What Should I Do if I Have a Panic Attack?

Tips for calming down when experiencing panic

 

3 min read

 

A panic attack, by definition, arises suddenly. It is an acute onset of intense fear that reaches a peak within minutes and may include the following symptoms: accelerated heart rate, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath and/or the sensation of choking. People experiencing panic attacks also sometimes report fearing that they are dying or losing their minds. Suffice it to say, having a panic attack can be a terrifying experience. Life in New York City is stressful enough without the addition of mysterious and debilitating episodes of panic. 

Panic attacks can be activated by various situations common to New Yorkers, such as social events, feeling lost or trapped, conflict with another person, or finding yourself in a situation that reminds you of a stressful experience from your past. Although panic attacks do have defined triggers, a person experiencing panic may not realize what the trigger is initially. It can be hard to orient yourself and calm yourself down if you feel suddenly awful and have no idea why. 

If you do find yourself experiencing a panic attack, here are some strategies to help you cope. 

*Deep breathing: research data indicates that deep diaphragmatic breathing helps lower cortisol levels, reducing stress and panic. Normal breathing is fairly shallow; diaphragmatic breathing allows the lungs to fill fully, which in turn can help lower heart rate and blood pressure and promote relaxation.

*Mindfulness practices: finding a focus object to ground you in the present moment, allowing you to recognize that your emotional equilibrium is disrupted.

*Repeating a mantra (internally) may help you draw comfort from the awareness that this emotional disruption is transitory and will pass. 

The expectation is not to make the symptoms disappear completely, but to soften how frightening the symptoms are by making the situation feel a bit more controlled. 

All three of these suggestions are skills and/or coping strategies that can be developed and honed within the context of therapy. Seeking out therapy with a psychotherapist trained in a somatic therapy modality like AEDP, EMDR, Hakomi, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy or others, can further both your understanding of how to cope when experiencing panic, as well as what is precipitating the panic episodes.

“Engaging in mindfulness-based psychotherapy is an effective way to deepen your awareness of previously undetected affective states that contribute to stress, anxiety and panic.”

Stefan Allen-Hickey, a therapist who utilizes mindfulness techniques at Downtown Somatic Therapy in lower Manhattan, says many people who seek out therapy after a panic episode are initially primarily concerned with getting symptoms to stop. Once this is achieved, Stefan adds, people tend to have interest in understanding what caused the symptoms in the first place. “Engaging in mindfulness-based psychotherapy is an effective way to deepen your awareness of previously undetected affective states that contribute to stress, anxiety and panic”. Stefan has observed that some people, prior to having a panic attack, are not even aware that they are experiencing anxiety or stress at all. “For this reason, somatic-based therapies are great tools for contending with panic, as they tap into body awareness to detect signs of stress or anxiety that might not consciously register.”

“Somatic-based therapies are great tools for contending with panic, as they tap into body awareness to detect signs of stress or anxiety that might not consciously register.”

Meditation is another skill that, if practiced regularly over time, can have an impact on reducing or eliminating episodes of panic. A hallmark of most meditation practices is present-moment awareness, a learned ability that, among other effects, can help reign in our thoughts from spiraling into anxiety about the future. Skilled mindfulness-based psychotherapists can help integrate meditation practices into a successful course of therapy. 

If you are a New Yorker who has experienced a panic attack and would like some help in better understanding your experience, as well as reducing the likelihood or severity of future panic episodes, please reach out to a therapist at Downtown Somatic Therapy. 


For further reading, check out: What Is Anxiety and How Does Somatic Therapy Help?