Panic Attacks: Symptoms, Causes & How to Stop One
A panic attack can feel terrifying, a sudden wave of fear with a racing heart, tight chest, and the sense that something is badly wrong. But panic attacks, while intensely uncomfortable, are not dangerous, and they are very treatable. Here is what causes them, how to recognise one, and exactly how to calm a panic attack in the moment.
This article is part of a wider guide. For the full picture, treatment options and which psychologists can help, see our complete guide to panic attacks.
Panic attack symptoms
A panic attack comes on fast and usually peaks within about 10 minutes. Common symptoms include:
- Pounding or racing heart
- Chest tightness or pain
- Shortness of breath or feeling smothered
- Dizziness, trembling, or sweating
- Tingling, numbness, or chills
- A sense of unreality or fear of losing control
Because the chest and heart symptoms feel so physical, many people fear a heart problem, see our guide on chest pain: anxiety or heart attack.
What causes panic attacks?
Panic attacks happen when the body’s fight-or-flight alarm fires without real danger. Triggers include high stress, a build-up of worry, certain situations, or sometimes no obvious cause. They can become a cycle: fearing another attack makes attacks more likely.
How to stop a panic attack in the moment
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| Slow your breathing | In for 4, hold for 4, out for 6, longer out-breaths calm the body |
| Ground yourself | Name 5 things you see, 4 you hear, 3 you can touch |
| Remind yourself | “This is panic. It will pass. It always has.” |
| Do not fight it | Let the wave rise and fall, resisting makes it stronger |
| Stay put if safe | Avoid rushing away, which teaches the brain the place was dangerous |
Try it now
Two minutes. Read one step, then look up and do it.
Look around. Name five things you can see.
Say them in your head, slowly.
Ready
4 seconds in · 4 hold · 4 out · 4 hold
When to seek help
If panic attacks are recurring or you start avoiding places for fear of them, therapy helps enormously. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the gold-standard treatment and usually works within a few months. Learn about anxiety counselling and treatment in Bangladesh and how CBT works. The NHS notes that panic disorder is diagnosed when unexpected attacks keep coming and are followed by at least a month of worry about having more, and that talking therapies and medicine are the main treatments (NHS). Remote CBT has also been shown to work about as well as face-to-face CBT for panic disorder (Efron and Wootton, 2021). If you have chest pain that is crushing or spreading, or you ever feel unsafe, call 999.
Related reading: Dhaka Traffic Anxiety: Why the Jam Makes You Panic and Snap
Panic attack vs panic disorder
A single panic attack is frightening but common, many people have one or two in a lifetime, often during high stress. It becomes panic disorder when attacks recur and you start to fear and avoid situations because of them. That avoidance is what shrinks your world, and it is exactly what therapy reverses.
Can panic attacks be prevented?
You cannot always stop an attack starting, but you can make them far less frequent and intense: keep stress in check, sleep well, limit caffeine, practise slow breathing daily so it is automatic when you need it, and, most importantly, stop avoiding the places you fear. Each time you face a situation and the attack passes, your brain learns it was never dangerous.
What Is Actually Happening in Your Body
A panic attack is your body’s alarm system firing when there is no real danger. Adrenaline floods your system, your heart races, your breathing quickens, and you may feel dizzy, detached, or convinced something is seriously wrong. Unpleasant as this is, it is the same harmless fight-or-flight response that would protect you from genuine threat, simply triggered at the wrong moment. Understanding this can reduce the fear of the fear itself, which is often what fuels the cycle.
How to Stop a Panic Attack in the Moment
When an attack hits, the goal is to signal safety to your nervous system. Slow your breathing deliberately, in for four counts, out for six, since longer exhales calm the body. Ground yourself by naming five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can touch. Remind yourself, ‘This is a panic attack. It will peak and pass.’ Resist the urge to flee, which teaches your brain the situation was dangerous.
Reducing How Often They Happen
Panic attacks become less frequent when you address the underlying load. Regular sleep, limiting caffeine, daily movement, and managing ongoing stress all lower your baseline arousal. Reducing avoidance is key, the more you avoid places where you have had attacks, the more power those situations gain. Gradual, gentle re-exposure, ideally with support, retrains your brain that these places are safe.
When to Seek Professional Help
If panic attacks are frequent, if fear of them is shrinking your life, or if you are avoiding work, travel, or social situations, professional support helps significantly. Therapy, particularly cognitive behavioural approaches, is highly effective for panic, often producing lasting change. You do not need to wait until it becomes severe; earlier support makes the work easier and recovery faster.
Supporting Someone Through a Panic Attack
If someone near you is having a panic attack, stay calm and reassuring. Remind them gently that it will pass and is not dangerous, help them slow their breathing by breathing slowly alongside them, and avoid crowding or overwhelming them with questions. Your steady presence does more than any words. Afterwards, be patient, people often feel drained and embarrassed, and a little kindness goes a long way toward reducing the fear of the next one.
Living Beyond Panic
Recovery from panic is not about never feeling anxious again, it is about no longer being afraid of the anxiety. As you learn that attacks peak and pass without harm, their power fades, and the life you may have narrowed around them gradually opens back up. Many people who once organised their days around avoiding panic go on to travel, present, and socialise freely. With understanding, practice, and support where needed, panic stops running the show.
Ready for support? If anxiety is affecting your daily life, you don’t have to manage it alone. Chum Wellness offers anxiety therapy in Dhaka with certified psychologists, online across Bangladesh or in person.
Read more: anxiety therapy in Bangladesh.
Frequently asked questions
Are panic attacks dangerous?
The attack itself is not physically dangerous, though it feels frightening. If you have unexplained chest pain, get a medical check to be safe.
How long does a panic attack last?
Most peak within about 10 minutes and ease within 20–30, though you may feel shaky afterwards.
Can panic attacks be cured?
They are highly treatable. CBT, breathing skills, and sometimes medication reduce or stop them for most people.
What is the fastest way to stop a panic attack?
Slow, long out-breaths plus grounding (the 5-4-3-2-1 technique) calm the body fastest.
Is a panic attack the same as an anxiety attack?
Not exactly. A panic attack strikes suddenly and peaks within minutes; what people call an anxiety attack usually builds more gradually around a stressor. See anxiety attack vs panic attack.
Why do I get panic attacks at night?
Some people wake from sleep in a panic, often with no dream. It is common in panic disorder and treatable with CBT. Read about panic attacks at night.
How this article was made
- Written by
- Farzana Sultana Nila, Clinical Psychologist
- Clinical reviewer
- Ishrat Shermin Rahman, Clinical Psychologist
- Last updated
- October 7, 2026
Every Chum article is written for people in Bangladesh by a Chum psychologist or our editorial team, and clinically reviewed by a certified psychologist or psychiatrist who specialises in its topic. How we review · Report an error
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