What Is a Panic Attack? An Explanation for Heightened Anxiety and How to Respond to It

Let’s be honest…in the midst of a panic attack, it’s difficult to feel gratitude for the protective function. Instead, you may find yourself very literally itching to avoid the discomfort and begging to retreat somewhere safe — or you may feel so overwhelmed that fleeing for safety isn’t a possibility. Though an explanation for what’s really happening may not fix the panic symptoms, it can encourage conscious awareness that the symptoms will not last forever — and are not putting you in any further harm.