Patient resource
Panic attacks: what they are and what to do
Clinically reviewed by Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC on · Last updated
A panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear that peaks within minutes, often with a racing heart, shortness of breath, chest tightness, dizziness, or a feeling that something is terribly wrong (NIMH). The sensations are real and intensely uncomfortable, but a panic attack is not dangerous in itself and it passes. When attacks keep happening or you dread the next one, that is worth an evaluation.
Panic attacks are frightening enough that people often think they are having a medical emergency the first time. This explains what is actually happening and what helps — as one piece of anxiety treatment in North Carolina.
What happens during a panic attack?
Your body’s alarm system fires when there is no real danger. The result is a set of physical symptoms that come on fast and peak within minutes: pounding or racing heart, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, nausea, dizziness, and a sense of unreality or doom (MedlinePlus). Because the heart and breathing symptoms are so prominent, panic attacks are frequently mistaken for a heart problem.
The symptoms are a false alarm, not a sign your body is failing. Knowing that does not make an attack pleasant, but it changes what you do next.
What can you do in the moment?
The goal is to ride it out rather than fight it, because a panic attack peaks and then eases on its own. A few things people find help:
- Slow your breathing. Breathe out for longer than you breathe in; this counters the rapid, shallow breathing that fuels the physical symptoms.
- Name what it is. Telling yourself “this is a panic attack, it will pass” reduces the secondary fear that a catastrophe is unfolding.
- Stay put if you safely can. Leaving the situation brings relief but teaches your brain the place was the threat, which can make future attacks more likely.
- Let it crest. The peak is brief. Waiting it out, rather than struggling against it, shortens the whole experience.
If chest pain, trouble breathing, or other symptoms are new, severe, or you are not sure they are panic, treat it as a medical issue and seek care — the first time especially, it is reasonable to get checked.
When do panic attacks become panic disorder?
When the attacks recur and you start organizing your life around avoiding them. Panic disorder involves repeated, unexpected panic attacks along with persistent worry about having more, and sometimes avoidance of places where an attack happened before (NIMH). One panic attack under stress is common; a pattern of them, plus the dread of the next one, is the point where an evaluation earns its time.
How is it treated?
Effectively, and with the same tools that treat other anxiety disorders. Panic disorder is treated with psychotherapy, medication, or both (NIMH). Cognitive behavioral therapy for panic works specifically on the fear of the bodily sensations, and SSRIs or SNRIs are common medication options — how anxiety medication decisions get made covers those. Panic sits alongside the other common anxiety disorders, and telling them apart helps target the treatment.
What’s the next step?
If panic attacks are recurring or reshaping your days, an evaluation is the way to get ahead of them. It can be done by telehealth anywhere in North Carolina — request an appointment through Get Started or call (919) 739-3808. New patients are typically seen within 1–3 business days.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911.