Deafening Silence

Mental health support for those suffering in the deafening silence

Panic Attacks

It feels like you’re dying — but you’re not. You’re surviving.

What is a Panic Attack?

A panic attack is a sudden surge of overwhelming fear or discomfort that comes out of nowhere — often without warning and without a clear cause. In minutes, your body floods with adrenaline. Your heart races. Your breath shortens. Your thoughts spiral. It’s not “just nerves.” It’s a full-body alarm sounding without your permission.

Panic attacks are terrifying. They hijack your sense of control. You might feel like you’re having a heart attack, losing your mind, or about to pass out — but the truth is, you’re having a powerful stress response.

And even though it feels like you’re in danger, you’re not. Your body is reacting as if there’s a threat — even when there isn’t one.

How It Feels

Panic attacks can vary in intensity and form, but they often feel like:

  • Racing heartbeat or chest pain – Like your heart is pounding out of your chest

  • Shortness of breath or choking – As if you can’t get enough air

  • Dizziness or lightheadedness – Feeling faint or detached from your body

  • Sweating or chills – Sudden changes in body temperature

  • Nausea or stomach distress

  • Trembling or shaking

  • A sense of doom – The fear that something terrible is about to happen

During a panic attack, time distorts. Seconds stretch. Thoughts race. It can feel like you’re dying — but you’re not. It ends. It always ends.

Common Triggers

While panic attacks can seem to come out of nowhere, they sometimes have patterns or triggers:

  • Intense stress or emotional overwhelm

  • Trauma reminders (even subtle ones)

  • Caffeine or stimulant use

  • Lack of sleep or sudden changes in routine

  • Crowded or confined spaces

  • Health anxiety or hyperawareness of body sensations

Some people experience one panic attack and never again. Others develop Panic Disorder, where attacks become frequent and the fear of the next one becomes its own cycle.

What’s Actually Happening in Your Body?

Your body thinks you’re in danger — even if there’s no threat. During a panic attack, your fight-or-flight system gets activated. That means:

  • Your body releases adrenaline

  • Your breathing becomes shallow (hyperventilation)

  • Blood flow shifts away from your brain and core to your limbs (to “flee”)

  • Physical symptoms intensify, which your brain misinterprets as danger

This loop — fear → symptoms → more fear — feeds the attack. But once the adrenaline wears off, your system resets. It might take minutes. It might take longer. But it will pass.

How to Cope in the Moment

Panic attacks don’t last forever — even though it feels like they will. Here are some ways to ground yourself when they happen:

  • Breathe slow and deep. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Count if it helps.

  • Name your senses. What do you see, hear, touch, taste, and smell? Anchor in the present.

  • Remind yourself: “This is panic. I am safe.” You’re not dying. You’re experiencing a false alarm.

  • Stay where you are. Unless you’re physically unsafe, try not to run or flee. Let the wave pass.

  • Use cold water. Splash your face, or hold an ice cube. It can help reset your nervous system.

Afterward, you might feel exhausted, shaky, or emotional. That’s normal. You just came through an intense physical and mental storm.

Long-Term Help

If panic attacks are recurring, or if the fear of them starts limiting your life, you’re not alone — and you don’t have to manage it on your own.

Treatment can make a huge difference:

  • Therapy – Especially cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps you change the panic-fear cycle.

  • Medication – SSRIs or anti-anxiety medications can help regulate the brain’s stress response.

  • Breathing & body practices – Meditation, yoga, somatic techniques, and nervous system regulation.

  • Lifestyle shifts – Reducing caffeine, improving sleep, and managing stress can lower sensitivity.

Panic attacks are common. Treatable. And absolutely survivable.

You Are Not Broken

Having panic attacks doesn’t mean you’re fragile or weak. It means your nervous system has learned to misfire — but that pattern can be unlearned. Your body is trying to protect you. It’s just getting the signal wrong.

You are not your panic. You are not crazy.
You are responding — bravely — to something real in your system. And with time, care, and support, it can get better.

It feels unbearable — but you are bearing it. That’s strength. That’s survival. And it won’t always feel like this.