How To Calm Down During A Panic Attack
Panic attacks can feel scary. When people experience panic attacks, they may feel they are experiencing a medical emergency or that their lives are in danger. A panic attack can cause distressing physical sensations like shakiness, hyperventilation, ringing in the ears, numbing or tingling in the arms and legs, and chest pain, among other symptoms.
What is a panic attack?
It can be helpful for a person who experiences panic attacks to understand what they are and why they can occur. Panic attacks can be a stress response to feeling under pressure, overwhelmed, or afraid. A traumatic event, loss, or perceived threat might also trigger them. Often, during a panic attack, the fight-flight-freeze response can be activated, causing an individual to feel the need to run, fight, or freeze.
Those experiencing panic attacks may also live with one of several anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. Panic disorder in particular is characterized by frequent or chronic panic attacks.
Common symptoms of a panic attack include:
- An intense feeling of dread, fear, or anxiety
- Sweating
- Trembling or shaking
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Chills or hot flushes
- A feeling of choking or a “lump” in the throat
- Nausea
- Muscle tension
- Gastrointestinal issues, such as diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Crying
- An urge to run, fight, or stay frozen
- Feeling “out of your body” or dissociated
Panic attacks can feel like a real threat and may be terrifying for those experiencing them. It's also possible to mistake them for other health conditions, like a heart attack. Understanding how to reduce fear can be beneficial in knowing the difference between a panic attack and a medical emergency.
How to cope with panic attacks
Panic attacks can feel challenging to live with. It is possible to experience stress just by thinking about future panic attacks. You might not always know what triggers your attacks or feel out of control when they occur. At times, panic may be triggered by daily life events, relationships, or situations.
When you have a panic attack, your body and mind may feel overwhelmed, and it could cause you to have difficulty interacting with or noticing your immediate environment. When the fear and stress response of a panic attack takes over, it can be difficult to regain control over your mind and body. However, there are exercises that you can learn to help you minimize and even stop a panic attack in some cases. These exercises include the following:
Reset your nervous system
Recent studies on panic attacks and the nervous system found that immediate exposure to cold water or temperatures can stop panic attacks. One study found that swimming in cold water stopped panic symptoms in specific individuals. A dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skill called the TIP skill also addresses this fact. The DBT workbook expresses that putting your face in a bowl of cold water or holding an ice pack against your face (safely) can help you calm down from emotional dysregulation. To practice the TIP skill for emotional distress regulation, consider the following steps:
- T: Change your body’s temperature
- I: Practice intense exercise
- P: Practice paced breathing and paired muscle relaxation techniques
Consider talking to a licensed counselor if you need support practicing the TIP skill. Many counselors are trained in DBT skills.
Focus on your breathing
Hyperventilation can be an unpleasant and unsettling symptom of panic attacks. When you are experiencing a panic attack, your breathing may become shallow. This shallow breathing could deprive your body of oxygen, which may make your other symptoms worse.
People might tell those who are panicking just to take a deep breath. However, it could be challenging and overwhelming to focus on deep breathing when you are hyperventilating, at least without assistance. Instead, it may be beneficial to use an app that provides guided deep breathing exercises. Breathing apps often have calming screens and soothing music; once downloaded, they can show you how to practice breathing exercises, including when to breathe in and out. These apps have the capability to help you manage panic attacks, though you may have to try a few before finding the right one for you.
You can also try a box breathing exercise by trying the following steps:
- Breathe in for five seconds.
- Hold your breath for four seconds.
- Breathe out for five seconds.
- Hold your breath for four seconds.
As you start to feel calmer, you may switch to normal breathing. Breathe through your nose and out through your mouth and focus on the sensation.
Consider the facts
Panic attacks can feel like medical emergencies to many. When having a panic attack, focus on the facts of the situation to determine the risk. Symptoms of a cardiac event may last longer than 30 minutes, while panic attacks may last for less. If you’re unsure, there may be a 24-hour nurse response line in your area that you can talk to. They may take a list of your symptoms and advise you whether to visit your emergency room or not.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Have I experienced these symptoms before?
- If I have experienced these symptoms before, were they due to a panic attack?
