Panic Attacks: 3 Quick Hacks To Calm Down

We all have heard people say that they had a panic attack. But what are panic attacks? How do they occur? So apparently in 2019, the World Health Organization said something like 301 million people had anxiety disorder, and 58 million of those were kids and teens. 

A panic attack can feel absolutely terrifying. In a moment, it can seem like you are losing control or even that something really bad is going to happen. But it’s not life-threatening. With the right treatment and support, it is something you can manage.

What helps? Firstly, actually realizing what’s happening. A lot of people don’t even know they are having panic attacks. Additionally, to even realize someone is having panic attacks or you having them, you need to be aware of their common signs and symptoms.

What Is A Panic Attack?

A panic attack is a sharp, powerful, uncontrollable sensation of worry, fear, dread, and intense physical reactions. It can happen for a short time or for a long time. It is a severe issue that impacts people’s physical and emotional health.

Simple Explanation

When someone has a panic attack, their body basically acts like there’s real danger, even if everything around them is fine. It is the “fight or flight mode” thing kicking in, but without a reason you can see. Your heart races, you might feel dizzy, and it honestly feels like something terrible is happening, even though it is not.

To give you some perspective, between 1990 and 2019, more and more people around the world started dealing with anxiety disorders. By 2019, around 3.94% of the global population was living with it according to NIH research data. That’s a massive number, and it shows how common and serious this really is.

Is It A Heart Attack Or A Panic Attack? How To Tell The Difference

It is easy to mistake a panic attack for a heart attack, after all, they share some similar symptoms. But there are key differences that can help you identify them:

Heart Attack: The pain usually feels like a heavy pressure or tightness in the chest. The pain can also spread to the arm, jaw, or back. Other signs like nausea, dizziness, and heavy sweating are also common.

Panic Attack: The pain is sharp or stabbing and does not spread to other parts of the body. Your heart races, and you can also feel dizzy or lightheaded. One big difference? Panic attacks often happen suddenly and do not last as long as heart attacks.

Why Do Panic Attacks Happen?

When our body encounters a terrifying situation, a panic attack happens. When the amygdala, a part of the brain that processes fear, detects something fearful, it stimulates the sympathetic nervous system. 

It regulates the production of adrenaline in the body. Adrenaline causes a rise in heart rate, breathing rate, and oxygen delivery to the muscles, lungs, arms, and brain, which increases alertness and leads to other symptoms of a panic attack.

Now that we know what a panic attack is, let’s discuss the different types and how they occur.

Types Of Panic Attacks

Panic attacks can be different on the basis of what triggered them, their duration, and their intensity. Here is what you need to know about each one.

So, there are two types of Panic Attacks:

1. Expected Panic Attacks

• Attacks are expected to occur when a person is exposed to specific cues or panic triggers.
• For instance, a person with claustrophobia (a fear of small, enclosed spaces) can feel like having panic attacks in an elevator or other confined spaces.

2. Unexpected Panic Attacks

• Unexpected panic attacks strike without warning or apparent cause. A person may be at ease before experiencing unplanned panic attack symptoms.
• No internal cognitive indicators, such as anxious thoughts, emotions of great dread and worry, or unpleasant bodily sensations, indicate that this sort of panic attack is occurring.

How Do We Recognize A Panic Attack?

Panic attacks occur suddenly without any warning. Normally, panic attack symptoms start suddenly and peak in a few minutes. After a panic attack has passed, the symptoms will entirely go away, or the person may continue to feel nervous, possibly going through the panic cycle once again.

Individuals who encounter panic attacks experience a variety of physical and emotional symptoms mentioned below:-

1. Physical Symptoms

• Raising of the heartbeat
• Sweating
• Shaking
• Problem in breathing
• Chest pain 
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• A sudden feeling of intense coldness and warmth

2. Emotional Symptoms

• Being detached from oneself (depersonalization) and reality (derealization)
• Fear of dying
• Feeling of numbness 
• Fear of losing control of oneself
• Intense fear
• Feel like something terrible is going to happen

Why Are Panic Attacks Common Today?

Here are a few factors that are responsible for panic attacks. Although the exact cause of the panic attack is not known yet. The following are some of the various factors responsible for the panic attack:

1. Genetics 

It is thought that anxiety disorders like panic attacks run in families. There is a potential that an anxiety condition may be passed down to future generations if someone in the family has one.

2. Stressful Event

It is stated that there is a probability of developing a Panic attack if a person has undergone trauma or is under any form of stress.

3. Imbalance In Neurotransmitters

A research review by NIH states that an imbalance in neurotransmitters can cause panic attacks. However, any imbalance in neurotransmitters serotonin, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), and norepinephrine/epinephrine is responsible for the occurrence of panic attacks.

How To Stop A Panic Attack In The Moment?

When one experiences a panic attack, the dread of experiencing another episode also begins to emerge in people, which is why one starts engaging in activities to prevent having another panic attack. 

So, here are some strategies that one might use to remain calm and deal with the situation:

1. Grounding techniques (5-4-3-2-1 method)
2. Deep breathing
3. Use distraction or cold therapy

1. Grounding Techniques (5-4-3-2-1 Method)

Grounding exercise is the best technique to calm anxiety during a panic attack. It helps individuals to be aware of where they are, so they feel relaxed and in control of the situation. Also, it helps to bring your focus from the outside world to yourself.

The most common grounding exercise is the 54321 exercise. In this, you have to identify:- 

• 5 things you can see
• 4 things you can touch
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can hear

2. Deep Breathing 

Moreover, during panic attacks, one finds difficulty in breathing. Importantly, at that time, one should do deep breathing to relax. Try the 4-7-8 technique:

Steps:

• Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts.
• Hold your breath for 7 counts.
• Breathe out slowly through your mouth for 8 counts.
• Repeat this for 1–2 minutes or until you feel better.

