A panic attack can look frightening if you’ve never seen one up close. Someone might be shaking and struggling to breathe, which could lead you to believe something is seriously wrong.
Your response in the moment can make a significant difference. Panic attack symptoms can develop rapidly, and the people you support might not have the language or ability to tell you what they need.
As a licensed psychotherapist, I am familiar with successfully supporting people through panic attacks. Staying grounded and understanding what to do for a loved one, friend, student, colleague, or client can help them calm down and learn how to ease their own symptoms.
Knowing how to help someone having a panic attack can also make you a steadier and more effective presence the next time someone has one around you.
The Symptoms of a Panic Attack
Panic attack symptoms can look like a true medical emergency—and they can also feel like one for the person experiencing them (Mayo Clinic, 2026b).
A panic attack triggers a surge of intense fear and physical discomfort, often within minutes. The body’s natural threat response system fires as if the danger is immediate, even when nothing around the person has changed (Mayo Clinic, 2026b).
The signs of a panic attack can include (University of Pennsylvania, 2020):
- A racing or pounding heartbeat that may feel similar to a heart attack
- Shortness of breath or chest tightness
- Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
- Numbness or tingling in the extremities, for example, in the hands
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Feeling chills
- A sense of detachment from surroundings or the body
- An overwhelming feeling of dread
Everyone’s experience of a panic attack can look different—some people go quiet, others might cry or hyperventilate. While internal feelings can vary, the sense of losing control is the most common experience (National Institute of Mental Health, 2022).
How long do panic attacks last?
Most panic attacks peak within ten minutes and conclude within half an hour (Cleveland Clinic, 2023). Knowing how long they typically last can help you stay calm and communicate effectively with the person having an attack.
However, some panic attacks can linger, especially if the person is fighting their symptoms. Reassuring someone that panic attacks are temporary can help reduce fear and may shorten the overall episode.
How to Help Someone Having a Panic Attack
Instinct might make you want to fix things for someone as quickly as possible. However, the more effective approach is to slow things down.
It’s important to regulate yourself when trying to help someone through a panic attack. If you come off as anxious or rushed, the person you’re trying to care for will likely sense this. Take a deep breath before doing anything else.
From there, the following steps can support you while you help someone through an attack:
- Stay calm, but don’t crowd the person. Ask them before making any physical contact.
- Speak in a calm, low voice and keep your sentences short and easy to understand.
- Try to help guide their breathing with slow, paced breaths to interrupt the physical responses.
- Avoid telling them to calm down or that they’re fine. Acknowledge that what they’re experiencing is real as you help them.
- Stay with them until the panic attack passes. Don’t leave to get help unless it becomes necessary.
Long-Term Support for Panic Attacks
Helping someone through a single panic attack is helpful, but ideally, the person will also have access to long-term support for recurring attacks.
Panic attack treatments vary depending on several aspects of the experience and the person’s needs, but they often include the following:
1. Therapy
A therapist for panic attacks will often utilize research-based treatments, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), to help people identify and shift the thought patterns that contribute to the attacks. Additionally, exposure therapy (a form of CBT) can help reduce the fear response attached to certain situations that might be triggering (Curtiss et al., 2021).
2. Medication
Panic attack medication is sometimes appropriate when attacks occur frequently or are severe. SSRIs and SNRIs are commonly prescribed long-term options, while benzodiazepines can be used short-term but carry risks of dependency (Mayo Clinic, 2026a).
Medication tends to work best alongside therapy, rather than as a standalone treatment (Furukawa et al., 2007).
3. Mindfulness-based treatment
Building tolerance for uncomfortable sensations can reduce the fear response. Mindfulness approaches can complement therapy, particularly for people who experience ongoing anxiety between panic attacks.
Next Steps: Preparing to Support Someone Having a Panic Attack
Panic attacks can be unpredictable, and people unfortunately don’t get to choose when they happen. Knowing how to help someone having a panic attack is often a matter of preparation. Recognizing the signs of a panic attack and calmly supporting someone are learnable skills that sharpen with practice and good training.
My experience as a licensed psychotherapist has shown me that the more familiar you are with panic attack symptoms, their triggers, and how to respond, the less likely you’ll be to freeze up in the moment yourself. This familiarity can also help you respond with greater confidence while supporting someone through future panic attacks.
Learn More
At Pivot Crisis Intervention, we believe that responding effectively to a panic attack begins with preparation, calm communication, and evidence-based intervention. Our prevention-first, fluency-based training helps professionals recognize early signs of distress and respond with confidence during behavioral and mental health crises. By strengthening these skills before an emergency occurs, organizations can create safer environments and provide more effective support for the people they serve.
To learn more, contact us at sales@pivotcrisis.com or at 1-866-GetPivo(t).
References
Cleveland Clinic. (2023, February 12). Panic attacks & panic disorder. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4451-panic-attack-panic-disorder
Curtiss, J. E., Levine, D. S., Ander, I., & Baker, A. W. (2021). Cognitive-behavioral treatments for anxiety and stress-related disorders. Focus, 19(2), 184–189. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.focus.20200045
Furukawa, T. A., Watanabe, N., & Churchill, R. (2007). Combined psychotherapy plus antidepressants for panic disorder with or without agoraphobia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2007(1), Article CD004364. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd004364.pub2
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2026a, May 4). Panic attacks and panic disorder: Diagnosis and treatment. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20376027
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2026b, May 4). Panic attacks and panic disorder: Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/symptoms-causes/syc-20376021
National Institute of Mental Health. (2022). Panic disorder: What you need to know. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/panic-disorder-when-fear-overwhelms
University of Pennsylvania. (2020). Panic Disorder. https://www.med.upenn.edu/ctsa/panic_symptoms.html
