12 Ways To Stop A Panic Attack

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Chapters

0:00 Introduction
0:44 Focus on your breathing
1:29 Accept the condition
2:02 Block out the world, close your eyes
2:42 Try Lavender
3:29 Be Mindful
4:18 Kow your triggers
4:56 Opt for muscle relaxation techniques
5:40 Indulge in light exercise
6:19 Think of Happy memories
7:04 Chant a mantra
7:52 Rely on Benzodiazepines
8:33 Talk to professionals

Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear and discomfort that may include palpitations, sweating, chest pain, shortness of breath, trembling, numbness, or a feeling of impending doom or of losing control.[7][1][2] Typically, symptoms reach a peak within ten minutes of onset, and last for roughly 30 minutes, but the duration can vary from seconds to hours.[3][8] Although they can be extremely distressing, panic attacks themselves are not physically dangerous.[6][9]

Panic attacks can occur due to several disorders including panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorder, depression, and medical problems.[2][4] They can either be triggered or occur unexpectedly.[2] Smoking, caffeine, and psychological stress increase the risk of having a panic attack.[2] Before diagnosis, conditions that produce similar symptoms should be ruled out, such as hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, heart disease, lung disease, drug use, and dysautonomia.[2][10]

Treatment of panic attacks should be directed at the underlying cause.[6] In those with frequent attacks, counseling or medications may be used.[5] Breathing training and muscle relaxation techniques may also help.[11] Those affected are at a higher risk of suicide.[2]

In Europe, about 3% of the population has a panic attack in a given year while in the United States they affect about 11%.[2] They are more common in females than in males.[2] They often begin during puberty or early adulthood.[2] Children and older people are less commonly affected.[2] People with panic attacks often report a fear of dying or heart attack, flashing vision or other visual disturbances, faintness or nausea, numbness throughout the body, shortness of breath and hyperventilation, or loss of body control. Some people also suffer from tunnel vision, mostly due to blood flow leaving the head to more critical parts of the body in defense. These feelings may provoke a strong urge to escape or flee the place where the attack began (a consequence of the "fight-or-flight response", in which the hormone causing this response is released in significant amounts). This response floods the body with hormones, particularly epinephrine (adrenaline), which aid it in defending against harm.[12]

A panic attack can result when up-regulation by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is not moderated by the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The most common symptoms include trembling, dyspnea (shortness of breath), heart palpitations, chest pain (or chest tightness), hot flashes, cold flashes, burning sensations (particularly in the facial or neck area), sweating, nausea, dizziness (or slight vertigo), light-headedness, heavy-headedness, hyperventilation, paresthesias (tingling sensations), sensations of choking or smothering, difficulty moving, depersonalization and/or derealization. These physical symptoms are interpreted with alarm in people prone to panic attacks. This results in increased anxiety and forms a positive feedback loop.[13]

Shortness of breath and chest pain are the predominant symptoms. People experiencing a panic attack may incorrectly attribute them to a heart attack and thus seek treatment in an emergency room. Because chest pain and shortness of breath are hallmark symptoms of cardiovascular illnesses, including unstable angina and myocardial infarction (heart attack), a diagnosis of exclusion (ruling out other conditions) must be performed before diagnosing a panic attack. It is especially important to do this for people whose mental health and heart health statuses are unknown. This can be done using an electrocardiogram and mental health assessments.

Panic attacks are distinguished from other forms of anxiety by their intensity and their sudden, episodic nature.[12] They are often experienced in conjunction with anxiety disorders and other psychological conditions, although panic attacks are not generally indicative of a mental disorder.

[Elke_L]

Actual things that will help stop/calm down a panic attack:
- get ice/ frozen peas and put it in your neck, on your wrists, on your chest
- breathe in for 2, hold for 2, breathe out for 4
- breathe into a bag, paper/plastic doesn’t matter even a doggy poop bag if it’s the only thing you have.
- gently walk around, it will make you less aware of your heartbeat and it feels more natural to have a fast heartrate when moving around rather than sitting/laying down
- walk in the same pattern/ lap the whole time, your mind will see this as a predictable and soothing action because it knows exactly what’s coming after each step
- go outside to get fresh air and cool down. If you don’t have a garden, open the window and stick your head out. When driving, put ac on full blast and windows down
- take of shoes and socks, feet hold on to heat and cool down quickly and adds sensory input to distract your brain.