3. Distraction Or Cold Therapy

Sometimes your brain needs a quick reset. In that case, you use cold therapy to calm your nervous system.

Here’s what you can try:

• Splash your face with cold water.
• Hold a cold pack or an ice cube in your hands.
• Sip chilled water slowly.

These cold sensations activate the vagus nerve, which helps calm your nervous system. You can try a distraction such as counting backwards, listening to music, or naming your favourite movies.

How Panic Attacks Can Be Managed And Treated?

Although there is no cure available for panic disorder, there are several methods for managing symptoms. The most typical options involve taking:

• Medication
• Psychotherapy

During panic attacks, most sufferers with panic disorder can attempt these measures and engage in self-care activities. These medications and psychotherapy can reduce the frequency and severity of panic attacks.

• Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy, also known as ‘talk therapy,’ in which a client expresses their problem to the therapist. It not only helps you understand your panic attack, but also your coping skills. Cognitive behavior therapy is a form of psychotherapy used to treat Panic Attacks.

Now, let’s learn more about cognitive behavioral therapy and how it is beneficial:

CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) 

It is one of the effective psychotherapies that is used to treat panic attacks. It helps to understand their panic attack triggers and then helps them learn how they can appropriately deal with them. It’s an exposure therapy in which an individual faces the situation that triggers their attack and makes them anxious. Furthermore, also build their confidence to manage the situation without making them uneasy.

• Medication

It helps to reduce and manage the symptoms of a panic attack. It gives relief to individuals, no doubt, but in addition, it can create dependencies.

(Note: Before taking medication, consult your doctor first, and ask about the medicine’s benefits, risks, and side effects too.)

Strategies To Avoid a Panic Attack

When one experiences a panic attack, there is a probability that the person will experience subsequent episodes of panic attacks in the future. To lower the likelihood of experiencing additional attacks, one should adopt certain habits or adjust some aspects of their lifestyle.

There are a few strategies that individuals can use to prevent panic attacks :

•  Follow a Healthy Diet

Diet plays a vital role in managing stress, mood, and mental health. A balanced, healthy diet is essential to control various mental illnesses, including panic attacks. As a result, maintaining a healthy diet reduces mood fluctuation, keeps you happy, and increases your concentration.

• Do Exercise

Regular physical exercise helps improve your mood, enhance self-esteem, and increase your energy level. It’s the best way to relieve the physical and mental tension, in turn reducing the feeling of fear and worry.

• Practice Deep Breathing

Rapid and fast breathing is a common symptom of panic attacks. Deep breathing reduces heart rate and blood pressure, decreases the level of the stress hormone, balances the level of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, and promotes the feeling of control and wellbeing.

Focus on your breath, inhale deeply, hold it for a while, and then exhale from the mouth.

• Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol, And Smoking 

Especially, one should avoid taking this as it can make panic attacks worse by increasing anxiety and depression symptoms, and affecting the coping skills of individuals. 

A Quick Summary

In short, a panic attack is a sudden experience of intense fear and physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and dizziness. It lasts for a few minutes or longer, and it can seriously affect physical and emotional health. 

Why Do Panic Attacks Happen?

The amygdala (fear center in the brain) triggers a release of adrenaline, speeds up heart rate and breathing, which causes panic symptoms.

Types of Panic Attacks

1. Expected Panic Attacks: Triggered by known fears (e.g., claustrophobia).
   
2. Unexpected Panic Attacks: Occur suddenly without any obvious trigger.

How Do We Recognize A Panic Attack?

Physical Symptoms:

• Rapid heartbeat
• Sweating
• Shaking
• Breathing issues
• Chest pain
• Dizziness

Emotional Symptoms:

• Fear of dying
• Feeling detached
• Intense fear
• Fear of losing control

How To Stop a Panic Attack in the Moment

Grounding Techniques (5-4-3-2-1 Method)

Focus on your senses:

• 5 things you can see
• 4 things you can touch
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste

Deep Breathing (Pranayama)

Try the 4-7-8 method:

• Inhale for 4 seconds
• Hold for 7 seconds
• Exhale for 8 seconds
• Repeat until you feel calm.

Using Distraction or Cold Therapy

• Splash your face with cold water
• Hold ice cubes
• Sip cold water
• Distract with music, counting, or naming things you like

How Panic Attacks Can Be Managed And Treated

1. Psychotherapy (Talk Therapy)

• CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy): Identifies and reframes panic triggers, uses exposure therapy to build coping skills.

2. Medication: Helps manage symptoms but may have side effects or cause dependency. Always consult a doctor first.

Strategies To Avoid a Panic Attack

1. Follow a healthy diet
2. Do exercise
3. Practice deep breathing
4. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and smoking

Frequently Asked Questions

How To Deal With A Panic Attack? 

When you get a panic attack, take slow, deep breaths and try grounding techniques like naming 5 things you see, 4 things you touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you taste. Also, keep reminding yourself that it will pass and you are safe.

What Does A Panic Attack Feel Like? 

A panic attack feels like sudden, intense fear with symptoms like a racing heart, breathlessness, or chest pain. It can feel like losing control or even like you are dying, or even when there’s no real danger.

What Is The Root Cause Of Panic Attacks? 

The root cause of panic attacks is not always clear, but it often involves a mix of stress, genetics, and brain chemistry. An overactive fear response in the brain can trigger panic even when there’s no real danger.

Why Do I Get Panic Attacks For No Reason?

You can get a panic attack for no clear reason because your brain’s fear system gets triggered without a real threat. This can happen due to stress, past trauma, or chemical imbalances in the brain.

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