How To Immediately Stop A Panic Attack

If you're experiencing or anticipating a panic attack, these techniques will help you physiologically calm down and feel much better.

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Disclaimer:
This video was created by Barbara Heffernan, LCSW for educational purposes only. These videos are not diagnostic and provide no individual consultation. Consumption of these materials is for your own education and any medical, psychological, or professional care decisions should be made between you and your primary care doctor or another provider that you are engaged with. Barbara Heffernan is not available for individual consultation via YouTube, social media, or email, and provides services only in the manner mentioned above.

☀️☀️CHAPTERS☀️☀️
0:00 Focus on your feet
2:20 Notice things around you
4:29 Have a sip of water
4:50 Focus on the sounds you hear
6:02 Focus on what you can smell
6:50 Give yourself a hug
10:31 Breathing Exercise for Anxiety
13:15 What to do if you're anticipating a Panic Attack

[janelincolne]

This technique really works. A doctor told me whilst in a panic attack in her office to look at the wall, describe the colour, look and describe in detail a plug socket on the wall and so on. She totally diverted my brain and the attack was over

[discodirk]

I used to work at a high end salon and was starting to get anxiety and realized it was because I was working with a bunch of narcissist ego obsessed sociopaths and the clients were all the walking dead. Thankfully I don't work in that environment anymore and anxiety is gone.

[vickirutherford]

I did this & oh WOW….Thank u for posting. I had COVID about 3 1/2 weeks ago & although I’m negative now this has been hell. The panic attacks r terrible!!!! I felt like. “I’m going to die, my hearts going to explode & top of my head feels like it’s going to burst open. So I googled how to help a panic attack & ur video came up. I’m so glad it did because I feel fine now…..I can’t believe it worked but it did. Very grateful u were on here Thank u for ur post.👍✨🏆✨🙏

[ryanc]

Im 38 years old. Always used to smoke away all negative emotions, sigarets and weed, for at least 23 years nonstop. I quit smoking a few mounths ago because of a scary cognitive experience (depersonalization kind of symptoms and others). Im just starting to learn about maybe this being panic attacks . After all information the past few weeks about things that work and things that wont work i came across your channel and really want to tell you that listening to somebody like you who knows so much about this is really a blessing for me and everybody experiencing these scary feelings. This is new for me wich makes it extra scary and just listening to you and how you explain it is already very calming to me. I wish you lots of love and happiness 🙏🏼 people like you make this world a beautiful place

[vanessazlatic]

I sometimes have a panic attack in the middle of the night (like after a bad dream). I have found one technique that really helps me in the dark. I do my motility exercises and COUNT. Yes, counting helps focus my mind so I don't lose my place. Lying on my right side, I move my left arm in circles like a propeller to the count of 10. Then with the same arm I extend it over my head and down to my thigh to the count of ten. Then I do a swimming motion to the count of 10. Then I turn over on the other side and repeat. The physical motion and making sure I am feeling the stretch of my muscles and then the counting works pretty much every time. It's hard to make yourself do this when your heart is racing and you feel like you are outside of your mind, but if you force youself, it centres you. I think the counting (which you want to keep slower rather than fast) kind of brings the breathing into normal range too.

[AnnDowell-ge]

Very informative, thank you. 😊 when you said, "Listen to sounds, I had to smile ."
I can only hear my 2 tinnitus, one in each ear. The other techniques are very promising. ❤😊

[CristinaAcosta]

Good tips to guide others in a panic attack. Thanks

[cupcake]

Something that worked for me was making sure I had a soft gaze forward, but to become aware of my peripheral vision. This may be tapping into the vagus nerve and may have a physiological calming effect

[Lukey-Dukey-AUS]

It helped me calm down and I will use this technique to stop my panic attacks and work towards no anxiety with your videos and other things.
Thank you so much with the help for me and others here.

