What to Do During a Panic Attack
The counterintuitive truth about panic attacks: the harder you fight one, the longer it lasts. Panic feeds on the belief that the sensations are dangerous, so battling them confirms the danger. What works is the opposite — letting the wave rise and pass while you do less than your adrenaline demands. Here's how, from the therapists at Journey Counseling Center in Edmond.
In the moment
Name it. Say it plainly: "This is a panic attack. It will peak and pass." Panic typically crests within about ten minutes. You've survived every single one so far.
Lengthen your exhale. Breathe in for four counts, out for six or more. The long exhale is what signals your nervous system to stand down; big gulping breaths do the opposite and can feed the dizziness.
Ground in your senses. Name five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can touch. You're not distracting yourself from danger; you're giving your brain evidence there isn't any.
Stay put if you safely can. Fleeing the store or pulling off the road teaches your brain that the place was the threat. Riding the wave where you are, even badly, teaches it the opposite.
Drop your shoulders, unclench your jaw. Panic braces the body for impact. Releasing the brace tells the alarm there's nothing to brace for.
What not to do
Don't fight the sensations, don't flee unless you're genuinely unsafe, and don't build your life around avoiding the next one. Avoidance is how one panic attack becomes panic disorder: the attacks stay rare, but the dread becomes constant.
Making attacks rare instead of survivable
Everything above is first aid. It shortens attacks; it doesn't stop them from coming. Panic attack treatment goes after the engine itself, the fear of the sensations, using CBT approaches that are among the most effective in mental health. Most people who stick with treatment get their lives back in months.
If panic has started dictating where you drive, shop, or sleep, contact us. In person in Edmond, minutes from Oklahoma City, or online across Oklahoma.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a panic attack last?
Most peak within about ten minutes and fade within twenty to thirty, though the shaky, drained feeling can linger longer. Attacks that seem to last hours are usually waves of repeated surges, which treatment also addresses.
Can I have a panic attack in my sleep?
Yes. Nocturnal panic attacks wake people from sleep mid-surge, heart pounding, and they're more common than most people realize. They respond to the same treatment as daytime attacks.
Does breathing into a paper bag help?
Skip it. The long-exhale breathing above does the same job more safely. The bag trick can backfire, especially if there's any underlying medical condition.
