How to Stop a Panic or Anxiety Attack as it Happens

First, I should start this post by saying that I am pro-medication. In my experience, medication helped majorly in reducing the amount and severity of the panic and anxiety attacks I had. If I didn't have my medication, it was eons harder to get myself calm once I felt my anxiety spinning out of control. However, I do have a list of advice that my high school therapist offered me to help get my mind off the anxiety I was feeling. I still use this advice to this day, and would love to share it so those who also experience anxiety can use it too.

1. The 5-Senses method

A popular YouTube channel called Pick Up Limes mentioned this method to recenter yourself, but it is also helpful in subduing an oncoming panic or anxiety attack. If you feel one starting, try this: name 5 things you can see (out loud or in your head, whichever you're more comfortable with), "chair", "table," "vase", "shoes", "dog." Then name 4 things you can hear: "garbage truck", "dog barking", "sprinklers", "air conditioning." After that, 3 things you can feel: "back on chair", "belt around waist", "bracelet." Now, the last two are tough, and that's the point; they help you really focus your attention and get your mind off of the anxiety. Name 2 things you can smell: "the scent from my shampoo", "Windex that I sprayed this morning." And lastly, 1 thing you can taste: "my toothpaste." Or, if there's not a distinguishable taste, describe how your mouth feels: dry, spicey from your burrito at lunch, in need of mouthwash. I use this method every time I'm feeling abnormally anxious, to the point of wanting to run out of whatever room or place I'm in. I'll sometimes do it more than once, that way I keep my mind focusing on all these minor details.

2. Write down facts of the present moment

I have a vivid memory of a time I almost spiraled into a full-blown panic attack in public. It was in a church (I was in my religious phase) in a room meant for people who were in the process of confirmation. The room was behind the altar, and we couldn't leave because the service was in progress. I don't know if it's because I knew I couldn't leave that I felt a panic attack coming, or if I was in an anxious mood that morning, but either way, I felt the panic. My fingers started to go numb and I felt heart palpitations; my mind started spinning and I pulled out my phone. I typed out everything that was actually happening in that moment that the panic wasn't allowing me to see:

I'm sitting in a room with 10 or so other people, and we're discussing the scripture chosen that day during the service. I'm sitting in a chair; it feels a little stuffy, but not uncomfortable. One of our group leaders is talking; she's wearing a purple vest. The new couple is listening intently. There isn't any decor in this room; it's bare. My hair is still wet from this morning. All of this proves that there is nothing to panic about. I am safe. I am out of harm's way. Nothing in this room can harm me. I am around people who are trustworthy and here to help. I am safe. I am safe.

I repeated "I am safe" so I could let that reality sink in; I truly was safe. Nothing at the time could hurt me or was hurting me; it was all in my head. Had I taken my rescue medication with me (clonozepam or lorazepam), I would have taken it right away to help calm myself down. But, since that wasn't a choice, the act of typing out everything that was happening and distracting myself was the next best thing.

3. Count backwards from 100 skipping every other number

Very straightforward; this is to distract you from the anxiety you're feeling and keep your mind focused on something else. It's harder than it sounds (at least to someone who was a year behind in math), so it really does keep you focused.

4. Draw, doodle, or write

The simple act of moving a pen or pencil across a paper is oddly calming. My therapist told me to do this if I started feeling a panic attack in the middle of class. I would already have a notebook out, so it was easy to start doodling in the corners. Eyeballs, faces, swirly designs, and various shapes and patterns soon filled every space in the margin. It was a marvelous distraction; sure, I missed some lecture points, but the fact that I stopped a panic attack by doodling was a confidence booster.

5. Take your prescribed anti-anxiety medication (if you're comfortable with medication)

This is for anyone else who is comfortable taking medication to help with their anxiety. Your doctor prescribed you the medication(s) for a reason: it is/they're meant to help you. I was hesitant to take my own medication at the beginning—worrying that they would be a crutch that would never allow me to go about my day without them, and soon becoming addicted. There was also a feeling of shame that came along with it: "am I so weak that I need medication to help?" This was the entirely wrong way of looking at it; do you know how much strength it takes to admit to yourself that you need medication to help your mental health? It sounds scary at first, like you're a "quitter" for not "sucking it up." I didn't want to be a "quitter." But I wasn't being fair to myself. Just like someone with diabetes needs to take insulin, someone with a mental health disorder/condition needs their medication. Remind yourself of that, like I did, when you start being unfair to yourself and saying medication makes you "weak" or a "quitter." You are anything but. You deserve to take care of yourself.

I hope this list provides some practical tips to help with an oncoming panic or anxiety attack. What works for me may not work for you, but again, they're worth a try. And I hope it goes without saying: please only take medication that it prescribed to you. Your friend's medication was prescribed to them, not you—you have no idea how their medication could affect you. Talk to your doctor if you're experiencing higher levels of anxiety and/or depression, or noticing any other symptoms that could be damaging to your mental health.

I hope this article was helpful; take care of yourself!