Panic Attacks
A Guide to Understanding, Responding, and Reducing Fear
Panic attacks are among the most distressing experiences a person can have. They often arrive suddenly, escalate quickly, and feel completely overwhelming. Many people describe panic as feeling certain they are about to die, lose control, collapse, or “go mad.” For some people they may experience them more in their bodies with a pounding heart, sweating, weakness, shaking or trembling. For others it can be a more cognitive with racing thoughts, blank minds and significant emotional distress. Often, it’s a combination of the two. For those supporting someone through panic, it can be equally frightening to witness such intense distress and feel unsure how to help.
This guide is intended to go beyond surface-level reassurance. It offers one way of understanding of panic attacks, explains why they can persist, and outlines ways of responding that reduce fear and build long-term confidence rather than simply managing symptoms in the moment.
What a Panic Attack Really Is
At its core, a panic attack is a false alarm.
Your nervous system is constantly scanning for threat. When it detects danger, it activates the fight-or-flight response, releasing adrenaline and preparing your body to respond. This system is fast, powerful, and designed for survival not accuracy.
During a panic attack, this alarm system is triggered in the absence of real danger. The body reacts as if there is imminent threat, even though you are actually safe.
This explains several key features of panic attacks:
They come on rapidly
They are dominated by physical sensations
They feel urgent and overwhelming
They peak and then subside
Crucially, panic attacks are self-limiting. The body cannot maintain peak fight-or-flight activation indefinitely. Even without intervention, panic will rise, crest, fall and end.
Why Panic Feels So Convincing
Panic attacks are frightening not just because of what happens in the body, but because of how the mind interprets those sensations.
When the body is flooded with adrenaline, the brain becomes threat-focused. This makes catastrophic interpretations more likely:
“Something is seriously wrong.”
“I’m going to collapse.”
“I won’t be able to cope.”
At the same time, rational reassurance becomes harder to access. This is not a failure of logic or willpower it is a normal effect of being in survival mode.
Understanding this can help people stop blaming themselves for “not thinking straight” during panic.
Understanding the Physical Sensations of Panic
Many people fear panic because they don’t understand what their body is doing. In reality, panic symptoms are the result of normal physiological processes.
For example:
Racing heart increases blood flow to large muscles
Rapid breathing supplies oxygen for action
Chest tightness comes from muscle tension
Dizziness results from changes in breathing patterns
Shaking or trembling reflects adrenaline release
Numbness or tingling occurs as blood is redirected
These sensations are deeply uncomfortable, but they are not dangerous. They are the same responses that would help you escape a real threat — simply misapplied.
The Panic Cycle: How Panic Maintains Itself
Panic often becomes recurrent because of a cycle that develops after the first few attacks.
A physical sensation is noticed i.e. elevated heart rate, tightening in the stomach, shortness of breath
The sensation is interpreted as threatening by the brain
Anxiety increases and our nervous system continues to fire
The body releases more adrenaline
Symptoms intensify, confirming the fear
Over time, people may become highly vigilant to their bodies, scanning constantly for signs of panic. This hyper-monitoring increases the likelihood of noticing benign sensations, which can then trigger panic again.
This is why panic can feel unpredictable and why understanding the cycle is so important for recovery.
Fear of Fear
One of the most important shifts in working with panic is recognising that panic is driven by fear of panic itself.
It is not the sensations that are the problem, but the belief that they are dangerous, unbearable, or uncontrollable. As long as panic is treated as a threat, the nervous system remains on high alert.
Learning to respond to panic with curiosity, neutrality, or acceptance - rather than alarm gradually teaches the body that it is safe.
Avoidance and Safety Behaviours
After panic attacks, many people understandably try to protect themselves by:
Avoiding certain places or activities
Staying close to exits
Carrying specific items “just in case”
Repeatedly checking bodily signs
While these strategies can reduce anxiety short-term, they often reinforce panic long-term by sending the message that safety depends on avoidance or control.
Recovery involves gently reducing reliance on these behaviours, allowing the nervous system to learn that panic can be tolerated and does not require escape.
How to Respond During a Panic Attack
If You Experience Panic Attacks
The aim during panic is not to make it stop instantly, but to change how you relate to it.
Helpful principles include:
Panic is not dangerous
Panic will pass on its own
Fighting panic makes it stronger
Allowing panic reduces its intensity
Practical responses might include:
Letting sensations be present without trying to control them
Using simple, factual self-talk (“This is panic. I’m safe.”)
Gently slowing your breathing
Grounding your attention in the environment
Paradoxically (and sometimes frustratingly) the less urgently you try to escape panic, the faster it tends to settle.
If You Are Supporting Someone With Panic
Supporters play an important role in helping someone feel safe.
Helpful responses include:
Staying calm and present
Speaking slowly and reassuringly
Normalising the experience without minimising it
Avoiding pressure or rushed instructions
Sometimes, simply sitting with someone and offering steady reassurance is far more regulating than trying to “fix” the panic.
What Helps Between Panic Attacks
Long-term change happens outside of panic episodes as much as during them.
Helpful steps include:
Learning how panic works
Reducing fear of bodily sensations
Gently re-entering avoided situations
Practising skills when calm
Addressing stress, exhaustion, and emotional load
Many people also benefit from working with a therapist to explore their personal panic patterns and build confidence in their ability to cope.
A Compassionate Reframe
Panic attacks are not a sign of weakness, failure, or brokenness. They are a sign of a nervous system that has become sensitised — often through stress, overwhelm, or previous frightening experiences.
With understanding, patience, and support, the nervous system can relearn safety.
Panic feels dangerous, but it is not.
It feels endless, but it always passes.
It feels uncontrollable, but it follows a predictable pattern.
When to Seek Additional Support
Extra support may be helpful if:
Panic attacks are frequent or worsening
Fear of panic is leading to avoidance
Daily life feels increasingly restricted
You feel stuck or overwhelmed
Support can make a meaningful difference not only in reducing panic, but in restoring confidence and freedom.