What Panic Attacks Feel Like And Why They Happen

A panic attack can feel like it comes out of nowhere. Your heart races, your chest feels tight, your hands tingle, and your mind jumps to the worst-case scenario. Many people in Lexington and across South Carolina describe feeling sure they are about to faint, lose control, or even die, even when medical tests later show that their heart and lungs are healthy.

Clinically, a panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear or discomfort that peaks within minutes and often includes symptoms such as pounding heart, sweating, shaking, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, dizziness, chills, or feeling unreal or detached. For some people, repeated attacks and ongoing fear of having another attack can develop into panic disorder, a type of anxiety disorder. Others may have panic attacks in the context of other concerns like generalized anxiety, depression, PTSD, or health anxiety.

If you have had a panic attack, you are not weak or “crazy.” Panic is a common, treatable mental health condition. Evidence-based therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) informed skills can help retrain your brain and body to respond differently over time.

Grounding skills are one part of that work. They do not replace therapy, medical care, or medication, but they can help you ride out intense symptoms and make the most of your anxiety treatment at Crossroads Counseling or elsewhere.

Why Grounding Helps During A Panic Attack

During a panic attack, your nervous system goes into full alarm. Your brain misreads sensations or situations as threats, and your body responds with a rush of adrenaline. Breathing speeds up, muscles tense, and your thoughts narrow around danger. This “fight, flight, or freeze” response is helpful if you face true physical danger, but during a panic episode it can feel terrifying and confusing.

Grounding skills help by shifting your focus away from the “what if” thoughts in your mind and toward concrete details in the present moment. Many grounding exercises use your five senses, your breath, or simple movements to send your brain the message, “Right now, in this room, I am safe enough.” Over time, pairing these skills with therapy can reduce the intensity and frequency of attacks.

At Crossroads Counseling in Lexington, SC, clinicians often combine grounding skills with CBT, ACT, mindfulness, and DBT-informed tools. That means you are not just talking about panic; you are practicing specific techniques you can use in the grocery store, at work, at church, or in your own living room between sessions.

Safety First: When Grounding Is Not Enough

Grounding skills are coping tools, not emergency care. Before we walk through specific exercises, it is important to know when to seek immediate help:

• If you have new or severe chest pain, trouble breathing, weakness on one side of your body, or other possible signs of a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
• If you are thinking about suicide, feel unable to stay safe, or are worried you might seriously harm yourself or someone else, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or use their chat at 988lifeline.org.
• In South Carolina, you can also reach the South Carolina Department of Mental Health’s mobile crisis services through their statewide crisis response line, or contact the Lexington County Community Mental Health Center for additional support and referrals.

Crossroads Counseling is not a crisis center and cannot respond in real time to emergencies. Do not use website forms or email if you are in immediate danger. Use 988, 911, or the nearest emergency department instead.

Grounding Skills You Can Practice Before Your Next Session

The skills below are meant to help you ride out a panic wave and arrive at your next counseling session with more information about what helped and what did not. You can jot down which ones you tried, how intense your panic felt before and after, and any changes you noticed. Bring those notes to your individual counseling sessions in Lexington or via telehealth so your therapist can fine-tune your plan.

5-4-3-2-1 Senses Scan

This classic grounding skill uses your five senses to pull your attention away from racing thoughts and back into the room.

Try it this way:

• Look around and slowly name five things you can see. Say them out loud if you can. For example: “Blue mug, ceiling fan, window, picture frame, lamp.”
• Name four things you can feel, such as “feet on the floor, back on the chair, ring on my finger, shirt on my shoulders.”
• Name three things you can hear, like a nearby conversation, air conditioner, or distant traffic.
• Name two things you can smell. If you cannot smell anything obvious, you can gently open lotion, soap, or coffee grounds.
• Name one thing you can taste, even if it is just the lingering taste of toothpaste or a sip of water.

Move slowly. If you lose your place, start again at five. Many people in the Lexington and Columbia area find it helpful to keep a small card with these steps in a wallet, pocket, or phone notes so they do not have to remember the order when panic hits.

Box Breathing To Steady Your Body

Panic often speeds up your breathing without you realizing it. Box breathing, sometimes called four-by-four breathing, can help steady your nervous system.

