How to Stop a Panic Attack: What Actually Helps

This blog is adapted from one of our recent podcast episodes. You can take a listen at the button above.

Panic attacks are scary. I want to say that plainly before anything else, because I think sometimes clinical language can make them sound more manageable from the outside than they feel from the inside. When you're in the middle of one, it feels like something is genuinely, catastrophically wrong.

The good news is that panic attacks have very practical, tangible solutions. Scary and manageable can both be true at the same time.

In this blog post, we're going straight into it: what's actually happening during a panic attack, why it's not coming out of nowhere even when it feels like it is, and what to actually do about it.

Key Takeaways

In this blog post, you'll learn:

What's actually happening in the brain and body during a panic attack
Why panic attacks aren't coming from nowhere, even when they feel like they are
The difference between general anxiety and a panic attack
What to put in a panic attack bag and why physical grounding works better than verbal reasoning
The QR code idea I'm about to start suggesting to clients
When to see a prescriber about panic attacks

First: An Important Note

Before anything else: panic attacks can mimic the symptoms of a cardiac event. If you're ever in the moment and genuinely unsure whether you're having a panic attack or a cardiac event, go get checked out. Just do it. Once you know you're dealing with panic attacks, we can build a plan, but please don't skip the medical evaluation.

What's Actually Happening During a Panic Attack

The amygdala is doing what it's supposed to do - she just can't tell the difference between an actual threat and a perceived one.

When the amygdala detects something it evaluates as dangerous, it sounds all of the alarms. The body goes into full survival mode. Heart racing, breathing becomes difficult, the sense that something catastrophic is happening right now. That's the system working exactly as designed. The problem is that the amygdala fired without an actual threat in front of you.

So the body is in the most activated state it can possibly be, responding to a danger signal that isn't grounded in the current reality. And that is terrifying, because it feels exactly like dying.

We start there: understanding what's happening doesn't make it less intense, but it does make it less mysterious. And less mysterious is a place we can work from.

Why Panic Attacks Aren't Coming Out of Nowhere

One of the most common things I hear from clients who experience panic attacks is: "They just come out of nowhere." They don't. One or both of these things is almost always happening:

A slow buildup. Stress, anxiety, and nervous system activation accumulate over time. A panic attack is often the eruption of that accumulation - not a random event, but the tipping point of a system that's been quietly filling up.

A subconscious trigger. You may have no conscious awareness of what triggered you. It could be something as seemingly minor as the color of a street sign, a particular smell, a song that was playing during something difficult years ago. You can't always explain it in the moment. But something registered as threat, below the level of conscious thought, and the amygdala responded accordingly.

Knowing this matters. The panic attack isn't random. The panic attack isn't a sign that you're broken. It's a nervous system that has learned to detect certain things as dangerous, responding exactly the way it was designed to respond.

What's the Difference Between General Anxiety and a Panic Attack?

General anxiety is a question: is something bad going to happen? The system is ready, revving, preparing, waiting for the moment it needs to act. It's uncomfortable. It's draining. But it's anticipatory.

A panic attack is a declaration: something bad is happening right now. The system isn't preparing anymore. It's already fully activated. Maximum alarm. No question mark, just certainty that this is the moment.

General anxiety gets the system ready to rev up. A panic attack is the system as revved up as it can possibly get.

What to Do During a Panic Attack: Physical Grounding Over Verbal Reasoning

Here's the most important practical point in this post: do not try to verbally reason with someone who is in the middle of a panic attack. It will not work.

Would you walk up to a gazelle being chased by a lion and tell it to calm down? No. The gazelle should run. Its body is doing exactly what it should be doing given what its nervous system has assessed. Telling it to calm down is useless information in that moment.

The same is true for a human in a panic attack. Saying "you're okay, there's nothing to be afraid of" is not going to reach the amygdala. The amygdala is not listening to words right now. The amygdala is running survival protocols.

What works: physical grounding. We demonstrate to the body through physical experience, not words, that it is present in a safe environment and is not facing an immediate threat.

The Panic Attack Bag

If you experience panic attacks, I want you to have a panic attack bag. Here's what goes in it and why.

Something Strong to Smell

We want obnoxious. Vicks VapoRub. Carmex. Tea tree oil. Peppermint. Something with a very strong smell that engages the senses immediately.

Note: we're not looking for something that calms you down. We're looking for something that pulls you into the present moment through sheer sensory intensity. The goal is engagement, not relaxation.

Something to Move With

Put a ball in your panic attack bag. A stress ball works. A bouncy ball works. Then put written directions in the bag alongside it, because when you're in a panic attack, you will not remember what to do, and reading simple directions is something the brain can actually do in that state.

The directions should escalate the physical engagement:

Toss the ball against the wall
Toss it back and forth between your hands
Toss it in the air with your non-dominant hand and catch it with your non-dominant hand

We're asking the body to be responsive to more and more physical input. We're demonstrating that the body is capable of functioning, that it's present in a real environment, that the threat the amygdala detected isn't here.

Something Intensely Sour

Really sour candy works in a similar way to strong smell. It's a sensory input intense enough to pull the nervous system into the present moment. Taste and smell are two of the most effective grounding anchors for panic attacks.

The QR Code Idea

This one I haven't suggested to a client yet, but I'm about to start. You can put a QR code in your panic attack bag - one that, when scanned, does something pre-programmed and specific:

Automatically populates a text to a trusted person that says "I'm having a panic attack"
Pulls up a specific playlist
Plays an audio recording (your own voice, pre-recorded) walking you through exactly what to do

That last one is what I'm most excited about. Imagine pre-recording yourself, calm and clear, walking through your own panic attack bag directions in your own voice. Then when you're in a panic attack, you scan the code, and you hear yourself guiding you through it. I love that. If you try it, please tell me about it.

If panic attacks are affecting your daily life, I'd love to help. Book a free consultation at Seen Therapy Services →

When to See a Prescriber

I'm not a prescriber and I won't be discussing specific medications. But I want to be clear about this: if you have experienced five or more panic attacks in the past year and you haven't talked to a prescribing provider about it, I'd encourage you to do that.

Here's why: panic attacks can create neuroplasticity that works against us. The more the nervous system fires the panic response, the easier it becomes to fire it again. The pathway gets worn in. Over time, without intervention, panic attacks can become more frequent and more easily triggered, not less.

That doesn't mean medication is the only answer, or even the right answer for you. But it does mean it's worth having the conversation with a prescriber sooner rather than later if panic attacks are a pattern.

Frequently Asked Questions About Panic Attacks

What is a panic attack?

A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear or physical distress that triggers severe physical reactions when there's no real danger or apparent cause. The amygdala (the brain's threat-detection system) fires as though a life-threatening situation is occurring, sending the body into full survival mode: racing heart, difficulty breathing, chest tightness, dizziness, and an overwhelming sense that something catastrophic is happening.

How is a panic attack different from anxiety?

General anxiety is anticipatory - a sense that something bad might happen, with the nervous system staying revved up and ready. A panic attack is the nervous system at full activation - not anticipating danger but responding as though danger is happening right now, at maximum intensity.

Are panic attacks dangerous?

Panic attacks themselves are not medically dangerous, but they can feel exactly like a medical emergency, which is why it's important to rule out cardiac or other physical causes if you haven't already. Once you know you're dealing with panic attacks, they are very treatable.

Why do panic attacks seem to come out of nowhere?

They're almost never truly random. Either stress and nervous system activation have been slowly building to a tipping point, or a subconscious trigger has fired the response, something registered as threat below the level of conscious awareness. The trigger may not be identifiable in the moment, but it's there.

What actually helps during a panic attack?

Physical grounding works far better than verbal reasoning. Focus on sensory inputs that pull the nervous system into the present: strong smells (peppermint, Vicks, tea tree oil), intense tastes (sour candy), and physical movement that requires engagement (tossing a ball, catching with the non-dominant hand). Written directions in a panic attack bag are helpful because memory and executive function are compromised during a panic attack.

When should I see a doctor or prescriber about panic attacks?

If you have experienced five or more panic attacks in the past year, I'd encourage you to talk to a prescribing provider. The more the nervous system fires the panic response, the more easily it can be triggered. Early intervention can prevent the pattern from becoming more entrenched over time.

Can EMDR help with panic attacks?

Yes. EMDR is effective for addressing the underlying experiences and triggers that are driving the panic attack response. It works at the root of the pattern (the memories and beliefs that taught the nervous system to respond this way) rather than just managing symptoms in the moment.