- acknowledge that this is how your body is getting out the stress that’s been building
- focus on what is happening now ‘i’m in the garden, I’m breathing’ rather than what might happen (all the bad things you think are/will happen to you)
- write down what you are feeling, how the panic attack started in a chronological order. Writing helps because it distracts you from breathing/heart rate/ thoughts
- draw a line up for breathe in and down for breathe out, ensure the downward lines are longer than the upwards
- grab ice and put it in your mouth - if it hurts, good! That distracts your brain.
- know that even if you are not successful at stopping the panic attack, eventually your body will get tired and stop it for you. It is impossible for it to carry on forever
- you will be okay, talk out loud to yourself listing the things that have stressed you out the past few days and how that made you feel

I hope I can help others, taken me 5 years to learn all the above and I still get them. Each panic attack will have the voice saying that this time it’s real so be louder than that voice. Shout I WIN to tell anxiety and panic that they don’t get to win this time.

Stay strong

[VM-oidk]

Leave it alone. It’s precisely your concern about it that keeps programming it in your mind. Don’t look for a physical or even emotional solution. That just makes you autosuggest triggers out of these things. I know what I’m talking about. I went through two decades of that til I figured it out. Leave it alone and it will leave you alone. Breathing, reassuring statements and distraction work only temporarily.

[VM-oidk]

You don’t stop a panic attack you let it go. The more you fight it and try to do something the less it will go away

[abob]

Has anyone ever experienced anxiety/panic attacks that seemingly come from nowhere? Nothing "triggering" has happened or has been said, and from one moment to the next you go from totally fine and to full blown panic (chest thumping with heart rate escalating, sweating, shaking, dizziness, and all the fear that comes it). Just writing about it now is making me feel on the precipice of a panic attack. I've been told by a mental health professional that these kinds of attacks can sometimes happen seemingly without any kind of warning. Not that I would ever wish this kind of anxiety on anyone, but I would feel better knowing if this actually happens to other people who already deal with this. I was literally feeling fine, hanging out in PJ's and watching mindless cartoons when I into a full on break down followed with by a trip to the hospital in an ambulance. I've had multiple medical texts done recently. I've done everything they can do to monitor my heart. All the doctors keep coming back with Anxiety Syndrome. Although not all the of the doctors seem to have the same opinion on how anxiety works haha! I've been prescribed Xanax, which I guess works really for anxiety because everytime I take one I just pass out for several hours. Panic attack solved! All thinking of any kind stopped in it's tracks. What a miracle of science haha! I'm being sarcastic obviously, but rather laugh about the strangeness of it all, than allow it too add the already raging war within my head.

[BBMReptilesPR]

2 yrs ago, I lost my daughter to suicide. She was just 18. That event has broken me with guilt beyond imagination and enternal emotional pain. I just recently been taken to the hospital with what I thought was a heart attack, but it turned out it was a full blown panic attack. A very severe one, that after all the lab results and futher test came back with a negative to any type of heart condition. I was in the ER for 5 hours. I just wanted to die right there, as the pain from the anxiety of not breathing and the weakness i felt that i could not even walk regardless of how many doctors and nurses were with me. I came to terms with understanding that infact i was having a panic attack, and tried to control it by focusing on details from my shoe laces to the strands of hair on my forearm. When I got home, I took some prescribed medication that just knocked me out for the remainder of the day. Woke up the next, still with the after-effects from that medication, and still some anxiety of having another attack. All this happened yesterday. So this event is new for me, but I don't want to be bound by medication that will knock me out. But to help my acceptance of what is happening to me, i find writing about it helps me to a degree to cope with everything, including my guilt of the loss of my child.

[OrangeADG]

This video triggered me so badly, when it says you can often stay trapped in a world that doesn’t know reality.. I’m so scared of that.