- Do I have a fever or a low oxygen level?
- Were there any triggers that may have caused me to feel this way?
- Do I have someone I can reach out to?
If you have a friend or family you trust, tell them what you’re experiencing. They may stay with you until the panic subsides and offer comfort. If you’re not having an attack but feel like you might, they can be there with you to provide a calming presence. This may be able to help prevent panic attacks from developing further (though not in all cases.)
While panicking, although you could feel you are dying, panic attacks do not often cause death. However, if you are unsure about your physical health after evaluating your situation, doctors recommend going to an urgent care or emergency room for evaluation. As panic attacks can have similar symptoms to a cardiac event or emergency, getting a doctor’s opinion may be beneficial.
Practice grounding
During a panic attack, you may experience tunnel vision and difficulty focusing on anything outside of the sensations or emotions you’re feeling. In addition to the above-listed suggestions, grounding can be a highly effective tool for panic. Grounding can mean focusing on the present, feeling “inside” your body, and reducing dissociation, which is commonly reported with panic attacks.
When you feel panicked, remind yourself to focus inward. First, ask yourself:
- What do I hear?
- What do I see in front of me?
- How does the surface I’m sitting, standing, or lying on feel?
- Are there any non-distressing smells?
You can use a skill like self-soothing from DBT to activate your five senses after reaching a point where you can move your body. To do so, find an activity you can do for each of your senses. For example, for touch, you might wear comfortable pajamas and snuggle with a pet. For sight, you might watch a movie. For taste, you might eat a small snack.
If you struggle to practice grounding in the moment of a panic attack, consider having a reminder on your wall that you can easily see or ask someone you care about to help you get started. If you have a therapist, you may be able to reach out to them for advice.
Seek help through therapy
If you have frequent panic attacks, consider seeking mental health care. Panic attacks can be the result of stress, trauma, and anxiety. With counseling, you may work with your therapist to understand the core issues and triggers for panic attacks. You may also learn new ways to strengthen your coping strategies to help you calm down sooner and more effectively from a panic attack.
If you have difficulty finding a therapist in your area or struggle to manage anxiety in public, you might also benefit from online therapy. With this treatment, you can reach out to your therapist through phone, video chat, or live chat sessions. You may also find that online counseling is more cost-effective than in-person modalities. Studies have shown that online cognitive-behavioral therapy effectively treats the emotional and physical symptoms of panic and anxiety. Other studies on depression treatment found that online therapy can also be more effective than in-person therapy.
Takeaway
Panic attacks can be scary and uncomfortable. They can make you feel powerless. However, with support and research-backed coping mechanisms, you may find methods of managing your physical and emotional symptoms.
With the assistance of a counselor, you can learn more about what causes your panic attacks and find ways to reduce anxiety. If you hope to receive medical advice, reach out to your primary care physician or psychiatrist. Medications in the benzodiazepine drug class and antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are also sometimes available for panic attacks.
Does drinking cold water help panic attacks?
Drinking cold water for panic attacks may not have the same effects on your nervous system that bathing in or splashing your face with cold water can. Some research shows that dehydration can contribute to anxiety, which may result in panic attacks, but unless you are dehydrated, drinking ice water may not help.
Can cold water on your face stop a panic attack?
Some research shows that placing your face in cold water, possibly with an ice cube or two, can help you calm down if you’re experiencing a panic attack or some other form of emotional dysregulation. External exposure to cold water or cold temperatures, in general, can help stop panic attacks by effectively resetting your nervous system.
Why does cold stop panic attacks?
Cold may help stop panic attacks in some people as it may activate the part of the parasympathetic nervous system that tells the body to relax after stressful events. There have been some studies that show cold water swimming can improve mental health, but there have been no large-scale studies that show cold water immersion alone can stop panic attacks or improve mental health.
How do you stop a panic attack fast?
The following tips may be able to help you stop a panic attack, though they may take longer to work for some people than others.
