Panic Attacks: What Is Happening in Your Body and How to Calm It
Panic attacks explained: what is happening in your body, why it feels so terrifying, and practical ways to calm a panic attack and reduce how often they happen.
A panic attack can feel like a heart attack, like you cannot breathe, or like you are about to die or lose control. Here is the reassurance to hold onto in that moment. A panic attack is not dangerous, it will pass, and what you are feeling is a false alarm from your body's survival system, not a sign that something is physically wrong.
What is happening in your body
A panic attack is your fight or flight system firing when there is no real danger. Adrenaline surges, your heart races, your breathing quickens, and blood shifts to your muscles. Every terrifying sensation, the pounding heart, the dizziness, the tingling, is your body preparing to protect you. It is intensely uncomfortable, but it is not harmful, and it always peaks and passes, usually within minutes.
How to ride out an attack
- Slow your breathing. Breathe out longer than you breathe in. A long exhale signals your body that it is safe.
- Ground yourself. Name five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can touch. This pulls you back to the present.
- Remind yourself. Tell yourself, this is panic, it is not dangerous, and it will pass. Fighting it feeds it. Letting the wave rise and fall lets it go faster.
Why they happen
Panic attacks often show up during periods of high stress, and they can be linked to anxiety or trauma. Sometimes a first attack seems to come from nowhere, and then the fear of another one begins to shrink your life. That fear of fear is exactly what therapy can interrupt.
What helps long term
Panic responds very well to treatment. Therapy helps you understand the cycle, change your relationship to the sensations so they lose their power, and calm the underlying stress. Skills from DBT and ACT are especially useful here. You do not have to organize your life around avoiding the next attack.
Frequently asked questions
Are panic attacks dangerous?
No. As terrifying as they feel, panic attacks are not physically dangerous. They are a false alarm from your fight or flight system, and they always peak and pass, usually within minutes.
How do I calm a panic attack?
Slow your breathing with a longer exhale than inhale, ground yourself by naming things you can see, hear, and touch, and remind yourself that this is panic, it is not dangerous, and it will pass.
Why do I get panic attacks?
They often arise during high stress and can be linked to anxiety or trauma. Sometimes the fear of having another attack keeps the cycle going, which is something therapy can effectively interrupt.
If you are not safe right now, call or text 988 in the U.S. or dial 911. Outside the U.S., call your local emergency number. This article is general education, not a substitute for care tailored to you.
About the author
SoundHeart Counseling is a relationship practice in Alaska’s Mat-Su Valley and the home of NeuroRelational Belonging Theory™. We offer licensed counseling in Alaska and Ohio, and coaching, retreats, and training for people everywhere. Our articles are general education written from the same practice-first approach. About SoundHeart
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