Related Resources

Hello. Hello. Hello, friends, welcome to the podcast where we simplify everything about mental health. Just kidding. But here's what we are gonna do. We're gonna sit down together a licensed mental health professional, that's me and a regular old Joe as my husband Garth would describe himself. We're gonna talk about the nitty gritty of EMDR, some nervous system mapping, how couples can help each other heal. What's healthy parenting actually look like? Maybe a little bit of good old banter mixed in. All with the goal of making mental health a little bit simpler for you. Quick note, because my lawyer says that I have to, I'm a therapist, but not your therapist. Unless I am. Even if I am. This is still just a podcast. Okay, now have a good listen. Hello, hello, hello, folks. It is just me today, another solo episode. I do have a cough drop in. We're dealing with a little bit of scratchy throat here in the, the Minnick house. Garth, again, is not here, but he would want me to bant. So, what are we banting about today? Since it's relevant, we're talking about an, a little bit of an obsession that we have, and that is Ricola cough drops. So many sponsors that could really just fully embrace our family, because we are walking billboards for things. We talk about the stuff we love all the time. You guys know I'm a huge Olipop fan. Got my Ricola cough drops, Hydro Jug, huge fan. Like, I could grab 10 more things. I don't feel like we're, like, huge consumers, but when we love something, we go all in. I, I think that's just, that's our story in general, but anyway. All right. I didn't tell you what we were talking about today, so what are we talking about today? Per audience request, we are talking about panic attacks, and goodness. Whoa. If you are watching the video, you just got confirmation that I'm an ugly cougher. Or at least I do ugly coughing. I don't wanna call myself ugly. I do ugly coughing. That's for sure. All right, back to panic attacks. So the thing about panic attacks is they can be really scary for people, and there are really specific solutions for them. Now, before we get into what to do about panic attacks, I want to be clear that panic attacks can mimic symptoms that would come along with a cardiac event. If you are wondering, "Am I having a panic attack? Am I experiencing a cardiac event?" go get checked out. Just do it. Okay? It's gonna be good. It's gonna be fine Go get checked out. All right? All right. And once you are like, "You know what? I'm dealing with panic attacks," here's what we are going to do. I'm gonna look at my notes, 'cause I don't wanna miss anything. Always looking at the notes. All right First, we're going to have an understanding of what's actually going on. So let me tell you The good old amygdala. It's got a lot of responsibility. We can't blame her for everything. She's, she's holding a lot. Okay? Sometimes she detects a threat when there is not one. She thinks something scary is going on, and, like, something inside our brain and body is scary, but there's nothing around us that's actually scary. But she can't tell the difference, and so she sounds all of the alarms, and the body goes into survival mode, and it should. She told it that it was gonna die, so it should, and it does, and there we are thinking we're dying. So that's rough. Okay. Here's another thing I want us to consider. A lot of my clients will say to me, "It seems like these panic attacks are just coming out of nowhere." They are not. One of two things is happening, maybe both. Oftentimes both. There has been a slow buildup that has led to this eruption of a stress response. Okay? That's probably happening. Here's another thing that's probably happening. You have been subconsciously triggered even though you're not consciously triggered. Okay? It can be something simple, as simple as the color of a street sign, and you can't really tell me exactly why that street sign made you so uncomfortable and then led to heavy, difficult breathing, but it did and we will get to the bottom of it. Okay? So one, things are slowly building up, and two, things are happening subconsciously that you're not even aware of that are triggering you. Okay. So we are going to forgive the amygdala for what she has done, and then we are going to acknowledge that this isn't happening for no reason. All right? Those are the first two things Why is a panic attack different than general anxiety? Okay So we're stepping away from clinical terms here, but just general anxiety is going around, it- and it's more of like it's a question, right? Is something bad going to happen? Feels like it could at any moment. Panic attack is like, something bad happened. I thought I might scream, but my kids are sleeping, so I'm not gonna do that. Panic attack is explosive. It is not the questioning, when is something bad going to happen? It feels like something bad is going to happen. It is something bad happened. We are dying. Okay? So that's the difference. Anxiety kind of gets that system ready to rev up as soon as it needs to. Panic attack is that system as revved up as it possibly can be. All right? So we're gonna be mindful of that. Okay, then, how do we practically respond to a panic attack? Well, if you're a client of mine, you're gonna have a panic attack bag if you experience panic attacks. And here's what you're gonna have in your panic attack bag. You're gonna have things that focus on grounding because when we are working with somebody who has experienced panic attacks, whether we're working with them professionally or we're trying to help somebody that we love, or we've experienced panic attacks, we want to focus on