A panic attack can feel like a heart attack or the worst moment of your life. Understanding what is happening in your body can help you ride it out.
A panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear that triggers physical reactions — racing heart, chest tightness, dizziness, shortness of breath, numbness, feeling unreal. Your body has activated its emergency response (fight or flight) when there is no actual danger. It feels life-threatening. It is not. It always passes.
Remind yourself: this is a panic attack. I am not dying. It will pass. Then focus on your breath: in for 4, hold for 2, out for 6. Keep the exhale longer than the inhale — this activates your parasympathetic nervous system and tells your body to calm down. Ground yourself: press your feet into the floor. Hold something cold. Name five things you can see.
Panic attacks are exhausting. Rest. Be gentle with yourself. Notice what was happening just before — not to blame yourself, but to start understanding your patterns. Over time, this awareness helps.
Panic attacks that happen regularly or stop you from living normally respond very well to treatment — particularly CBT. Please speak to a professional. You do not have to organise your life around avoiding them.
Talk to our team any time, or find a professional near you.