Caught in the Storm: Trauma Therapist Atlanta on How to Calm a Panic Attack—No Matter Its Intensity
You feel it coming on, the racing heart, tight chest, shortness of breath. Maybe your hands start shaking or you feel lightheaded and detached from your surroundings. Panic attacks can feel terrifying, especially when they seem to appear out of nowhere. You might wonder if you’re losing control or even question whether you’re safe in your own body. As a trauma therapist in Atlanta, I often remind clients that panic attacks are not signs of weakness or “going crazy.” They’re your body’s way of sounding the alarm, even when there’s no real danger.
Panic attacks exist on a spectrum. Some are mild, uncomfortable waves of anxiety that come and go. Others feel all-consuming, leaving you feeling trapped inside your own body. The good news is, no matter how intense your panic feels, there are ways to help your nervous system return to a sense of calm and safety.
Recognizing What’s Happening in Your Body
Before we talk about how to calm a panic attack, it helps to understand what’s actually happening in your body. A panic attack is your body’s fight-or-flight response kicking in when there’s no real danger. Your heart starts racing to pump blood to your muscles, your breathing becomes shallow or you find yourself holding your breath, and your mind begins scanning for threats. When panic hits, your body truly believes it’s trying to protect you.
Mild Panic Attacks: Soothing the Early Waves
When you start to feel the early signs of panic—like tension in your chest, shallow breathing, or racing thoughts—try to catch it before it grows. These gentle grounding tools can help interrupt the cycle:
1. Breathe from Your Belly, Not Your Chest
Place one hand on your stomach and take slow, steady breaths, noticing your belly gently rise and fall. Inhale deeply through your nose, hold it for a count of three, and then exhale all the way out through your mouth. Repeat this a few times until you start to feel your body settle. Deep belly breathing helps counter your body’s instinct to hold your breath or breathe in short, shallow bursts when you’re anxious. With practice, this simple shift signals safety to your nervous system and helps your body remember what safety feels like.
2. Find Something Stable
Press your bare feet into the floor, or if you can, step outside and walk through the grass while focusing on the sensation beneath your feet. If you’re seated or barefoot grounding isn’t practical in the moment, notice the texture of what’s under your hands or the steady support of the chair beneath you. Reminding your body that it’s physically supported helps anchor you in the present and sends a quiet message of safety to your nervous system.
3. Use Temperature to Regulate
Running your hands under water can help reset your system quickly. Some people find warm water soothing, while others prefer cool water—you get to choose what feels right for you. Splash your face with warm or cool water, or try walking barefoot while paying attention to the surface beneath your feet. These simple sensory cues help ground your body in the present moment and engage your vagus nerve, which slows your heart rate and supports your body in calming down.
4. Find Something Stable
Press your bare feet into the floor, or if you can, step outside and walk through the grass while focusing on the sensation beneath your feet. If you’re seated or barefoot grounding isn’t practical in the moment, notice the texture of what’s under your hands or the steady support of the chair beneath you. Reminding your body that it’s physically supported helps anchor you in the present and sends a quiet message of safety to your nervous system.
Moderate Panic Attacks: Bringing Your Body Back Online
When panic feels more intense—your heart pounds, or your thoughts start racing—it can be hard to think clearly. In these moments, focus less on “fixing” your thoughts and more on helping your body feel safe again.
1. Try the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Exercise
Name 5 things you can see
4 things you can touch
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
This exercise redirects your attention away from internal sensations and back into your environment.
2. Move Your Body
If you can, stand up and walk briskly around the room. Movement helps release some of the adrenaline that builds up during panic and invites your breath to deepen naturally. You might shake out your hands, roll your shoulders, or take a short walk to help your body let go of the tension it’s been holding. Even small, mindful movements can remind your system that you’re safe and help bring you back into balance.
Expelling Emotional Energy: When the Panic Attack won’t let up
Emotions carry energy, and when that energy builds up beyond what your body can hold, it needs somewhere to go. When panic hits its peak, it can feel like your body has taken over—your heart races, your hands shake, and it’s hard to catch your breath. In those moments, the goal isn’t to control it but to help your body release the intensity safely.
1. Release the Energy Through Writing
Grab a pen and a blank sheet of paper—no lines, no rules. Start writing whatever comes to mind as fast as you can, without worrying about grammar, spelling, or punctuation. Don’t stop to edit or make sense of it; just let the words flow. The goal isn’t to create something coherent—it’s to give that emotional energy a place to go. When the feelings hit the page, they don’t have to keep living inside your body.
2. Release the Energy Through Collaging
If writing feels too structured, try something visual. Keep a few old magazines nearby and flip through them when you feel anxious. Find images that tell the story of your anxiety, cut them out, and glue them onto a piece of construction paper or poster board. Then write a few feeling words next to each picture—whatever emotions the image stirs up. This creative process helps your body release the energy behind the panic while also giving your emotions a place to exist outside of yourself.
3. Healing The Hidden Message That Fuel Panic
In my work as a trauma therapist in Atlanta, I’ve found that intense anxiety is often rooted in painful messages about our identity—like “I’m not good enough,” “I’m not allowed to say no,” “I’m unlovable.” These beliefs quietly fuel the panic beneath the surface. Healing begins when we start to recognize and challenge those messages in trauma therapy, giving space for new, more compassionate truths to take root.
After the Panic Passes
When the panic begins to fade, you may feel exhausted, shaky, or emotional. That’s normal—your body just went through an intense surge of energy. Try these steps to support recovery:
Hydrate and rest. Your body has used up energy and needs replenishment.
Allow yourself to feel. Panic attacks can surface from deeply painful emotions. Let yourself feel them instead of pushing them away—acknowledging what hurts helps lessen its power.
Reflect gently. Ask yourself what might have triggered it—not to blame yourself, but to build awareness.
Offer compassion. Panic doesn’t mean you’re broken or weak. It’s your nervous system asking for care.
When Panic Becomes a Pattern
If panic attacks are frequent or feel unmanageable, professional support can make a big difference. In trauma therapy, we look beneath the surface—exploring the deeper emotional or physiological roots of anxiety. Sometimes panic attacks are the body’s way of expressing stored fear or past experiences that were never fully processed.
Therapy helps you learn body-based techniques to regulate your nervous system, understand your triggers, and heal the underlying patterns that keep panic alive. Over time, you can build a new relationship with your body—one rooted in safety, trust, and control.
You don’t have to keep fighting these waves alone. Relief is possible, and it begins with learning to listen to what your body is trying to say. If you’re ready to feel calm and in control again, I invite you to reach out. Together, we can help you find your way back to peace.
Kristy Brewer is a therapist Atlanta offering online therapy in Georgia helping people find peace amidst the chaos. Her specialties include trauma therapy, attachment therapy for trauma within toxic relationships, anxiety therapy, depression therapy, and parents raising a traumatized child.
Request a free 15-minute phone consultation today by clicking here.