physical... Oh, what were the words I put earlier? I think they were really good. Physical grounding versus verbal reasoning. Physical grounding versus verbal reasoning. We are not going to try to verbally reason with someone who is in the middle of a panic attack. It is not going to work. Would you walk up to the gazelle being chased by the lion and tell it to calm down? No. No. Run faster, gazelle. If you're gonna talk to them, I, I don't know. Like I, I don't know in what world it would be helpful to be like, "You think you're dying, and it makes complete sense that you're responding this way. Keep it up." Right? Like keep running. I, I don't know. I... Let's not do that. So we're not gonna try to verbally reason with somebody that's having a panic attack. We are going to work on physically grounding them. How do we do that? In our panic attack bag, we're gonna have something they can smell. We want this to be obnoxious. We're thinking Vicks Vapor, Vapor Rub rub. We're thinking Carmex, right? We're thinking tea tree oil. We're thinking peppermint. We are thinking things that have a very, very strong smell, not necessarily what calms them down. In fact, we don't really want a scent that calms them down. We want a scent that engages them. We can have some sound stuff, whether that be like a playlist that they listen to or even like a little noise maker. Sound I've seen like iffy results from. Smell is a, a solid one. Here's another solid one: having something that our body has to respond to. Now, this could be a game on your phone but I like to keep things simple and low tech in the middle of a panic attack, so I tell my clients to put some sort of ball in their panic attack bag. It can be a stress ball. It can b- be a bouncy ball. I want them to also put directions in their panic attack bag, and those directions, amongst other things, they're going to tell them to start by tossing the ball against the wall, to toss the ball back and forth between their hands, to toss the ball in the air with their non-dominant hand and catch it with their non-dominant hand. We're increasing our engagement, right? We're asking the body to do more, more, more, to be responsive to more, more, more. We are demonstrating to the body that it is present in a safe environment. It is not facing an immediate threat anymore, okay? So there are lots of other things that we can put in our panic attack bag. I'll name one more. Really sour candy works in the same way as kind of obnoxious smell. So taste and smell and then kinesthetic y- you know, so like movement those are gonna be the biggest bangs for our bucks with, panic attack bags. It's not that we can't put other things in panic attack bags, we can, but that is where I've seen the most results. So, happy to walk through that a little bit more. If you have experienced a panic attack and you want to come seek some treatment for that, we can talk about what to put in your panic attack bag, but that will at least get you started. Okay? I had said in a previous episode, it wasn't specifically on panic attacks, it was generalized anxiety, there are so many creative things that we can do now. You could make a QR code to put in your panic attack bag that will automatically, when you scan it, populate a text to send to your best friend saying you're having a panic attack. Or bring up a pl- you know, a playlist, or even bring up an audio of you explaining to yourself what to do when you're having a panic attack. I haven't had a client do that one yet, but I think I'm gonna encourage somebody to. You could literally put a QR code in your panic attack bag. You scan it, right? It says, "Scan me," on it. You scan it, and you could pre-record you walking yourself through directions for your panic attack bag. I love that. Somebody do that and tell me about it. That sounds so wonderful. Okay, so here's what I wanna wrap up with. Guys, when I'm solo episode, episoding, I just made that a verb, don't tell Garth, but, like, dang. We're at 11 and a half minutes. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but we're getting it done over here. Okay, so- How I wanna wrap up panic attacks. They're scary, and there are very practical solutions to them. Twofold, right? Scary stuff, also very practical solutions. One thing I did not mention, if you're watching this video, I am so sorry. I have now coughed and itched my nose, like, 10 times. I am not a prescriber. I will not be discussing specific prescriptions. However if you have been trying to manage panic attacks without a prescription and you have experienced five or more panic attacks in the past year, I would really encourage you to go see a prescribing provider and discuss that with them because there is some neuroplasticity that's going to work not in our favor here. And we are going to-- It's going to start getting easier and easier to have panic attacks at, at some point. So, I will slip that in before we wrap up. Again, final note panic attack, panic attacks are scary, and there are also really tangible, practical solutions to resolving panic attacks. So, I understand that they, they're big and they elicit big responses from, you know, people that, that see them happening because of that. And also they can be really manageable. All right? Thank you, guys. Appreciate your listen, as always. I'll talk to you soon. Well, that's all folks. Please see our show notes for ways to connect with us or go give us a follow on Instagram. You can find us at Simply Mental. If this episode resonated with you, send it over to a friend. Give us a five star rating. Subscribe. Download all the things the cool kids are doing these days. Thanks for having to listen.