Coping with Panic Attacks

A panic attack is an awful experience for many people. The feelings of dread, the sensation of losing control over one’s own body, the fear of going crazy, and the fear of dying are all undeniably dreadful. But there is hope.

No one should have to live with this. Not only can we reduce panic attacks, but we can also often resolve them. Read more about IFS Therapy and EMDR Therapy for panic attacks here. 

What does a panic attack feel like?

The variations are few, but some symptoms are more common among all.

Some examples are rapid heartbeat, feeling sick, actual vomiting if severe, feeling dizzy, or feeling like you might pass out or even have a heart attack and die. 

Others include feeling like your hearing is muffled, your sight may go fuzzy, the world is unreal, everything feels robotic during the experience, a weird sense of nothing feeling real, fear of losing control, going crazy, and so on. 

A panic attack is both physical and emotional. It is exhausting. The person feels fearful of the next one coming up, which makes the struggles even harder. 

How long does a panic attack last for? 

Most panic attacks are a matter of several seconds or minutes, but for some extreme cases, the panic attacks can last for longer. The after-effects can linger for longer and the anticipation of another panic attack feels worse than the actual panic attack itself. 

How to stop a panic attack ASAP?

Many times trying to control the panic attack through certain breathing techniques makes the panic attack worse. This is often because the underlying issue of a panic attack is about losing control. If any techniques do not fit right in the moment, you are likely to feel you are losing more control or failing in some ways, making the panic worse. The best way to help a panic attack is by learning that a panic attack does not kill you. It is the fear of the panic attack that makes one lose more control of the panic attack. Once you accept its nature, you are not afraid of it; more likely, it will not take over your life. 

What actually causes panic attacks? 

There is no one specific cause for why you may have developed a panic disorder. Panic attacks are a signal of a threat response—a response that something dangerous is happening inside and outside our system that we may be aware of or we may not be aware of.From current stress, past unresolved trauma, neurodivergence like ADHD, an anxiety disorder, an unsatisfactory life, or withdrawing from substances, many reasons can be a cause of panic attacks. The reasons are unique to each person and cannot be generalized. 

Why have my panic attacks gotten worse?

Panic attacks have the potential to get worse the more you ‘fight’ or try to get rid of them. Panic attacks are our nervous system’s way of raising an alarm that the internal system is under immense pressures from both inside and outside. It is like trying to fight an overexaggerated immune system that reacts even when there is no threat of a virus to the body. The way to address it is to help understand the panic attack itself and to offer the compassionate understanding that the system needs. Internal Family Systems therapy helps panic attacks not only settle but also be resolved. 

Therapies that can help with panic attacks

Here is the list of therapies that can help with panic attacks. But also read what the differences are between each therapy further below. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 

Eye Movement Desensitisation Therapy (EMDR)

Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy 

Exposure therapy 

CBT for panic attacks

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy where a therapist helps you to change how you think and act. It can treat many different mental health problems (www.nhs.uk). The three key elements of this therapy involve 

• Questioning unhelpful thoughts and beliefs while exploring alternative perspectives. The therapy also involves recognizing your emotions and physical sensations without reacting and adjusting your actions, such as engaging in activities you’ve been avoiding. (www.nhs.uk)

Exposure therapy for panic disorder

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) states that exposure therapy—including interoceptive exposure, where individuals intentionally evoke physical sensations of panic in a controlled setting—is a part of CBT for panic disorder. This approach helps clients confront and reframe their fears, often alongside relaxation and breathing strategies.

You can explore more in-depth information through the NIMH’s publication titled “Panic Disorder: What You Need to Know,” available on their website.

EMDR for panic attacks

EMDR is a trauma therapy that targets disturbing memories of panic attacks—often the first-ever memory of this happening, the worst one, and the last one. The idea behind this is that every panic attack, whatever the reason or no reason that we are aware of, becomes a traumatic memory. The fear of a panic attack returning is just like the fear of any traumatic event that we may repeat in our lives. Read more about EMDR therapy here:

Internal Family Systems for panic attacks

IFS Therapy, or the IFS Approach, is a trauma healing modality. IFS therapy helps the parts of you that trigger panic heal. It is, therefore, not a strategy for ‘managing’ panic attacks, but a process that supports deep, lasting healing of the parts that trigger panic.

The pressures to perform, be flawless, strive, achieve, or meet external expectations, as well as to maintain safety, control, and order, may have been an overriding need in certain fear-based systems and may have started in childhood (see childhood trauma). 

 When internal and external demands challenge us, parts of ourselves react with fear, often due to worries about losing safety, control, or support. These feelings serve as an alarm system, signalling a survival threat when such fears are encountered. Grief-related panic attacks are also helped in similar ways. For further reading- also check EMDR therapy for grief. 

Learn more about IFS Therapy here- 

Conclusion

Panic attacks are a cluster of symptoms that people experience that bring many fears during and also in between a panic attack. The anticipatory fears of the next panic attack can be as bad as the panic attack itself. The root cause and the source of panic attacks are unique to each person; therefore, a one-size-fits-all approach does not work. Therapies can provide skills and tools, but more lasting change comes from addressing the root cause of the panic attacks. Internal Family Systems and EMDR are therapies for panic attacks that heal from the inside out.

Unsure which approach fits? Many clients benefit from a blend of IFS and EMDR. If your panic is trauma-linked, read about PTSD therapy in Dubai and Complex PTSD therapy.