If panicky feelings are stopping you from being able to do things, or are making everyday life difficult, then it can help to understand why you might be having these feelings, and how to control them.

What is panic?

Panic is one of your body’s fear reactions. It’s a similar feeling to when a car suddenly pulls out in front of you, or if a loud sound wakes you up in the middle of the night. Your heart pounds, your palms feel clammy, you can feel a knot or butterflies in your stomach and your throat can feel dry.

These are all normal reactions that are part of your body’s fight or flight response – your body is gearing you up for action. Though these feelings are not pleasant, once these fears are reassured, our

body calms down and they go away. The issue comes when a fear reaction happens for no apparent reason. Experiencing an intense feeling of fear without knowing why can be very unpleasant.

Why do I feel panicked when there’s no danger?

Experiencing a fear reaction when you’re not in danger is more likely to happen when you are very tired or under a lot of stress. The main difference about experiencing a panic attack is you don’t calm down once the threat has gone away. After a near miss in a car, you calm down because you know the danger is over. When you experience a panic attack, you worry a lot about how you are feeling and your emotions. Instead of telling yourself that you are safe now, you can fixate on wondering what is wrong with you, about what will happen to you in the long term, and whether you will ever get better. These thoughts can cause you to panic more.

If you have experienced a panic attack, you will be worried about it happening again. This can lead to a vicious cycle - you are on the lookout for any indication that something is amiss, and, because of this you can easily believe something is wrong, triggering the body’s fear reaction, sending you into a

panic. The key to controlling a panic attack is not allowing your thoughts to run away and take control.

Can my feelings of panic cause me any harm?

No. Although feelings of panic can be unpleasant, they can't in anyway harm you or do any damage. The feelings themselves are quite normal, it’s just that they are happening when they shouldn’t.

How to handle feelings of panic

It is important you understand what is happening to you, as understanding your reactions and why you’re having them will help you regain control.

Remind yourself:

• Panic feelings are a natural reaction, they are not a sign anything is seriously wrong with you
• A panic attack is caused by a combination of your body reacting to an ordinary situation as if it were frightening, and your thoughts about the perceived danger running away with you.
• There is no need for your feeling of fear, you are not in danger
• Although the feelings are not nice, you are in no harm.

What to do if you have a panic attack

• If you’re able to, stay where you are and find a quiet place where you can concentrate on what you are feeling
• If you need to move, walk slowly, don’t hurry.
• Relax and let go of the tension in your muscles.
• Reassure yourself that nothing terrible is happening.
• Try not to fight what you are experiencing, accept the feelings and give yourself time to calm down, allowing them to die away naturally.
• Concentrate on breathing slowly and calmly. Try to lower your rate of breathing so that you are breathing at a rate of about 10-12 breaths a minute. Concentrate on using your stomach muscles and not your chest.
• if you find you are still experiencing frightening thoughts, concentrate on what is going on around you. Describe your surroundings to yourself in as much detail as possible to distract you.
• When you are feeling calmer, you can continue with what you were doing, but remain calm and measured. Do not rush anything.

Practicing coping with your panic feelings in this way will greatly increase your confidence in your ability to manage in the future.

If you would like to access some other coping techniques, the website Verywellmind have reviewed the best apps for helping with anxiety, including apps for adults, teens and beginners.