Panic attacks are your friend!

• Written by Natasha Swerdloff

“Panic attacks are your friend!” If you’ve experienced one or more panic attacks, you might find this statement rather confusing or perhaps even provocative. But what I want to tell you is that panic attacks are actually your body’s alarm system. A panic attack is a well-intentioned mechanism designed to “wake you up” so you can find your way home again. Let me elaborate a bit. 

When a panic attack strikes, it feels to most people like an avalanche of emotions and physical symptoms washing over you. Your heart pounds hard in your chest, you break out in a sweat, and it can even feel as if you’re on the verge of losing your mind or your life. Many of us know how intense this experience can be. But no matter how serious the situation feels, it’s essential to understand that the symptoms themselves aren’t life-threatening. The most acute symptoms usually subside within a few minutes.

If you experience this repeatedly and find yourself in a state of fear about when the next attack will strike, what you’re experiencing is likely what’s known as panic disorder. It may feel like an insurmountable enemy, but there’s good news. With the right understanding, you can navigate through this storm and find your way back to a life where anxiety doesn’t control you. 

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When a panic attack strikes, your system goes into alarm mode. It may feel like a punishment, but in reality, your body is trying to protect you. It’s like a built-in mechanism designed to make you notice something that’s out of balance—namely, your own thought patterns.

Although it may seem as if a panic attack comes out of the blue, you can often trace it back to a previous period of intense worry or stressful thoughts. The power of thought is both a gift and a challenge. It is how we use this gift that determines whether we experience inner peace or chaos.

What if you started seeing these intense moments as catalysts for insight rather than as insurmountable enemies? By understanding that your panic attacks may be a natural reaction to your thoughts, you have the opportunity to understand their deeper message. They are, in fact, your body’s way of signaling that you’re well on your way to using the power of thought in a way that creates turmoil and fear within you. 

So before we dismiss the idea that panic attacks can be “our friend,” let’s take a quick look at the physiology behind them. Simply put, a part of your brain called the locus coeruleus is activated when you get caught up in anxious thoughts or dwell on worries for a long time. This part of the brain releases a hormone called norepinephrine into your system. This hormone then triggers the typical symptoms of a panic attack: rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, sensations of heat and cold, nausea, and so on.

The Role of Thoughts in Anxiety

So it is the way we use our thoughts—or, in other words, the story we tell ourselves—that influences our emotional state. Our thinking acts like a driver who steers us either toward emotional well-being or, conversely, over the edge into anxiety and panic.

If you’ve experienced a panic attack while doing something seemingly harmless—like watching a soccer game or playing with your children—it may seem as though your panic attack is unrelated to your thoughts. But if you reflect on your emotional state a few hours before the panic attack, you’ll likely discover that you were anxious or worried about something.

Here’s where the “friendly” part comes in: your body triggers a panic attack to alert you that you’re emotionally out of balance. Basically, it’s like an alarm bell ringing to draw your attention to your mental state. The surge of norepinephrine is your body’s wake-up call.

The next time you feel a panic attack coming on, try this:

Stay where you are:Find a quiet place and take a deep breath.

Stay calm:Listen to music, read, or do something else to take your mind off it.

Avoid feeding your fear:Don't dwell on your worries or fears. 

You'll probably notice that the symptoms start to subside fairly quickly. This happens because your body is working to restore its balance.

Of course, no one wants to experience a panic attack. It’s important to understand that finding yourself in this state is often the result of a harmless misunderstanding. There’s no reason to feel guilty or ashamed about it. 

Perhaps you’ve unconsciously found yourself focusing on stressful or anxious thoughts without realizing where they might lead you. It’s a natural human tendency to dwell on worries or fears; it’s part of our survival mechanism. But sometimes this mechanism can become overactive and result in a panic attack—a kind of “distress signal” from your body. 

So even though it feels scary, it’s good to remember that it’s basically a harmless misunderstanding that stems from the fact that we haven’t learned what creates our experiences. 

I hope this helps you understand that what feels terrible while it’s happening is actually your body and mind’s way of helping you return to a state of calm and well-being—as long as you interpret the symptoms correctly.