Hey there you, amazing person you.
I’m so happy you are here. It gets me hyped to think you are taking steps to better your life right now. Because that is hard. And you’re doing it. Go, freaking, you. I see you’ve stopped on 5 Steps to Stop Your Next Panic Attack. Great choice! Let’s get this started.
P.S. be sure to check out the bottom I’ve attached a cute little pocket cheat sheet (hold down on image to save) that you can save to your phone and have these steps you really need them.
Intro to oh shit, here we go again.
No, no, no, not you again anxiety. Please just go away. I really don’t like you. You make me feel crazy. Ughhhhhhh. Welp here we go again…. Been there? Felt that? Yeah, me too.
You are doing what you need to do to make sure that you’ve got that next panic attack under better control than the last one. Because that’s what life is all about: progress.
At the end of this I’ve organized the five steps into a quick reminder refresh, but throughout the blog is more in-depth explanations of what needs to happen first. So give this a good, real read through, not just a quick skim. I’ll give tons of tips on how to better understand your panic attacks, know when they are coming, and what to do. Then you can reference back to the cheat sheet download for your quick refresh when you need it. Let’s do this.
STEP 1: Recognize winter is coming… (aka a panic attack)
The first step is acceptance, right? I’m not so sure that is always true, but it can apply here. So in order to accept we must better understand what is happening.
What is a panic attack? A panic attack is a quick onset of intense emotion (fear, anxiety, discomfort, etc) that triggers a variety of symptoms (pounding heart, palpitations, sweating, shaking, crying, tingling, numbness, nausea, dizziness, etc) to happen within minutes.
Why do panic attacks happen? They are often caused by severe stress or anxiety, but can be due to a plethora of reasons.
How do I know if a panic attack is coming? This is personal to each person. When you sit down and really think about what happens immediately before a panic attack you can often identify triggers and warning signs. Some questions to consider:
- What are some situations you’ve been in that caused a panic attack? Where were you? Who were you with?
- What did your body feel like? Was there tingling or numbness? Shortness of breath? Crying?
- What were you thinking? How were your thoughts?
- Did you feel out-of-control specifically related to something?
Identifying the signs that a panic attack is approaching will help to get the panic attack under better control before it explodes. So really dig deep to understand what is happening before a panic attack. Take notes. Discuss with anyone who has seen you have one.
So let’s figure out what the freak is happening when YOUR winter is approaching.
Step 2: Figure Out Where You Are GOING (Get to a safe place OR squeeze your fingers)
Next step is to…taaa daaaa… figure out what your next step is. Very insightful, I know. A lot of the therapy process (and therapy adjacent, like this blog) is already spelled out right in front of you, sometimes you just need someone to connect it and say it.
So, when you notice all of those lovely triggers that you figured out in step 1 approaching… if you are able to leave your current situation and go to a safe place (bathroom, outside, to a friend, etc), great, LET’S DO THAT! If you are stuck where you are, grab your index finger and thumb together and start to repeatedly squeeze and release. Some people like to start thumb to index, move to thumb to middle, thumb to third, thumb to pinkie and then back. Do what works best for you.
Step 3: BREATHE BITCH BREATHE (Focus on your breathing…Count in five, hold five, exhale five)
Like I said sometimes we need it said directly to our faces, so this is exactly as it sounds, focus on your breathing 🙂
We want BIG BELLY BREATHS here people! Wait WTF is a belly breath?
To know if you are taking a belly breath, put one hand on your stomach and one hand on your chest. Breath in. Which hand is rising as you breathe in? We want the stomach hand to be rising, not the chest. If the chest hand is rising these are short, shallow breaths with limited oxygen entering your system and therefore increasing the symptoms of the panic attack. Figure out how to breathe in a way that your belly hand rises.
BAM now you know what a belly breath is.
Now put your hand on your stomach. Breath in through your nose for five seconds. Hold it in for five seconds. Exhale through your mouth for five seconds (many people like to make a ‘sigh’ as they exhale as an extra effort for calm…similar to how the “OM” sound works). REPEAT. REPEAT. REPEAT.
Step 4: Mantra Baby
What is a mantra? A mantra is a positive word, phrase, or affirmation repeated for encouragement and motivation.
Research what your mantra will be. Do you have a favorite saying, quote, lyric, or verse? Incorporate anything that speaks to you, but try to keep the mantra to one phrase.
Some samples mantras include:
I am a warrior.
I’ve got this.
Every day in every way I am getting better and better.
I love you. You mean something. You are something.
I am. I feel.
Love is everything.
I am full of light.
I belong.
After you’ve decided on a mantra that feels right to you, this step will become repeating your mantra. Slowly say the words, give them meaning, and allow them to seep into your mind and body.
Step 5: BRING IT BACK NOW YA’LL (Focus Object)
Find an object in the room that you can focus your attention on. Describe the object to yourself.
What does it look like? What does it feel like (if you can touch it)? What does it smell like? What does it sound like?
Take at least one minute (you can absolutely time yourself) to bring all of your attention to this object.
Alright ya’ll those are your steps. Each step is focused on what we therapists like to call grounding (or mindfulness). They are each ways to calm the mind and body, bring it back to its normal rhythm. For some, simply doing one step will alleviate a panic attack. For others you may need all 5 steps done a couple times.
Whatever it looks like for you, just remember, dealing with panic attacks is hard. It will take time for these strategies to work, but if you put in the effort and trust that they can work- they will.
You are a powerful goddess that can get this under control. One step at a time and these symptoms will slowly diminish.
P.S. If the symptoms aren’t getting any better check out getting a therapist because there is probably something deeper going on that might take just a little more exploration.
P.P.S. I’m here for you if you need me. Just reach out and I’ve got you.
Cheat Sheet (hold down on the image to save to your photos or notes)
Rachel Cohen, LCSW is the owner and therapist at Seaside Counseling Center in Jacksonville Beach, FL. Rachel works with lonely, frustrated, and overwhelmed teens, 20 somethings, and perinatal mamas online and in-person.