How to Stop a Panic Attack: 6 Top Tips

We all feel anxiety occasionally, but sometimes, our anxiety can quickly become all-consuming. Suddenly you feel your heart racing and beads of sweat forming on your brow. As a parent of a teenager with anxiety, it is crucial for you to learn how to stop a panic attack.

Personally, I have only experienced occasional anxiety and, very rarely, a full-blown panic attack. Thankfully, my panic-button moments have disappeared due to stress-reducing changes in diet, exercise, and mindfulness.

As a parent of a teen or young adult who faces a panic attack for the first time, it is frightening to watch your child suffer.

For your teen or adult child, the experience is even more terrifying. Although they may not be in danger, their “fight or flight” mode has kicked in. They are not equipped, at that point, to logically walk through steps to allay their fears and calm down.

One of my daughters experiences panic attacks fairly often. I’ve seen how frightening it is for her to go through a panic attack, especially when driving.

She knows there’s no predicting when she’ll be suddenly hit with overwhelming fear and anxiousness. Moments like those may be unpredictable, but preparation is key to helping her stop a panic attack dead in its tracks.

This list of 6 Top Tips was initially used to help my daughter through her anxious moments. In fact, because it’s been so helpful, I updated it to help other young adults and their parents. Especially for those newly diagnosed with anxiety disorder, it’s essential to learn more about panic attacks, the warning signs, and how to prepare for those sudden attacks.

What Is a Panic Attack?

A panic attack is a sudden and intense episode of anxiety that can cause physical symptoms.

Our bodies respond to stress by releasing hormones that prepare us to fight or flee. This is known as the “fight-or-flight” response, and it’s a normal physiological reaction that happens when faced with a perceived threat.

However, for people with a diagnosed anxiety disorder, this response happens frequently and without provocation.

Panic attacks typically peak within 10 minutes, yet they may last for 30 minutes or longer. Those who experience frequent panic attacks can find relief through medication, therapy, lifestyle changes, and alternative treatments.

Coping strategies such as the ones we recommend here will help those suffering from anxiety feel prepared and more in control again.

What Are the Symptoms of a Panic Attack?

How can you tell if you’re having a panic attack? During a panic attack, you may experience many of these symptoms, although they can vary from individual to individual:

• An overwhelming sense of fear or terror
• Rapid heart rate
• Shortness of breath
• Feeling faint or dizzy
• Feeling restless or on edge
• Being easily fatigued.
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Chest pain or tightness
• Nausea
• Feeling detached from your surroundings
• Sweating more than usual
• Trembling or shaking
• Whooshing or buzzing noise in your head

Our 6 Best Tips for How to Stop A Panic Attack

Preparation is essential! If you know that you’re prone to panic attacks, it can be helpful to have a plan in place for when they happen. This way, you’ll know what to do and won’t be as likely to feel overwhelmed. The tips below are perfect for when you’re “in the moment” For example:

• identify your triggers – what events or conditions seem to trigger your panic attack? Is it loud noise, bright lights, or crowded venues? Anticipate those situations and go prepared with noise-canceling earbuds, good sunglasses, and a plan to duck into a quieter side street every twenty minutes.
• Go through the tips below, and write them onto an index card or type them into a phone app. Do both! If you have a “cue card” wherever you are, you’ll be more likely to use it to help you through your panic.
• Make several panic kits filled with items from the Tips below that will help you through your panic attack. Keep that kit in your car, office, bedroom, or school locker.

Here’s our list, in order of things that provide the fastest relief.

Tip #1 to Stop a Panic Attack: Go for Cold

What You Can Do: Hold a piece of ice or a cold cup. Splash your face with cold water. We find that putting bare feet on cold tile helps tremendously.

Why This Works: We all know that bracing feeling in the shower when the hot water suddenly drops and our body is blasted with cold water. It’s startling and disarming. Scientists have studied the effects of cold water and mental health for many years, and although it’s hard to find conclusive results, the evidence does suggest that exposure to something cold boosts helpful hormones that enable us to better cope with anxiety.

Tip #2 to Stop a Panic Attack: Control Your Breathing

What You Can Do: This can make you feel even more anxious. Focusing on your breath and taking slow, deep breaths can help to calm you down. Try breathing slowly and deeply for a count of 5 as you inhale and a slower count of 5 to exhale.

Why This Works: When you’re feeling panicked, your breathing becomes shallow and rapid. Your “fight or flight” instincts have kicked in, and your body is preparing to act quickly to protect yourself or flee. Shallow, rapid breathing from anxiety, however, has the opposite effect, and hyperventilating can make a panic attack worse. By controlling your breathing, you’re able to calm your body and your mental state, allowing you to relax and continue logical thoughts and actions.

Tip #3 to Stop a Panic Attack: Use a Grounding Technique

What You Can Do: You may have heard of the “5-4-3-2-1” or the “3-3-3” grounding techniques recommended by therapists. Regardless of the numbers, the goal is the same – to focus on your senses. Name those things that you can: “See, Hear, Smell, Taste, Touch”

Why This Works: This grounding technique is designed to help you be more present with yourself and your surroundings. When in a panic attack, it is easy to feel disconnected. Mindfulness exercises such as this connect you back to reality, helping you regain focus and control

Tip #4 to Stop a Panic Attack: Acknowledge

What You Can Do: Many people will try to distract someone experiencing a panic attack. Instead, help your loved one name it and acknowledge it. “This is anxiety.” “This may be a panic attack, but I know I”ll be better in a few minutes.” When you’re in the middle of a panic attack, we find it’s more helpful to name what’s going on rather than looking for a distraction. Remind yourself, “OK, this is what it is, and it will pass soon.”

Why This Works: This is another mindfulness exercise, similar to Tip #3 – Grounding. By calling out the anxiety, and re-affirming that it will pass soon, you are gaining control where you felt you had none before. In doing so, you are also reining in those runaway thoughts that fueled your anxiety to begin with.

Tip #5 to Stop a Panic Attack: Use Aromatherapy

What You Can Do: Whether in the form of essential oils, lotions, candles or soaps, aromatherapy has been used for centuries to calm anxiety. Try several different scents during an anxiety attack to identify those that have a more positive effect. You can find blends specifically made for anxiety or create your own mix. Try peppermint, lavender, frankincense, rosemary, and vetiver. We made several roll-ons for my daughter to carry in the car, her purse, and pocket. Roll it on your wrists, temples, or even inside your Covid mask.

Why This Works: There are many studies available on the benefits of using essential oils for anxiety. Lavender, for example, produces a calming effect almost instantly, and one study reported that it can be considered as part of a stress-management treatment plan.

Tip #6 to Stop a Panic Attack: Phone a Friend

What You Can Do: Find a mental health buddy, someone who understands your anxiety and is willing to help. Share this list with them, and ask them if they’d be willing to walk you through the steps when you call.

Why This Works: Even when you have memorized these steps to help ease your anxiety, it helps to hear someone else’s soothing voice guide you, leaving you free to focus on the stress-reducing steps. The interaction with a trusted person can also naturally help you slow your breathing. The benefits of this Tip go both ways – by asking a friend to help guide you, you are giving them a very specific way to help you through what is clearly a frightening situation.

Conclusion

A panic attack can be a very frightening experience, especially for parents of teenagers with anxiety. But there are things you can do to help them stop a panic attack in its tracks.

Although everyone experiences anxiety and panic differently, we’re confident that by following the tips above, you will be well-prepared before your teen experiences another one.

Be sure to grab your free phone wallpaper (below) with these 6 Top Tips to Stop a Panic Attack!