Panic attacks are sudden, intense surges of fear, panic, or anxiety. They are overwhelming, and they have physical as well as emotional symptoms.
Many people with panic attacks may have difficulty breathing, sweat profusely, tremble, and feel their hearts pounding.
Some people will also experience chest pain and a feeling of detachment from reality or themselves during a panic attack, so they may think theyโre having a heart attack. Others have reported feeling like they are having a stroke.
Panic attacks can be scary and may hit you quickly. Here are 11 strategies you can use to try to stop a panic attack when youโre having one or when you feel one coming on:
1. Use deep breathing: While hyperventilating is a symptom of panic attacks that can increase fear, deep breathing can reduce symptoms of panic during an attack.
If youโre able to control your breathing, youโre less likely to experience the hyperventilating that can make other symptoms โ and the panic attack itself โ worse.
2. Recognize that youโre having a panic attack: By recognizing that youโre having a panic attack instead of a heart attack, you can remind yourself that this is temporary, it will pass, and that youโre okay.
3. Close your eyes: Some panic attacks come from triggers that overwhelm you. If youโre in a fast-paced environment with a lot of stimuli, this can feed your panic attack.
4. Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness can help ground you in the reality of whatโs around you. Since panic attacks can cause a feeling of detachment or separation from reality, this can combat your panic attack as itโs approaching or actually happening.
5. Find a focus object: Some people find it helpful to find a single object to focus all of their attention on during a panic attack. Pick one object in clear sight and consciously note everything about it possible.
6. Use muscle relaxation techniques: Much like deep breathing, muscle relaxation techniques can help stop your panic attack in its tracks by controlling your bodyโs response as much as possible.
Consciously relax one muscle at a time, starting with something simple like the fingers in your hand, and move your way up through your body.
