A panic attack is a big, full-body reaction of fear in you—as though there was a vicious dog threatening you—but there is no dog there. You are very revved up, but there is no identifiable stimulus. Yet the fear you feel is every bit as real. Right now we are not sure what is causing it. A scientist would say that your flight/freeze/fight response has been triggered.

Your heart is racing, and you are sweating and breathing shallow or panting. It can feel like your heart is going to pound right out of your chest. A panic attack can feel just like a heart attack and you should be checked out with an ECG just to make sure.

However you may have been through this many times before, and you may have had one or several EKGs and they all showed that you have had no heart attack. Here are some suggestions for how to lower your level of anxiety if you are sure you are having “only” a panic attack.

Basically my method of help right now will be to get your mind and body focused on something else. That won’t tell us why you had the attack, but it will definitely calm your symptoms. Of course a panic attack is so intense that it is not so easy just to “think about something else.” It will help most if you can contact someone you trust who will take firm control of the conversation and keep your attention moving away from the panic.

Of the people you love and who love you, whom would you like to call first? You can go ahead and make that call now…

If you cannot reach one of your friends, and it is just you and me and your panic, let’s try this: I have used this method to help lots of folks in the past, and I am sure it will help you, too.

Take a nice deep breath in an unhurried way. That is probably hard to do, isn’t it? You have been panting or breathing shallow and you may not be able to slow yourself or breathe deeply yet. Interesting, isn’t it? But try a few more. Deliberately tune into your breathing and try to take deeper breaths. You may find you make some progress if you push your belly out as you breath in. Try to look like you are 7 months pregnant on each in-breath…

At first this may seem hokey and superficial and NO MATCH FOR THE PANIC THAT IS RIPPING THROUGH YOU. I understand. People have conveyed that to me before. You may even feel annoyed with me for suggesting such a stupid idea… But keep an open mind, will you? Try a few more of these breaths. They certainly won’t hurt you. Continue to take control of your breathing by pushing out your belly on each in-breath and then letting the breath out slo-o-o-wly. Can you keep reading and continue the slow breaths? If you can’t do both at once—if you find yourself going back to panting while you read—then stop reading and just concentrate on “Dave’s Patented 7-Months Pregnant Slow In-Breath Method.” Since I invented this and have exclusive rights to this form of breathing I will be sending you a bill for each of “my” breaths that you take at the end of this article. I also have a convenient payment plan that you may use. (You DO get that this is a joke, right?)

If you can, keep breathing and add some gentle muscle stretches now. When people are in panic their muscles tighten up, which intensifies their distress. You can undo the panic by not doing panic breathing, and by uncoiling your panic-charged muscles. Gently give your arms and legs and neck each a 15-30 second stretch. Pay attention to how much of a difference this makes—to the pleasant tingle that replaces the tightness. Hey—that’s nice, isn’t it? Don’t overlook your smaller muscles that would also enjoy being released. Your calves. Your neck. Your jaw and face.

Continue breathing deeply and slowly. Stretching deeply and slowly and gently. As you do these you are activating your relaxation response—which is the exact opposite, the antidote, to the flight-or-fight response you involuntarily activated when you went into panic. Stay with this and you will feel yourself get more accurate, more skillful, more effective at “Dave’s Program of Deep Breathing and Deep Stretching” (which you can use at a discount if you are a regular customer).

Your panic attack may last 10 minutes or so. I know, a few do go longer—but a lot don’t. And as you continue to breathe and stretch, and even more so if you call your friend and breathe and stretch, you will feel all that fear drain away…Drain away…Drain away…Replaced by calmness and the reassurance that you are safe.

It might be practical to put together a little card and keep it in your wallet or purse. You can look at it and it will reassure you the next time you start to feel anxiety build up inside. Print soothing reminders on it that you know will help when you are starting to feel afraid. Use statements that have helped ground you in the past. You might print things like this:




				If You Are Having a Panic Attack Right Now...


