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I Think I'm Having a Panic Attack — Guided Help to Stop It Now
Published 2 days, 11 hours ago
Description
If you are thinking, “I think I’m having a panic attack,” you are in exactly the right place. Your heart might be racing, your chest might feel tight, and your brain is firing warning signals you can’t seem to switch off.In this episode of Calming Anxiety, host Martin Hewlett—a clinical hypnotherapist and former frontline paramedic—explains exactly what is happening inside your body and provides the immediate tools you need to stop a panic attack in its tracks. Learn how to transition from fight-or-flight back to safety by shifting your biological signals from adrenaline to absolute calm.Episode Chapters & Timestamps
- 00:00 – Introduction: Understanding the Chemistry of Panic An introduction to what a panic attack physically feels like, and reassurance that what you are experiencing is a natural, non-dangerous chemical survival response.
- 02:16 – The Vagus Nerve Breathing Technique A guided, step-by-step breathing pattern (4-2-6) specifically designed to activate your vagus nerve—the physical brake cable of your central nervous system.
- 03:57 – Guided Visualization: You Are the Sky, Not the Storm A calming mental exercise to help you disconnect from overwhelming thoughts, shifting your perspective to realize that panic is just a passing cloud.
- 06:06 – Affirmations for Deep Cellular Calm A series of powerful, repetitive affirmations engineered to settle into the automatic, subconscious layers of your mind.
- 08:51 – 3 Daily Caring Tips for Managing Panic Practical, actionable advice to help you navigate future anxiety spikes and quickly metabolize residual adrenaline.
- 10:12 – Outro & Rewiring the Panic Response Closing thoughts on how staying present alters your brain's relationship with anxiety, and how to access deeper therapeutic tools.
- "I am not in danger. I am in chemistry, and chemistry passes."
- "My body is not my enemy. It is doing its best to protect me."
- "This feeling has a peak, and I am already moving through it."
- "I choose to breathe rather than flee, and that choice is enough."
- "I am calm. I am steady. I am held."
- Label It Out Loud: The very next time you feel anxiety rising, name it explicitly. Saying, "This is a panic attack, I know what it is, and it will pass," shifts processing from your emotional amygdala to your logical prefrontal cortex.
- Take It 5 Minutes at a Time: A panic attack forces the brain to catastrophize time, making it feel permanent. Remember that a physical panic peak typically lasts only 2 to 5 minutes. Don't fight forever—just stay with it for five minutes.
- Move Something Small: Adrenaline leaves a lingering physical residue in your muscles. Instead of sitting perfectly still, complete your body's natural stress cycle by taking a gentle walk, rolling your shoulders, or pressing your feet firmly into the floor to clear the chemistry out of your system.