Quick Summary
A panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear that peaks within minutes, with a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, shaking or a sense of doom. It is the body’s alarm system firing without a real threat; frightening, but not physically dangerous. Attacks pass, but the fear of the next one and the avoidance that follows are what turn panic into a disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy retrains the alarm; EMDR is used when a first attack or an earlier experience keeps re-triggering it. Both are available at Creative Healing in Chippewa Falls. Call or text 715-797-2770 for a free consultation.
Table of Contents
The first panic attack is often mistaken for a heart attack. The second is often spent waiting for the first to happen again. If that is where you are, this guide explains what is happening in your body, what to do when it hits, and how therapy ends the pattern rather than just managing it.
What a panic attack actually is
A panic attack is an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort that peaks within minutes. Common symptoms include a pounding or racing heart, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath or a choking feeling, chest tightness, nausea, dizziness, chills or hot flashes, numbness or tingling, feeling detached from yourself or your surroundings, and fear of losing control or dying. Not everyone has every symptom; four or more at once is the usual threshold.
What makes it a panic attack rather than “just anxiety” is the speed and intensity. It is the full fight-or-flight response, the same one that would help you escape a fire, arriving when there is no fire.
Why panic attacks happen
The alarm system in your brain is built to err on the side of caution. Under enough stress, poor sleep, caffeine, illness, or after a frightening experience, it can fire at a normal sensation: a skipped heartbeat, a moment of breathlessness on the stairs, a wave of dizziness standing up. The brain reads the sensation as danger, the body responds with adrenaline, the sensations get stronger, the brain reads that as more danger, and within a minute you are in a full attack. Some people can trace their first attack to a specific event or period; for others it seems to come from nowhere. Either way, the mechanism is the same, and it is treatable.
What to do in the moment
- Name it. “This is a panic attack. It is not dangerous. It will pass.” Naming it interrupts the danger reading.
- Lengthen the exhale. Breathe in for a count of four, out for a count of six or longer. The long exhale signals the nervous system to stand down.
- Ground through the senses. Feet on the floor. Name five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear.
- Stay if you can. Leaving the situation brings relief, but it teaches the brain that the place was dangerous. Riding it out, even imperfectly, teaches the opposite.
- Afterward, be kind to yourself. Fatigue and shakiness are normal. Note what preceded the attack and bring it to therapy.
The cycle that keeps panic going
A single attack is unpleasant but not a disorder. Panic disorder develops from what happens next: watching your body for signs of the next attack (which makes you notice every sensation), interpreting normal sensations as danger (which triggers attacks), and avoiding places or activities where an attack happened or might happen (which shrinks life and confirms the danger). Each loop tightens the next. This is why “just avoid what triggers it” makes panic worse, and why treatment focuses on the loop rather than only on the attacks.
How therapy stops panic attacks
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
CBT for panic has three parts. Education: understanding exactly what the body is doing removes much of the fear. Cognitive work: catching the catastrophic reading (“I am having a heart attack,” “I am going to pass out”) and replacing it with an accurate one. Exposure: deliberately bringing on the sensations in a safe setting (spinning to get dizzy, breathing through a straw) until the brain learns they are harmless, then gradually returning to avoided situations. It is structured, and it works.
EMDR
Some people’s panic is anchored to a specific memory: the first attack itself, an accident, a medical scare, a period of feeling trapped. When that memory is still “live,” it keeps re-triggering the alarm no matter how well you understand it. EMDR processes that memory so it stops driving the present. At Creative Healing, EMDR is frequently used alongside CBT skills for panic, and it is a core part of our approach to anxiety treatment.
Regulation skills and the body
Because panic lives in the body, treatment includes body-based skills: paced breathing practiced daily, grounding, and mindfulness that lets sensations rise and fall without escalating them. Sleep, caffeine and alcohol all affect how easily the alarm fires, so they are part of the plan too; see sleep and anxiety.
Getting help in Chippewa Falls or Eau Claire
If panic attacks have happened more than once, or you have started organizing your life around avoiding the next one, it is time to talk to someone. If you have chest pain or symptoms you have never had, see a doctor first to rule out medical causes. Then call or text 715-797-2770 for a free 20-minute consultation. Our therapists treat panic in adults, teens and children, and we accept most major Wisconsin insurance plans; see rates and insurance.
Ready to talk to someone?
Creative Healing Mental Health Center offers a free 20-minute phone consultation. Call or text 715-797-2770 or send us a message. We serve Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley from our office at 1791 County Highway OO, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a panic attack and an anxiety attack?
‘Panic attack’ is the clinical term: a sudden surge of intense fear that peaks within minutes, with physical symptoms like a racing heart, shortness of breath and dizziness. ‘Anxiety attack’ is not a formal diagnosis; people usually mean a period of intense, building anxiety. Both respond to treatment.
Can a panic attack hurt me?
Panic attacks feel dangerous but are not physically harmful. The symptoms are the body’s alarm system firing without a real threat. If you have chest pain or symptoms you have never had before, get them checked medically; once your doctor has ruled out other causes, therapy is the treatment.
Do panic attacks go away on their own?
Individual attacks pass, usually within 10 to 30 minutes. The pattern of recurring attacks and fear of the next one tends not to resolve on its own and often grows through avoidance. Therapy interrupts that cycle.
How does therapy stop panic attacks?
CBT teaches you what is actually happening in your body, helps you stop misreading sensations as danger, and gradually retrains the alarm through controlled practice. EMDR is used when a first attack or a related experience is still ‘live’ and keeps re-triggering the pattern.
What should I do during a panic attack?
Slow your exhale (longer out than in), name what is happening (‘this is panic, it will pass’), plant your feet and notice five things you can see. Do not fight the sensations or flee if you can help it; riding it out teaches the brain it is survivable. Then talk to a therapist about the pattern.
This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized care. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or go to your nearest emergency room.