You can practice it like this:

• Inhale gently through your nose for a slow count of four.
• Hold your breath for a count of four.
• Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of four.
• Pause with your lungs empty for a count of four.

Repeat this “box” of four counts four to six times. If holding your breath makes you more anxious, skip the holds and focus on long, slow exhales. Many clients practice box breathing once or twice a day when they are calm so it feels more automatic when panic starts on the way down I-20 or in the school pickup line.

Feel Your Feet And Name The Room

When panic hits, you might feel detached or unreal, as if you are watching yourself from the outside. This quick grounding skill helps you reconnect to your body and your surroundings.

Try this:

• Gently press your feet into the floor and notice where the pressure is strongest. You can wiggle your toes, rock your feet from heel to toe, or push your heels down.
• At the same time, look around and say to yourself, “I am in the living room. It is Monday evening. I see the couch, the television, and the hallway.” Replace those details with whatever is real in the moment.

If you are in the Crossroads Counseling office in Lexington, you might say, “I am in my therapist’s office on Whiteford Way. I see the chair, the window, and the bookshelf. I feel my feet in my shoes.” You are reminding your brain that right now you are here, not in the place your fear is imagining.

Temperature And Movement Resets

Changing your body temperature and gently moving can interrupt the cascade of sensations that keep panic going. These ideas are simple, but many people find them surprisingly effective.

Some options include:

• Splash cool water on your face or hold a cold washcloth to your cheeks.
• Hold a chilled water bottle or an ice pack wrapped in a thin towel and notice the cold against your skin.
• Do a slow wall push: stand arm’s length from a wall, place your palms flat, and gently press as if you are pushing the wall away. Feel your muscles working and your feet steadying you.
• Walk at a moderate pace, paying attention to the sensation of your feet hitting the ground and your arms swinging.

Use caution with anything involving extreme temperature changes, especially if you have heart or medical conditions. Talk with your healthcare provider if you are unsure what is safe for you.

Anchor Phrases That Talk You Through The Wave

Grounding is not only physical. Simple, honest phrases can help you ride out the wave without adding more fear. The goal is not to convince yourself that everything is perfect, but to remind yourself of what is true and manageable in this moment.

You might try phrases like:

• “This is a panic attack. Panic feels awful, but it is not dangerous by itself.”
• “My body is having a strong alarm response. I can let this wave rise and fall.”
• “I have gotten through this before. I can use my skills and take it one minute at a time.”

Work with your therapist at Crossroads Counseling to create anchor phrases that fit your beliefs and personality. If you prefer Christian counseling, you might include short prayers or verses that emphasize safety and presence alongside your coping statements.

Discreet Grounding For Crowded Or Public Spaces

Many people in anxiety therapy in Lexington, SC feel nervous about having a panic attack at the grocery store, at work, in a classroom, or in church. You may worry that others will notice and judge you. Discreet grounding skills can help you cope without drawing attention.

Try experimenting with:

• Counting backward silently from 100 by threes while you breathe slowly.
• Choosing one object in the room and describing it in your mind in full detail, such as “red, square, chipped on the corner, shiny surface.”
• Gently pressing your thumb and forefinger together and noticing the texture and warmth of your skin.
• Carrying a small grounding object such as a smooth stone or ring and quietly noticing its weight, texture, and temperature.

These skills are often easier to practice in low-stress situations first, such as sitting in your car or standing in your backyard, before using them in busier settings around Lexington and the Columbia metro area.

Turning Grounding Into A Daily Practice

Like any skill, grounding gets easier with repetition. You do not have to wait for a full-blown panic attack to practice. In fact, using these tools when your anxiety is mild helps wire them into your nervous system so they are more available when panic peaks.

Here are some ways to build grounding into your daily life around Lexington, West Columbia, or wherever you are in South Carolina:

• Do a 5-4-3-2-1 scan while you drink your morning coffee or tea.
• Use box breathing during a lunch break or while sitting in your car before going into the store.
• Practice “feel your feet and name the room” each time you enter your home or your office.
• Keep a brief log of when you used grounding, how anxious you felt before and after, and what you noticed.

Bring this information to your next session. At Crossroads Counseling, therapists often help clients adjust the timing, wording, or type of grounding to match their specific panic patterns and triggers, whether those show up in traffic, at school, at work, or at home.

