Do you sometimes experience overwhelming dread in social situations? Does it feel like things are totally out of control, and you're worried something bad will happen to you? 

For people who experience panic attacks, it can greatly impact their life. They worry about new social situations, large groups, or situations where they feel like they have no control. They might avoid certain social situations all together for fear of having another panic attack. 

What is a Panic Attack?

A panic attack is sudden and extreme anxiety when a person experiences a perceived threat to their safety. When people experience a panic attack, they often experience increased heart rate, black out, tunnel vision, numbness in their limbs, dizziness, nausea, and can even feel like they’re going to die.

When people experience a panic attack for the first time, they might seek medical treatment at an emergency room because they think they had a heart attack. Ultimately, people get testing and find that there is no physical medical condition, and they likely had a panic attack. This may feel confusing, and it can be very difficult for people to know what to do. 

Panic attacks can be triggered by several factors including an acute episode of stress in one’s life (new job, divorce, new child, relationship conflict, death or loss of someone, etc.), a past trauma, biological changes from certain drugs, and new research indicates that people with perfectionistic tendencies may also be more likely to experience panic attacks. 

Oftentimes, the people I see in counseling for panic attacks tend to experience a period of acute stress, a past trauma, or tend to be more perfectionistic. Counseling is an effective way to reduce baseline anxiety and stress, and to develop skills to stop panic attacks from occurring. 

Read more to learn about five effective techniques to reduce the severity of a panic attack.

 1: Don't fight it

When people are having a panic attack and they're aware they are having one, they will fight and resist the panic attack from happening, which surprisingly can make the panic attack worse. If you're having a panic attack, name it, and allow it to occur. I know this seems counterproductive, however, when we resist feeling something it can actually make it worse. So, name it, and allow it to wash over you like a wave.

 2: Deep breathing

When people experience a panic attack, they take short shallow breaths. If you are having a panic attack, take long breaths deep into your stomach, and slowly exhale. This will allow your parasympathetic nervous system to kick in and give more oxygen to your body. People who are experiencing a panic attack might be concerned that people will see them doing this and bring more attention to them. No one will notice you doing this, so breathe away!

3: Grounding

People who experience panic attacks often describe an out-of-body experience. One way to reorient to your environment is by grounding. This can be done by sitting with your feet flat on the ground, arms holding the sides of a chair, or resting comfortably on your lap. Feel the weight of your body on whatever surface you are sitting on which will help reorient you to your environment. Another way to ground is to focus on an object. That could be a tree, a picture on the wall, or a parked car, depending on where you are. 

4. Take a break

When you're having a panic attack, you may want to escape where you are. If you need to remove yourself from the situation to take a break, that is okay. Take some space, take deep breaths, and do what you need to do for yourself in that moment.

5: Use a mantra

If you're experiencing a panic attack, your experience is one of fear, and you may feel that your safety is being threatened. Find a mantra that works for you and talk to yourself in those situations to calm yourself down. Example: “I’m safe right now. I’m going to be ok.” 

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These are a few techniques that can be helpful when experiencing a panic attack. In addition to these techniques, therapy for anxiety to understand your triggers to anxiety and stress, as well as additional techniques using cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness techniques can also be helpful. 

Looking for help with anxiety and panic attacks? Schedule your free consultation to learn more about how counseling can help you.