What is a panic attack?
A panic attack is a sudden and intense feeling of fear and anxiety. It can happen quite suddenly and feel overwhelming or scary. Everyone experiences panic attacks differently and your feelings are valid. During a panic attack, you might also feel like you can’t control what’s happening to your body, or feel out of touch with what’s going on around you. You might feel scared that your body is in danger or feel like you’re having a heart attack. Although this can feel very frightening, it’s important to know that a panic attack won’t cause you any harm.
When you are having a panic attack, your body can react in different ways. You might:
- feel out of breath, start breathing really quickly or find it harder to breathe
- feel light-headed, like you might faint
- find lights a lot brighter and more intense
- experience your heart beating really fast
- sweat more than usual
- feel shaky
- have wobbly legs
- have pains in your chest
- be teary, or feel like you can’t stop crying
- feel stuck, like you can’t move
- have stomach cramps
- feel sick
Why might you have a panic attack?
Because a panic attack is an intense feeling of fear and anxiety, it often happens if you are feeling very anxious about something happening in your life, or you have experienced something difficult or stressful. This might be:
- a difficult situation at home that is making you anxious
- a frightening experience like abuse, or neglect
- feeling stressed about things like exams, work, friendships or relationships
- if you have lost a friend or family member
- if you are being bullied
- anxiety around school, college or university
Tips for calming yourself down during a panic attack
During a panic attack, you may feel like you are losing control, but there are things you can do to feel back in control, or feel ‘grounded’ again.
- Concentrate on your breathing
Breathe in for three seconds, breathe out for three seconds. When you begin to calm down, you can increase how long you hold each breath to five seconds or even seven seconds. You can also check out a mini breathing meditation video below from Headspace. - Focus on your senses and surroundings
Identify one thing you can see, hear, taste, touch or smell. When you are having a panic attack, you can feel out of touch with things around you. This technique can help you feel connected with your surroundings and in control - Find a safe space
If a situation is making you feel panicked, try and find a space where you can take a moment to breathe and calm your thoughts. If you can’t physically go to a safe space, try visualising yourself somewhere you find calm, like on a favourite holiday. - Talk to someone you trust
When you feel settles, talking about your panic attack with someone you trust can help you find out why it happened. Knowing why it happened can help you prevent it from happening again. Experiencing a panic attack can be really stressful, you don’t have to go through it alone.
Accessing Emotional and Longer Term Support
If you feel like you’re struggling to cope with everyday tasks, or are worried about how panic attacks are impacting your daily life, support is available. Check out the links below for how to access, online, telephone, national and local support:
- Childline – If you’re under 19 you can confidentially call, chat online or email about any problem big or small 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, click here to visit their website to find out more and start accessing support.
- Kooth – If you are aged up to 25 live in Sunderland or South Tyneside, Kooth can help you to access, one-to-one chats with a qualified counsellor, online forums and self-help articles. Click here to find out more.
- The Mix – Offers one to one webchat support via their website, click here to find out more.
- YoungMinds Textline – Provides free, 24/7 text support for young people across the UK experiencing a mental health crisis. All texts are answered by trained volunteers, with support from experienced clinical supervisors. Click here to find out more and start accessing support.
Choose an area for local support information
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
It’s not unusual for children and young people to experience stress or anxiety caused by events like bereavement or parents separating. Most of these problems resolve themselves over time with non-specialist help and support, but if they don’t then the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service can help.The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service is a range of services for children and young people aged up to 18. Click here to find out more about the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.
Children North East
Until the early 1990’s Children North East managed a number of children’s homes and provided many country and seaside holidays for children in need of fresh air and convalescence from the unhealthy, crowded urban environment of the region’s cities. Today the rights of children and young people remain at the centre of everything they do. This includes providing counselling and mentoring to young people who have mental health problems, and free and confidential information and advice on the issues affecting their lives such as sexual health, housing, unemployment and training. Click here to visit their website to find out more information.
Children and Young People’s Service (CYPS)
The Children and Young People’s Service provides a single service to all children and young people aged 0-18 years living in South Tyneside and Sunderland who present with mental health difficulties. This includes children and young people who may have learning difficulties and those living in a range of difficult…
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Escape Intervention Services
Counselling for young people aged 4-25 years and their parents/carers. Also provider of free activities for young people aged 11-18 years, promoting physical, emotional, psychological and mental wellbeing. We deliver complementary therapies to combat anxiety and depression.
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South Tyneside Lifecycle Primary Care Mental Health Service
We work with children, young people and adults who feel anxious or experience depression and other common mental health difficulties. We offer a range of Talking Therapies, Employment Advice and support in recovering your ability to take part in social, educational and leisure activities.
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Young People and Mental Health in Sunderland
Children and Young People’s Service (CYPS)
The Children and Young People’s Service provides a single service to all children and young people aged 0-18 years living in South Tyneside and Sunderland who present with mental health difficulties. This includes children and young people who may have learning difficulties and those living in a range of difficult…
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Community Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (C CAMHS)
The Community Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (NHS) offers professional support to children and young people 0-18 years who may display emotional…
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Washington Mind Young People’s Project
We currently offer counselling and support such as creative expressive group work for young people aged between 11 and 25yrs who live in the City of Sunderland. Support is offered in a variety of community settings chosen by young people, which include The Life House, Connexions and Poprecs and some schools across the city…
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You’re Not Alone
We’re a group in collaboration with Washington Mind. Our aim is to find creative ways to cope with loneliness. We want to provide 11-25 year olds with a safe space to express themselves and show off any talents they have.…