How Therapy Helps With Panic Attacks

Grounding skills can take the edge off panic, but therapy helps you understand and change the patterns that keep panic going. In anxiety therapy in Lexington, SC, your clinician will usually:

• Complete a thorough assessment of your panic symptoms, medical history, and stressors.
• Explain how panic attacks work in the brain and body in clear, everyday language.
• Teach coping skills such as grounding, breathing, and cognitive strategies.
• Help you notice and challenge the “what if” thoughts that fuel panic.
• Gradually support you in facing feared sensations or situations at a pace that fits you.

At Crossroads Counseling, licensed clinicians use approaches like CBT, ACT, mindfulness, and DBT-informed skills. Care is available in person at the Lexington office and via secure telehealth anywhere in South Carolina, which can make it easier to stay consistent when work, childcare, or traffic make in-person appointments harder.

If you are also dealing with depression, grief, trauma, or relationship stress, your therapist can integrate support from related services such as depression therapy, grief counseling, or couples counseling as needed.

What To Share With Your Therapist About Panic

To make the most of your next session, it can help to come prepared with a few notes. You do not need a perfect log or fancy journal. A few bullet points in your phone or on scrap paper can give your therapist a clear picture of what you are facing.

Consider tracking:

• When the panic attack started, how long it lasted, and where you were.
• What was happening right before the first symptoms (thoughts, body sensations, situations).
• Which grounding skills you tried and how helpful each one felt.
• Any avoidance that followed, such as leaving the store early or skipping a meeting.

Your therapist is not grading you. They use this information to adjust your plan, add new skills, or suggest small exposure steps so that your world does not shrink around panic. If faith is important to you, you can also ask how Christian counseling can blend spiritual support with clinical tools.

Costs, Insurance, And Access To Care

Many people put off addressing panic attacks because they are worried about cost or logistics. Crossroads Counseling works to make getting help as straightforward as possible for individuals and families in Lexington and across South Carolina.

When you reach out, the administrative team will verify your insurance benefits up front, explain any out-of-pocket costs, and help you schedule an appointment that fits your routine. Crossroads Counseling is in network with most major health insurance plans and offers both in-office sessions in Lexington and secure telehealth statewide, including the greater Columbia area and surrounding communities.

If you would like to understand the process, you can read more about what to expect in therapy. When you are ready, you can contact Crossroads Counseling to ask questions, check coverage, or request your first appointment.

Local And Online Resources For Panic And Anxiety Support

Therapy at Crossroads Counseling can be a central part of your plan, but it can also help to know about additional supports in South Carolina and beyond:

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org for free, confidential support 24/7 if you are in emotional distress or thinking about suicide.
• South Carolina Department of Mental Health: Learn about statewide services, including mobile crisis response, at the SC Department of Mental Health website: scdmh.org.
• Lexington County Community Mental Health Center: An outpatient center providing mental health services to residents of Lexington County. Visit lexingtonmhc.org to learn more.
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): For educational materials on panic disorder, anxiety, and treatment options, visit the NIMH page on panic disorder at nimh.nih.gov.
• Anxiety And Depression Association Of America (ADAA): Find articles, self-help tools, and screening resources for panic and anxiety at adaa.org.
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN): For families navigating trauma and intense distress in children and teens, explore resources on grounding and coping at nctsn.org.

Online information can be helpful, but it does not replace a relationship with a licensed mental health professional who knows your history and goals. If panic attacks are affecting your daily life in Lexington, Columbia, or anywhere in South Carolina, you do not have to face them alone.

How To Take The Next Step

If you recognize your own experience in this description of panic, reaching out for help is a strong and hopeful step. You do not have to figure out the process by yourself. At Crossroads Counseling, one conversation can connect you with a therapist who understands panic attacks, uses evidence-based tools, and respects your values.

To start, you can explore anxiety therapy options in Lexington, SC, read about who we are, or contact the office to ask questions, check insurance, and schedule a first session. With grounding skills, a clear plan, and ongoing support, panic attacks can become more manageable, and your life can become larger than your fear again.

Further Reading

• National Institute of Mental Health: Panic Disorder
• Anxiety and Depression Association of America: Understanding Panic Disorder
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
• South Carolina Department of Mental Health: Mobile Crisis Services
• Lexington County Community Mental Health Center
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Grounding Techniques