					A panic attack is a big, full-body reaction of fear in you—as though there was a vicious dog threatening you—but there is no dog there. You are very revved up, but there is no identifiable stimulus. Yet the fear you feel is every bit as real. Right now we are not sure what is causing it. A scientist would say that your flight/freeze/fight response has been triggered. Your heart is racing, and you are sweating and breathing shallow or panting. It can feel like your heart is going to pound right out of your chest. A panic attack can feel just like a heart attack and you should be checked out with an ECG just to make sure. However you may have been through this many times before, and you may have had one or several EKGs and they all showed that you have had no heart attack. Here are some suggestions for how to lower your level of anxiety if you are sure you are having “only” a panic attack. Basically my method of help right now will be to get your mind and body focused on something else. That won’t tell us why you had the attack, but it will definitely calm your symptoms. Of course a panic attack is so intense that it is not so easy just to “think about something else.” It will help most if you can contact someone you trust who will take firm control of the conversation and keep your attention moving away from the panic. Of the people you love and who love you, whom would you like to call first? You can go ahead and make that call now… If you cannot reach one of your friends, and it is just you and me and your panic, let’s try this: I have used this method to help lots of folks in the past, and I am sure it will help you, too. Your Relaxation Response Take a nice deep breath in an unhurried way. That is probably hard to do, isn’t it? You have been panting or breathing shallow and you may not be able to slow yourself or breathe deeply yet. Interesting, isn’t it? But try a few more. Deliberately tune into your breathing and try to take deeper breaths. You may find you make some progress if you push your belly out as you breath in. Try to look like you are 7 months pregnant on each in-breath… At first this may seem hokey and superficial and NO MATCH FOR THE PANIC THAT IS RIPPING THROUGH YOU. I understand. People have conveyed that to me before. You may even feel annoyed with me for suggesting such a stupid idea… But keep an open mind, will you? Try a few more of these breaths. They certainly won’t hurt you. Continue to take control of your breathing by pushing out your belly on each in-breath and then letting the breath out slo-o-o-wly. Can you keep reading and continue the slow breaths? If you can’t do both at once—if you find yourself going back to panting while you read—then stop reading and just concentrate on “Dave’s Patented 7-Months Pregnant Slow In-Breath Method.” Since I invented this and have exclusive rights to this form of breathing I will be sending you a bill for each of “my” breaths that you take at the end of this article. I also have a convenient payment plan that you may use. (You DO get that this is a joke, right?) If you can, keep breathing and add some gentle muscle stretches now. When people are in panic their muscles tighten up, which intensifies their distress. You can undo the panic by not doing panic breathing, and by uncoiling your panic-charged muscles. Gently give your arms and legs and neck each a 15-30 second stretch. Pay attention to how much of a difference this makes—to the pleasant tingle that replaces the tightness. Hey—that’s nice, isn’t it? Don’t overlook your smaller muscles that would also enjoy being released. Your calves. Your neck. Your jaw and face. Continue breathing deeply and slowly. Stretching deeply and slowly and gently. As you do these you are activating your relaxation response—which is the exact opposite, the antidote, to the flight-or-fight response you involuntarily activated when you went into panic. Stay with this and you will feel yourself get more accurate, more skillful, more effective at “Dave’s Program of Deep Breathing and Deep Stretching” (which you can use at a discount if you are a regular customer). Your panic attack may last 10 minutes or so. I know, a few do go longer—but a lot don’t. And as you continue to breathe and stretch, and even more so if you call your friend and breathe and stretch, you will feel all that fear drain away…Drain away…Drain away…Replaced by calmness and the reassurance that you are safe. Preparation for next time It might be practical to put together a little card and keep it in your wallet or purse. You can look at it and it will reassure you the next time you start to feel anxiety build up inside. Print soothing reminders on it that you know will help when you are starting to feel afraid. Use statements that have helped ground you in the past. You might print things like this: