Understanding Panic Attacks: The Body’s Last Cry for Safety

When we speak of panic attacks, it's important to understand that they are not merely psychological phenomena… they are deeply somatic, deeply human responses. They are the nervous system's final cry for help when all other methods of protection have failed.

Anxiety, in its everyday form, is not your enemy. It is the body's signal that something feels potentially threatening, internally or externally. It’s our early warning system. But what happens when even anxiety can’t help us feel safe? When neither fighting, fleeing, nor freezing brings a sense of control?

That’s where panic begins.

In the animal kingdom, if a creature is cornered… unable to fight off a predator, unable to escape, unable to play dead effectively… it enters a state of total panic. You may have seen it in nature documentaries: the erratic jumps of a trapped rabbit, the frenzied flailing of a bird caught in a net. This isn’t melodrama. It’s survival instinct at its peak.

The human version of this is a panic attack. The body senses a threat so overwhelming and inescapable that it bypasses all logic and floods the system with adrenaline and fear. It's not dramatic. It's primal.

But here’s the key truth: most panic attacks are not responses to actual life-or-death situations. They are misfires of our nervous system… false alarms in the words of some specialists. Your brain and body believe you're under threat, even when you're not. The lived experience feels life-threatening, even when the circumstances are not.

So what can you do?

First, name it. Acknowledge what’s happening. "I am having a panic attack. My body believes I’m in danger, but I am safe." This kind of radical acceptance is not about giving up… it’s about seeing the moment clearly.

Next, understand what your body needs: safety. That might come from being physically close to someone you trust. It might come from being in a space where you feel undisturbed. It might come from grounding techniques… pressing your feet into the floor, touching something cold, or deep, slow breathing to communicate safety back to the brain via the vagus nerve.

And then, gently, return to your feelings. Often, when we push our emotions away… when we compartmentalize or override them in the name of productivity or appearances… they don’t disappear. They find another way to surface. Panic is often a sign that your system has been carrying too much for too long, without enough room to process.

So be kind to yourself.

When you’re in panic, your system isn’t failing. It’s trying to protect you, even if imperfectly. The path back to balance isn’t to suppress it, but to meet it… with patience, with compassion, and with tools that help you build safety, not fear it.