How to calm an anxiety attack – immediate and effective tools

A panic attack is a powerful and sometimes very frightening experience; some describe it as one of the most unpleasant experiences one can have in the world of mental health. Symptoms can include both physical and mental components, and include a rapid heartbeat, a feeling of suffocation, trembling, dizziness, as well as a feeling of fear that something terrible is about to happen, that the person is going to die or “go crazy.” Despite the difficult feeling, a panic attack is a relatively common phenomenon, and in most cases is not medically dangerous. The good news is that there are simple, immediate and effective tools that can help calm the body and mind during an attack – and even reduce the chance of recurring attacks in the future. In this article, we will review what happens in the body during a panic attack, why it feels dangerous even though it usually is not, and what can be done – step by step – to calm down.

What happens in the body during a panic attack

Our nervous system controls many functions of the body without our knowledge – such as controlling the digestive system, the heart and blood vessels. This system has two components: one is designed to serve us in everyday life (so we digest food, rest and relax). The second component is designed to serve us in emergency situations, an ancient survival mechanism designed to protect us in dangerous situations, which is called the “sympathetic system”. A panic attack is the result of extreme activation of this system, a response designed to help us “fight or flight” (Fight or Flight); the problem is that sometimes the system is activated even when there is no real danger.

During a panic attack, several physiological processes occur:

Increase in adrenaline and cortisol – stress hormones that prepare the body for action.

Rapid heart rate and increased blood pressure – to pump blood to the muscles.

Rapid or shallow breathing – which may cause dizziness or a feeling of suffocation.

Muscle contraction – which leads to tremors, tension and pain.

Change in the activity of the digestive system – sometimes nausea or abdominal discomfort.

Palour and sweating