[charlottereed]

Oh I am so glad I found this! I was just now having a panic attack that came out of nowhere and I found this video. Within minutes I could feel my panic going away! I almost called 911, but because of this video I didn’t have to. I just subscribed to your channel and I will keep this video forever!!! Thank you so much!!!! Charlotte Reed

[SherryWilson-dkbo]

Thank you so much Barbara! I have never gotten this information before but definitely plan to use it the next time I panic. Love and blessings ❤🙏🙂

[paulbuttler]

Thanks Barbara. Been having horrible hyperventilation symptoms and panic. Had this all my life and im now 63. Normally can manage anxiety fairly well though nor perfectly. Some of your comments made lits of sense. Very aware of anxiety causes. One important thing you reminded me about was the anticipatory thoughts of im going to have a oanic thus putting my akarm system on alert just by that thought. I will really bear that in mind. Thankyou and i will be viewing your other videos shortly.
Paul

[AmandaMae]

Thank you for this video, Barbara! I’ve struggled on & off over the years with managing panic attacks. After watching this video I see the benefits and I’ve saved it so I can easily refer back to it in the future when I’m experiencing panic. This is a great tool to add to my toolbox. ☺️ Thanks again! 💚

[sukhvindermangat]

I just clicked for future use, really found the color finding execise useful!

[don-ebfj]

I like this exercise- first aid for panic attacks!, how cool is THAT? I don't have (physiological) panic attacks myself, but this definitely dropped me into a very serene meditative state that just feels very soft. Thank you Barbara, that's very nice, and well worth making a habit of, and may come in handy to help someone else in crisis. My mother has been having panic attacks that have led to her hospitalization, usually in response to a (fear of a) power outage that may cause a disruption to her breathing equipment, despite having a portable oxygen concentrator AND a fully charged standby power supply that would last for days. She's very prone to emotional dysregulation and dependence anyway, but I'm going to share this with her, maybe she'll actually try it and get some benefit.
The "out of the blue" type of attacks seem to me to be related to cPTSD emotional flashbacks. I seem to have something similar that usually affects my mood and executive functioning, sometimes acutely (mental shutdown) in social situations, but also chronically in a more pervasive and broad sense. Occassionally, I've had delayed physiological responses to stress incidents (blood pressure spikes from a normally healthy reading, with extreme headaches, and onset of illness, etc.). I recognize the broader and more pervasive patterns as part of my (self-assessed and self-managing) schizoid adaptations, likely with origins in Autism spectrum/Asperger's. CBT and DBT are commonly found to be ineffective, and sometimes harmful, for most of the symptoms, and I wonder what your thoughts might be as related to this potential form of "panic". Is it likely that this might be a form of panic attack with the emotional and physiological components obscured due to physical and/or emotional dissociation?, perhaps related to "emotional flashbacks"? How might that be determined?, and are there techniques that might reduce the impact in this personality arrangement, or help restore more stable functioning in acute episodes? I know that's a lot, but any insights might be helpful, and certainly appreciated. Thanks.

[yobafoxjason]

What if you’re constantly in an anticipatory state, constant spikes and fighting to breathe all day every day

[gandrea]

Wow! This is extremely useful. I plan to practice this and keep it in my "tool kit" for any future panic attacks.

[La-Sara-L]

Thank you so much, i just felt the panic attack starting and searched the YT for a video to help me cope with it. Found your video and it calmed me down in just few minutes. Thank you Doctor and be blessed ❤

[AdamGbl]

Very hard for me as a truck driver always needing to drive. I never used to fall into panic until something happened to me and now it's a never ending cycle. I used to be able to drive anywhere and over any mountain but now i panic going over small hills and bridges. The main struggle has been around swallowing. I inhaled saliva while driving last year in a deep state of depression and for some reason has kept me in constant ptsd cycles of over thinking swallowing, afraid to do it, tongue feeling weird.... and of course just getting in endless mind battles around the whole thing. what the heck do i do if I'm driving? I can take breaks (as i have been more often than not). But it's slows me down in everything and not being able to drive so long risks me being late. And if i push through it, I'm just so exhausted at the end of the day. Never would've thought something like that could throw my whole life off but it's crazy and i haven't been able to find my way out of it the last 1.5 years. And sheesh, time and circumstances don't wait! 😥.

[sneakerbabeful]

Thank you very much for this, Doctor! What a great, practical tool to use in the moment. Much appreciated. 🙇‍♂️