[onetimedream]

Accept the situation and Let it go thats exactly right ! Put your feet on ground, keep telling yourself it is not real and tickle yourself on arms with your fingers ! It does wonders. Most importantly do not fear no matter what !!!!

[raiden_ei]

Sometimes, even just watching this video will help distract yourself from the panic attack so yeah! But something important to remember is that it won’t kill you, so your going to be fine and you have to tell yourself that you’ll be fine, but make sure you do it calmly, close your eyes and think to yourself “I’m better than this, I’ll be just fine” then try to think of things that make you happy, like listening to music or playing video games. I hope this helped!

[mauro_pappagallo]

To everyone who is still experiencing panic attacks. I've had a few related to tachicardia, and whenever I heard powerful palpitation I lost control and start panicking. I thought I lost the memory capacity to tranquilize myself. The solution for me it's been one and only: the secret to calm down is to wipe out di effort in whatever you are doing, listen to your heartbeat, trying to control your emotions, trying to understand what's happening. Just let go every type of effort you put in everything you do. I've been in panic for 1 year and 1 month. After this I found peace again!!! Hope this can help you guys!

[shazzymapatazzie]

I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU for this video 😊 I was having a very overwhelming panic attack and came to YouTube for some answers. This video stopped my panic attack within the first 3 minutes 🙏 This is amazing for me as my attacks usually last from an hour to 6 hours at a time so to feel relief this quickly has changed things for me completely. Thank you ❤️

EDIT: I'm back again, having another panic attack. Here's to a panic attack free time to come 😊

[godspeed]

My anxiety has gotten so bad that i don't even experience the nearly sedated feeling I used to have after a panic attack. It just feels like a constant anxiety that disrupts my digestion, sleep, relationships... I'll use these tips because it's awful.

[jamescole]

My vision was fading out. It was terrifying. I woke up and was randomly having one. Haven’t had one for a decade

[patriciamartin]

Yes. All these suggestions are excellent! Ice helps but in some cases, heat has helped me too! I sit with my feet in a pan of hot water and another container of hot water for my hands. Also my panic attacks seem to be more intense if I am dehydrated. Right now, as I am texting, I am having a panic attack! The feelings of sheer, utter fear are overwhelming. I feel like I am dying. My thoughts are chaotic and I feel overwhelmed. Due to the recent stress of unexpected medical bills that my boyfriend has from organ failure, PTSD, panic attacks himself, I am yanked out of my comfort zone. I have not had panic attacks for years. One method I used was to isolate myself in the house, never change my carefully laid routine of shutting the world out. Because of my boyfriend's medical condition I have to accompany him to the hospital at least 3 times a week. Scary! because of the seizures. There is NO predicting when they will occur. He is fragile, 40 pounds underweight and I am terrified of LOSING HIM. I am torn between wanting to remain in isolation and having to take him to the hospital! For months, I have had the consolation of having him hold me and walk me thru my own panic attacks until they cooled down. I am also, unreasonably feeling betrayed because he is the one now who needs MY HELP. Once, during a panic attack, he had a seizure, fell face down 9n the floor, as he hell, his foot became entangled with a TV cord so the TV was on his back, I could not lift it to turn him and check his breathing. Usually, my way of coping with a scary situation was to curl up into a ball and panic but right then, the need to help him, overrode that. I picked up the phone and called 911, screaming in hysteria. I told the dispatcher about what happened to my boyfriend, didn-t vknoq what to do as I couldn-t tell if he was breaking and was having a panic attack myself. She told me to stay calm and was sending an ambulance. I asked her NOT To HANG UP and she didn't ! She stayed on the phone until I saw the flash of red lights outside the window meaning the EMThad arrived. Now, there was another hurdle, that being that ordinarily, I am horrified of loud knocks at thr door. It feels like I am being threatened I never answer the door. I hide in the closet until whoever goes away but this time, I had NO choice but to do what I feared most and that was to open the door to get help for my boyfriend. I did that, for once I felt overwhelming relief that help was there and somebody more competent was more prepared to take over. They lifted the TV off him, rolled him over to make sure he was breathing and got him to the hospital. He was home the next day. I have to say that thus emergency took me out of my panic attack. Instead of curling into a ball, I was able to get my act together enough to help another human being. Even now, because he has to go to the hospital so much man I have to get him into a wheelchair upon arrival and register him, I have had to quit isolating myself and interact with other people. That is something that makes me feel, exposed, vulnerable and unprotected ayers ago, my husband died of pancreatic cancer. He carefully protected me to the point that I had NO idea he was sick until one day, he simply collapsed and died. A bystander called the ambulance. To this day everytime I need to call an ambulance for my boyfriend, I have to face my guilt about not knowing my husband was dying; I should have known. Illogical, I believe if I had known, maybe I could have prayed harder and stopped his cancer. My reaction to my own guilt was that, I should have had enough control to prevent bad things from happening In the years that followed every time a close friend died of a heart attack, I felt the irrational feeling like I should have known something bad would happen in advance and I could have saved them Looking back, I can see now, that nobody can see the future so there was nothing I could have done. I still have mixed, ambiguous feelings about my worth as a person though. I feel like as a human being, I am not worth much and pray to God that I should have known enough to prevent all these people from dying of heart attacks, cancer. My biggest problem now is accepting the fact that I am just human, I have to focus on something else like a goal instead of obsessing with my shortcoming. Thank you for allowing me to vent! I had to text all thus. I am starting to feel better for having talked about it!

