How to stop a panic attack (and what to do when one is coming)

If you are in immediate danger, having thoughts of suicide, or feel unsafe, please call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. For urgent mental health support, call NHS 111 and select the mental health option. Samaritans (116 123, free, 24/7) and Shout (text 85258) are always available.

Read this first

If you are reading this in the middle of a panic attack, you are going to be okay. Panic attacks feel terrifying but they are not physically dangerous. They typically peak within around 10 minutes and ease off on their own. You are not having a heart attack. You are not dying. Your body is doing something uncomfortable but normal, and it will stop.

Skip to the section below called "What to do right now" if you need help in the moment. Everything else can wait.

What is happening in your body right now

A panic attack is your body's threat response firing off when there is no actual threat. Heart pounds, breathing speeds up, chest tightens, hands tingle, you feel dizzy or unreal. Your nervous system has mistaken something (a thought, a sensation, a place, sometimes nothing you can identify) for danger, and it has done what it is built to do.

The NHS and mental health charities like Mind both confirm that panic attacks, while extremely unpleasant, are not harmful. The symptoms are genuine, the fear is genuine, but the underlying alarm is a false alarm.

That does not make them less frightening when they happen. It just means the thing you are frightened of, the sensation of losing control or collapsing, is not what it feels like. You will come out the other side.

What to do right now

These are techniques widely recommended by the NHS, Mind, and most UK mental health professionals. Pick one and try it. You do not need to do all of them.

1. Slow your breathing down

Panic speeds your breathing up, which makes the symptoms worse. Slowing the out-breath is the single most effective thing you can do in the moment. The NHS recommends breathing in for roughly 4 seconds, holding briefly, and breathing out for around 6 seconds. Out-breath longer than in-breath. Do this for a minute or two. Do not worry about being precise.

If that feels hard, try breathing out slowly through pursed lips, like you are blowing out a candle at arm's length.

2. Ground yourself with the 5-4-3-2-1 technique

This pulls your attention back into your body and the room.

Say them in your head or out loud. This interrupts the loop of panicky thoughts feeding panicky sensations.

3. Do not try to fight the panic

Fighting it makes it stronger. Let it be there. Tell yourself "this is a panic attack, it is uncomfortable but it is not dangerous, it will pass." This is counterintuitive but it is what most UK therapists will tell you. Resisting panic feeds it. Acknowledging it takes the fuel out.

4. Stay where you are if it is safe to do so

The urge to escape is powerful. If you can safely stay put for a few minutes, do. Leaving reinforces the idea that the place was unsafe, which can make future panic attacks more likely in similar situations. If you are driving, pull over as soon as it is safe.

5. Focus on one simple thing

Count backwards from 100 in sevens. Name every blue object in the room. Stroke a pet if one is near you. Hold something cold. Run water over your hands. The aim is to give your mind a small task that is not the panic.

What to do after the attack has passed

Panic attacks are exhausting. Your body has just burned through a lot of adrenaline. Give yourself permission to feel wiped out for the rest of the day.

Drink water. Eat something if you can. Avoid caffeine for the next few hours. If you can get outside for a short walk, do. If you cannot, rest.

Try to notice what was happening in the hours or minutes before the attack started. Not to blame yourself, but to build a picture over time. Some people find it helps to jot down two or three lines: where you were, what you were thinking, what you had eaten or drunk, how you had slept. Patterns tend to emerge.

Why panic attacks happen

There is rarely a single cause. Common contributors include ongoing stress, poor sleep, caffeine or alcohol, a big life change, a traumatic event, or nothing obvious at all. Panic attacks can happen to people who have never had one before and never get another. For others they cluster into what is called panic disorder, where the fear of the next attack becomes part of the problem.

If panic attacks are becoming regular, if you are starting to avoid places or situations because of them, or if the fear of another attack is taking up mental space between attacks, it is worth getting support. This is not because panic is dangerous. It is because it is miserable, and you do not have to manage it alone.

When to see your GP or get further help

Book a GP appointment if:

You can also self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies (no GP referral needed) in England. In Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, your GP or local mental health service is the route. Waiting lists vary widely.

For urgent mental health support, NHS 111 has a mental health option available 24/7. Samaritans (116 123) are free to call from any UK phone and answer day or night. Shout (text 85258) is a text-based service if calling feels too much.

None of this article is medical advice. If your symptoms are severe, getting worse, or you are not sure what is happening, please speak to a medical professional.

What panic attacks are not

Quick summary

If you are in the middle of a panic attack: slow your breathing, ground yourself in your senses, do not fight it, stay where you are if safe. It will pass within minutes. Afterwards, rest, hydrate, and be kind to yourself. If panic attacks are becoming regular, get support. You do not have to sort this out alone.

Sources and further reading

This article is for information only and does not replace advice from a qualified medical professional. If you are unsure whether what you are experiencing is a panic attack, please speak to your GP or contact NHS 111.