathing too slowly can also make hyperventilation worse for some, creating more dizziness and panic.6
If breathing exercises increase your symptoms or make you feel more anxious, stop immediately and try a different skill.
Tensing and relaxing muscle groups throughout your body can help to get rid of the physical tensions of panic. Start with your toes, squeeze them tightly for five seconds, then release and notice any differences.
Move progressively through your calves, thighs, stomach, chest, arms, and finally your face.
Sometimes focusing your attention away from panic symptoms can be relieving. For instance, try counting backwards from 100 by sevens, or name every state capital you remember. You could also think about a favorite memory or play an engaging game on your phone.
These tasks help your brain to process new information that’s incompatible with panic’s single-minded focus on pending danger. While distraction can’t address the root causes of panic disorder, it can help you get through an acute episode more comfortably.
When appropriate, medications for panic attacks can provide people with relief when coping skills aren’t enough. Doctors will sometimes prescribe antidepressants as first-line treatments for reducing panic attack frequency and intensity over a period of several months.3
Benzodiazepines can also offer fast relief during acute attacks, but these medications are often limited to short-term use due to concerns about potential dependency.7
It isn’t always obvious when to seek help for anxiety, especially when you’re managing to function day-to-day despite panic attacks. Having said that, certain situations can indicate you’d benefit from professional intervention. These include if you’re…
Professional help for severe anxiety is also important if your panic attacks are causing thoughts of self-harm or you have visited the emergency room frequently as a result of ongoing struggles. If you’ve tried coping skills for panic consistently without improvement, then comprehensive treatment can give you the support you need.
Residential treatment for panic attacks and panic disorder provides you with a safe environment to explore your unique challenges with anxiety, along with any support needed for co-occurring disorders. You’ll engage in everything from evidence-based individual and group therapy (utilizing modalities like cognitive-behavioral therapy) to holistic activities like yoga and mindfulness classes that help build your confidence and resilience.
Inpatient treatment removes the daily stressors and triggers that you struggle with, allowing you to practice new coping skills with professional guidance. Residential care can accelerate your progress and prepare you for success in the long term, as well as provide linkage to ongoing aftercare for support long after you’ve graduated.
Panic attacks that control your life need holistic, consistent support. A Mission For Michael proudly offers residential care for anxiety, panic attacks, and other mental health conditions across three states to find the care you need for lasting recovery.
Our treatment includes several unique levels of care and interventions, along with medication management and unique opportunities for growth. If you’re ready to take back control, call us at 866-478-4383 or fill in our confidential form to learn how we can help.
What to Expect
Insurance Verification
Our team will verify if your insurance provider is in-network with an AMFM Healthcare Facility.
Contact From Admission Representative:
Expect a call within an hour from an admissions representative to discuss treatment options.
The aim of this page was to give you as much information about how to implement panic attack self care, but you may still have some questions. For this reason, we’ve provided answers to some FAQs about the topic.
Panic attacks may feel like they can kill you, but their physical symptoms – racing heart, chest pain, difficulty breathing – are a result of your body’s fight-or-flight response acting inappropriately. They’re not from actual heart or breathing issues.
However, if you’re experiencing chest pain for the first time or have risk factors for heart disease, seeking medical care is definitely appropriate to rule out any other issues.
The length of treatment truly depends on the person. Residential treatment programs at AMFM can help you get back on your feet and start the healing process, with most people experiencing major improvements within one to three months.
The timeline varies based on several factors, including the severity of your attacks and whether or not any dual diagnosis issues require treatment as well.
Managing panic means having the tools and techniques to survive the attacks when they happen, while recovery means reducing their frequency and eliminating the restrictions on your life they’ve created.
Coping skills for panic can help you get through attacks more comfortably, but they can’t address why they keep happening or the avoidance behaviors they’ve created. This is where professional treatment and inpatient care can help.