- Try the TIP skill. TIP stands for temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing, and paired muscle relaxation. To change your temperature, you can get a hot bath or a cold shower or go outside, depending on the season. Then, do some type of intense exercise. You can go for a run around the block, do jumping jacks in your living room, or pass the time by dancing in your bedroom. Try to maintain this activity for ten to 15 minutes. For paced breathing, you can do any breathing technique you feel comfortable with. A simple one is breathing in deeply through your nose for four seconds and out through your mouth for six seconds for one to two minutes. Finally, try progressive muscle relaxation. Sit or lie down somewhere comfortable. Start at the top of your head and move down your body, slowly tightening each muscle group for five seconds and then relaxing.
- Focus on your breathing. Paced breathing is part of the TIP skill, but it can also be effective on its own. When you experience a panic attack, your breathing may get faster and shallower. When you’re not breathing effectively, your body may not get enough oxygen, which can worsen your symptoms. While taking slow, deep breaths can help, trying something like a breathing app may be more helpful. Many breathing apps have soothing music and calming screens and give you cues so you can breathe effectively, which may be helpful in the moment if you aren’t thinking clearly.
- Practice grounding. Grounding techniques can help you focus on the present and how you feel in your body, which can help you through periods of tunnel vision or difficulty focusing that you might get when having a panic attack. There are many grounding exercises you can use. One of the easiest to remember may be the 54321 method, where you name five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
Are cold plunges good for anxiety?
No large-scale studies have proven that cold plunges alone are good for anxiety, though there is some anecdotal evidence. Studies have shown that cold water swimming can be beneficial to mental health, though there are some dangerous health risks involved.
What is good to drink for panic attacks?
Water can help if you’re dehydrated, and drinking a calming herbal tea, like chamomile, ashwagandha, or lavender, may help you calm down when you are anxious, but generally, a drink won’t stop a panic attack quickly. That said, there are some things you can drink that may make panic attacks worse. If you are prone to panic attacks or anxiety, it may be beneficial to avoid drinking caffeinated drinks, like black tea, green tea, coffee, and soft drinks. Studies show that caffeine intake can cause increased symptoms in someone with panic disorder.
How do I stop panic attacks at night?
Nocturnal panic attacks can happen without an obvious trigger, waking you from sleep. You may have sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, a rapid heart rate, chills, and a sense of impending doom. Luckily, nocturnal panic attacks and scary thoughts may only last a few minutes, but it can take you a while to calm down, which can significantly impact your sleep, leading to fatigue the next day.
To cope with the effects of panic attacks at night, you can try some of the same techniques you would during the day. While you may not want to use the TIP skill if you hope to get back to sleep, deep breathing and grounding exercises may help you calm your mind. Keep a stress ball beside your bed and squeeze it while doing deep breathing or grounding exercises. If you’re having nocturnal panic attacks, talk to your doctor, as they may result from an underlying medical condition, like a thyroid problem or sleep disorder. Treatment, including medication and cognitive behavioral therapy, can also prevent nighttime panic attacks or lessen their intensity.
What happens during a panic attack?
A panic attack is essentially your body’s fight-flight-freeze response, except no real threat exists. Something convinces the body that you are in danger, and it prepares to run, fight, or freeze in response to that danger.
Panic attacks cause psychological and physical effects on the body. Psychologically, you may experience intense fear and worry even though no real threat exists. You may get tunnel vision and not be able to focus on anything, or your hearing may get muffled.
Physically, you may feel lightheaded and struggle to think clearly. Your blood pressure and heart rate may increase, and you may start hyperventilating or breathing shallowly. Some people may feel warm or flushed, or you may get chills.
How can I cure my panic attacks naturally?
There are many ways to cope with panic attacks, including the techniques we covered in this article, like the TIP skill, ground exercises, and deep breathing techniques. But these may not be enough to stop panic attacks from happening. If you’re experiencing panic attacks, talk to a mental health professional to learn more about why they’re happening and what you can do to manage them.
How do you break a panic attack cycle?
You can try a few techniques to break a panic attack cycle. When a panic attack is occurring, use the TIP skill, deep breathing exercises, or grounding techniques to try to calm yourself down and get through it. To learn how to potentially stop your panic or anxiety attacks or to lessen their severity, talking to a therapist can help.
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