What to Do During a Panic Attack: Calming Strategies Backed by CBT Science

Panic attacks can feel terrifying. They often strike without warning, creating an overwhelming fear that something terrible is happening—like losing control, fainting, or having a medical emergency. Children, teens, and adults describe the experience as sudden, intense, and confusing. Even when a person knows they’re “having a panic attack,” the physical sensations can feel so strong that logic becomes inaccessible.

At GroundWork CBT Orlando, we help people understand what panic attacks are—and what they are not. Panic attacks are uncomfortable, but they are not dangerous. They are surges of the body’s alarm system, triggered by misinterpreted sensations or stress. When individuals learn how panic works, fear toward the symptoms decreases, and recovery becomes much easier.

This blog explains what you can do in the moment of a panic attack and how to approach the symptoms in a way that promotes long-term relief.

Understanding What a Panic Attack Really Is

A panic attack is a rapid surge of fear that triggers the body’s fight-or-flight system. People often experience:

• racing heart
• dizziness
• chest tightness
• shaking
• nausea
• blurred vision
• derealization or depersonalization
• shortness of breath
• fear of losing control
• fear of fainting
• a sense of doom

These sensations feel dangerous, but they are simply the body’s alarm system firing too fast and too intensely. Panic attacks typically peak within minutes and then begin to subside naturally.

Many people fear panic because the symptoms mimic medical emergencies. Once they understand what is happening physiologically, they can respond with less fear.

Why Panic Attacks Feel So Out of Control

Panic attacks escalate quickly because:

• the brain misinterprets physical sensations
• the person reacts with fear
• the fear increases the sensations
• the sensations increase the fear

This creates a rapid feedback loop that feels overwhelming.

CBT helps individuals break this loop—not by avoiding triggers, but by changing how they interpret and respond to the sensations.

What Helps During a Panic Attack

The goal during a panic attack isn’t to stop the sensations immediately. Instead, it’s to respond in a way that calms the brain’s alarm system rather than intensifying it.

A helpful approach includes three core elements:

1. Recognize what’s happening
   Naming the experience (“This is panic, not danger”) reduces the sense of crisis.
2. Allow the sensations to rise and fall naturally
   Panic peaks quickly and fades. Fighting the sensations makes them last longer; allowing them reduces intensity.
3. Stay present in your environment
   Grounding with gentle sensory cues can help the brain reorient without trying to “fix” anything.

These responses signal to the brain that there is no emergency.

Panic Attacks in Children and Teens

Kids and teens often feel confused or scared during panic attacks. They may describe stomach pain, chest tightness, a sense of unreality, or fear of passing out. Teens often fear that others will judge them or that their symptoms will “never end.”

Parents can help by:

• staying calm
• speaking gently and confidently
• not rushing the child to “make the feelings go away”
• reassuring them that panic is safe and temporary
• guiding them back to the present moment

The most important message a child can hear is:
“You’re safe. This will pass. I’m here with you.”

What NOT to Do During a Panic Attack

Well-intentioned responses can worsen panic. These include:

• telling someone to “calm down”
• giving repeated reassurance
• analyzing the trigger
• rushing them out of the situation
• avoiding triggers entirely
• catastrophizing the experience

These strategies validate the idea that panic is dangerous.

Instead, calm presence, gentle grounding, and understanding create the fastest path to relief.

Why CBT Helps Long-Term

CBT teaches individuals:

• how panic attacks work
• why they feel so intense
• how to reduce fear of the sensations
• how to prevent the panic cycle from escalating
• how to build confidence responding to symptoms

When people stop fearing the sensations, panic attacks become less frequent and less intense.

Children feel more in control of their bodies.
Teens feel safer handling stress.
Adults feel empowered and confident in their ability to cope.

When to Seek Professional Support

While occasional panic is common, repeated panic attacks or ongoing fear of having another one can significantly affect daily functioning. People may begin avoiding driving, crowded places, exercise, school, or social situations.

CBT helps individuals break this avoidance cycle and teaches them how to navigate discomfort without escalating into panic.

Working with a specialist matters—general talk therapy can sometimes unintentionally reinforce avoidance or fear around physical sensations.

Help for Panic Attacks in Orlando

If panic attacks are impacting your life or your child’s life, there is effective, research-backed help available. With support from a trained CBT specialist, you can learn how to understand panic, reduce fear, and reclaim your independence.

At GroundWork CBT Orlando, our clinicians specialize in evidence-based treatment for panic across ages. We help children, teens, and adults feel safer, calmer, and more confident navigating their symptoms.

We proudly serve Orlando, Lake Nona, Maitland, Winter Park, Windermere, and surrounding areas.

Panic is uncomfortable, but it is treatable.
You can feel in control again.

We’re here to help.