[luerxv]

Panic attacks is a serious thing i exprience it to, i had trouble breathing, swallowing and when i going to sleep i can't i wake up and my heart beat race fast. Thank you so much for this vid.

[ournewfoundlandgarden]

The ads really helped my panic attack. Thanks

[amyshomesteadanimals]

Just the thought of 12 things... is overwhelming to me when in the midst of panic!

[chelseadaniels]

It amazes me all the stories im seeing. Well here my experience. About 5 days ago i was sitting at the table. Was complaining about my chest hurting. But didnt think anything of it. Well after everything settled down. I went thru a bad experience i never thought i would go thro. I layed down, my heart was racing, my mind was wondering. I was shaking and gotten scared chest was hurting worse. It was to the point i was scared to death. I didnt even go to sleep that night. Not til after i took my daughter to school the next mornin. 8am that day i eventually went to sleep for a few hrs. Now every day since then im getting them every few hrs and they just scare me. I try to find things to do so it doesn't happen. Sometimes it just hits at random moments. I gotta take my aint bust bar. I cant take no more. Ill be fine for a few hrs and then it will happen again. It got me so scared. I don't even wanna do anything with my children or myself or be around my fiance. Still tryin to fight thru them. Knowing i just lost my dad a month and half ago. We just found out same day i had i so call Believe a panic attack who actually killed my father. Not sure if that is what caused it. Now it just wont leave cant handle it at all. My mindset messing with me for the last week. Tired feeling these pains every now and then in my chest and stuff. I live with my three kids and my husband and my mom and my aunt and couple animals 1 bedroom apartment. It was a last min decision came from sc to pa because of my dad death. Just wish i had answers why. lord i can't handle them. They got my all frighten and my kids scared for me. I'll have straight crying moments over it.

[TheSamaell]

Here are my 2 cents besides these good tips ... go to the doctor and get a clean bill of health. No, there is nothing wrong with your heart or lungs ... your body reacts like that to something. Then once you have this, just like some people can't do a split, can't lift 200kg can't... you can't handle some stimula. It's normal and it can improve with practice.
Congratulations, you are a "race car" ... your reaction is fast and brutal, you can work with this in your favor as long as you treat yourself as a race car not a SUV.
A lot of highly successful people have this :) life is still really good with anxiety. The anxiety if anxiety is what makes it worse and there are a lot of people out there ready to help.

[stevenlowe]

Focusing in your breathing supercharges the suffocation symptoms. That is insane advice.

[inkey]

Opinion from one who has had anxiety, agoraphobia, panic attacks since I was 13 years old (1967).
All these remedies are fine to try until you are driving on a highway at 50 miles per hour,