How to Avoid or Stop a Panic Attack

Firstly, what is a panic attack?

A panic attack is a state of being overwhelmed. Rather than a process of being overwhelmed in our mind, it’s a state of being overwhelmed in our body. To be specific, it is our autonomic nervous system that becomes overwhelmed and shifts into a state of fight-or-flight. The opposite of fight-or-flight is called rest-and-digest, which is a state of being where we can relax and be in the world in a calm state.

While a panic attack can come on at any given moment, there is usually a trigger. The problem is that we don’t always know what the trigger is or at least we are not conscious of what the trigger is. The trigger may be in our unconscious, which is a bigger process that can be attended to and worked out in therapy, where we can address what experiences we’ve had that might have led to panic attacks or what unconscious traumas there are.

Why we can’t think our way out of a panic attack

There is really only one way to stop a panic attack and that is through slowing down the breath. Because panic attacks reside in the body rather than the mind, we can’t think our way out of it. The part of the brain that is ‘human’, which is physiologically different from animals and the latest part of the brain to have developed, is called the prefrontal cortex. Panic attacks - the overwhelm that takes over our system - predates the prefrontal cortex. When we perceive a trigger, which isn’t always conscious, it bypasses the prefrontal cortex and sends our system into a fight-or-flight reaction. The only way through it is through slowing down the breath.

How to stop a panic attack

You can learn to stop a panic attack in five fairly simple steps. These steps calm your nervous system down and move you from fight-or-flight into rest-and-digest. It is helpful to practice these steps when not in a crisis so that the actions become familiar to you. You can even practice these steps whilst moving around, like for instance walking down the street.

The five steps

(1) Keeping your eyes open, stand up or sit down with your feet flat on the floor. Bring your attention to your feet so that you can feel your weight gently pressing into the floor.

(2) Start breathing through your nose and slow down your breathing. Breathe in and out so that your breath reaches your stomach, not chest. Draw the air into your belt line and then let the air go. Do not push the air out, just allow it to expel naturally. Your stomach should be moving up and down slowly and gently as you breathe in and out. Placing your hands on your stomach can help to give more tactile awareness.

(3) As you continue breathing into your stomach, slowly bring your attention to your throat. Ask your throat to relax so that you feel some softness around the jaw and throat. You are instructing your body to relax. All the while keep breathing slowly. Your eyes should still be open.

(4) Now bring your attention to your tongue. Many of us when we are overwhelmed push our tongue to the front of our teeth or roof of our mouth. Ask your tongue to relax and allow it to hang in your mouth. You are bringing a sense of calm to your body all the way up from your stomach to your head.

(5) Now you are going to bring your senses online. The first of the senses you’re going to focus on is your hearing. What can you hear around you? Name what you can hear. Next, you’re going to focus on your sight. What can you see in front of you? Name what you can see. (Or select another of the senses to focus on, all the while keeping your eyes open). Going outside is also helpful so that you can feel a sense of space around you.

As well as stopping panic attacks, this is a strategy for just creating calm. It can be useful for treating anxiety as well. It is recommended to practice regular, slow breathing when you are not in a crisis to teach your mind and body to associate slow breathing with relaxation, so that when a panic attack does happen you are used to moving into this state.