Living with Panic Disorder: Tips That Actually Help
Living with Panic Disorder: Tips That Help
There’s a moment in every panic attack where you’re sure something awful is about to happen. Maybe your chest tightens, your arms go numb, your stomach cramps twist into knots. You might feel like you’re going to faint, lose control, or die. And yet, somehow, you’re still standing in the same room, heart pounding, thoughts racing, feeling trapped in your own body.
We’ve seen this moment countless times at Transcending Psychiatry in our offices, on telehealth calls, and in the raw stories patients bring with them. And if you’re reading this, there’s a chance you’ve lived it too.
We want to start here: you are not alone. Panic disorder is real. It’s frightening. And it’s treatable. In this guide, we’ll walk through grounded, real-world advice for coping with panic attacks, tools that help, and how personalized therapy, especially CBT for panic attacks, can change everything.
What Panic Disorder Feels Like (And Why It’s Not “Just Anxiety”)
Let’s talk about what it’s really like because if you’ve had a panic attack, you know it’s not just being “nervous.”
For some, it’s the sudden spike of fear out of nowhere, no threat, no warning, just fear. For others, it comes slowly, building over hours or days. It can look like:
Internal panic attacks: where your mind spirals, but you look calm outside
Panic attack anger: snapping at someone because you’re terrified and can’t explain why
Panic attack vision issues: blurring or tunnel vision that makes the world tilt
Stomach cramps, shaking hands, lightheadedness, and yes, panic attacks can make you dizzy
It’s exhausting. And isolating.
We’ve worked with countless patients who felt ashamed of these moments, unsure if they were “crazy,” afraid to tell anyone. But panic disorder is incredibly common. It’s the brain’s alarm system firing off without a real threat.
And therapy can help reset that alarm.
Why CBT Is One of the Most Effective Tools for Panic Attacks
One of the most helpful things we do at Transcending Psychiatry is walk patients through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for panic attacks. Why? Because panic doesn’t just live in the body, it’s fueled by thoughts.
Thoughts like:
“I’m going to faint.”
“I’ll lose control.”
“Everyone will see me panic.”
“This will never end.”
CBT for panic attacks helps challenge these thoughts, not by pretending they don’t exist but by showing your brain a different way to respond.
For example, instead of spiraling when your chest gets tight, you learn to pause and say, “This is a symptom. It will pass. I’ve survived this before.”
CBT and panic attacks go hand-in-hand because this kind of therapy gives your body and mind language to work together. Over time, panic loses some of its power. Not overnight but steadily.
Coping Skills and Strategies That Help Day to Day
Not every attack can be prevented. But there are coping strategies for panic attacks that can make the experience less overwhelming and often shorter.
Some of the tools for panic attacks we help patients use in therapy include:
Box breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold again for 4. It helps calm the nervous system.
5-4-3-2-1 grounding: Focus on your senses, five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, one you can taste.
Name the fear: “I’m not dying. This is a panic attack. It’s uncomfortable, but I’ve survived it before.”
These aren’t gimmicks. These are panic attack coping skills rooted in neuroscience, and they work.
In time, they help you stop fearing the fear. This is often the hardest part of living with panic disorder.
Understanding Physical Panic: Nighttime Panic Attacks, Dizziness, and Stomach Cramps
Not every panic attack is dramatic. Some sneak in quietly while driving, during a meeting, or lying in bed.
Nighttime panic attacks are especially cruel. You’re asleep, dreaming peacefully, and then suddenly wide awake, heart racing, sweating, with no idea why. Many patients wake up thinking they’re having a heart attack.
Others experience panic attacks and stomach cramps so severe they think it’s a medical emergency. And yes, many ask us, “Do panic attacks make you dizzy?” Absolutely. It’s one of the most common symptoms.
This is your body responding to perceived danger, preparing to fight or flee. Blood shifts to muscles, breathing changes, and vision narrows. But when there’s no real threat, these responses feel terrifying.
Therapy helps you make sense of it. To recognize it sooner. To feel a bit less hijacked each time.
Supporting Yourself (or Someone Else) Through a Panic Attack
Whether you’re a person having a panic attack or standing beside someone who is, here’s what matters most: grounding, presence, and patience.
If you’re in it yourself:
Try not to run from it. Let it rise and fall like a wave. That’s the key to overcoming panic attacks.
Use practiced coping mechanisms for panic attacks. Even one deep breath can help.
Remind yourself: “This is panic. I know what this is. I’ve felt this before. I will be okay.”
If you’re with someone:
Don’t say “calm down.” Instead, say, “I’m right here. You’re safe.”
Breathe with them. Ground them gently by asking what they can see or feel.
Stay close. No judgment. No pressure.
At Transcending Psychiatry, we work not just with individuals but also with couples and families because panic disorder doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It touches everyone around it.
Real Help Exists, And It Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated
We often hear people say, “I’ve tried everything. Nothing works.” But more often than not, what they’ve tried is bits and pieces, not a full, guided plan.
Panic attacks, CBT, when done consistently and with a qualified therapist, can rewire your responses. That’s not just theory, it’s proven science.
And for those who need it, medicine for panic disorder can also be life-changing. There’s no shame in using every tool available, whether it’s medication, coping techniques for panic attacks, therapy, or lifestyle changes like exercise and nutrition.
In fact, yes, does exercise help panic attacks? It does. Movement helps discharge built-up adrenaline and regulate your mood. It’s not a cure, but it’s a powerful support.
What matters is that you’re not doing this alone and that your plan is specific to your actual life.
You Can Learn to Live Without Fear of the Next Attack
That’s the part no one tells you at first. That panic attacks don’t have to control you forever. You can get to a place where you understand what’s happening. If you know how to calm a panic attack, how to work through a panic attack, and even how to stop panic attacks forever, or at least stop them from stealing your whole day.
At Transcending Psychiatry, we don’t just offer checklists. We offer compassionate, structured, real treatment. That includes:
CBT panic attacks support
Interventions for panic attacks personalized to your needs
In-person Psychiatry in New Jersey
You don’t need to suffer quietly. You don’t need to hide your symptoms. We see you. We hear you. And we know how to help.
Start your healing with someone who understands. Visit Transcending Psychiatry to connect with a care team who’s walked this path before and who walks it every day with people just like you.