“Anxiety isn’t you. It’s something going through you. It can come out the same door it came in.” ~James Clear
Years ago I had a panic attack while driving over a bridge and thought I was going to die that day.
Suddenly my heart started pounding. My breathing became shallow and shallow. My chest tightened and dizziness rippled through me.
I was driving sixty miles an hour and there was nowhere to stop. The bridge stretched for miles, suspended over open water, and I was alone in the car.
A terrifying thought crossed my mind:
There is something seriously wrong.
I grabbed the steering wheel and tried to keep driving because I was convinced I was going to pass out before I got to the other side.
At that moment, I felt like my body had completely betrayed me.
Later, I was afraid to drive for a long time and lived in silent fear that this feeling would return.
I started avoiding certain activities and situations. I constantly watched my body for any signs that another seizure was about to start. Even when I appeared calm on the outside, a part of me was always on high alert.
If there is experienced a panic attackyou may know that feeling well.
The racing heart. The dizziness. The sudden feeling that something terrible is going to happen.
It’s not only uncomfortable, it’s scary.
And most panicked people believe the same thing I do:
Something is seriously wrong with my body.
But what I eventually learned changed everything.
The body is not the enemy
The first idea that really changed things was this: the feeling of panic to feel they are dangerous, but they are not.
They sound the alarm in your nervous system.
When we perceive danger, the body activates the natural survival response known as fight or flight. Adrenaline floods the bloodstream, the heart beats faster, the breathing speeds up, and the muscles prepare for the reaction.
This reaction evolved to keep humans alive.
When our ancestors encountered a threat, such as fleeing from a predator, their bodies had to react immediately. When the nervous system is regulated, the response of rest and digestion causes the body to naturally return to a state of calm once the threat has passed.
However, if the nervous system is under stress for a long time, it becomes imbalanced. The fight or flight response is in overdrive, and the rest and digest response is no longer functioning properly. The body does not relax.
The result: the nervous system sometimes sounds this alarm even when there is no real danger.
This was definitely true for me. I was a single parent living in San Francisco and running a wedding photography business (hello, super stressful career).
I sat in the car for hours every day, battling crazy traffic: a two-hour round trip to get my daughter to and from school, client meetings, evening engagement shoots…
I photographed weddings most weekends, allowing three or four hours before the time, because wedding photographers are not allowed to be late. Ever.
I dreamed of rest. I was constantly exhausted, burnt out and with no end in sight. So yes, my nervous system was basically fried, which meant that my panic attacks became more frequent.
I lived in terror of the next attack.
When the body unexpectedly releases adrenaline, the feelings can be overwhelming.
Many interpret these feelings as signs of disaster.
Am I having a heart attack?
Am I about to pass out?
Am I losing control?
These thoughts create even more fear, which releases more adrenaline from the body.
And just like that, a cycle is formed:
Sensation → fear → more adrenaline → stronger feelings.
It can feel like you’re trapped in a panic loop and can’t escape.
The Change That Changed Everything
My recovery didn’t start with trying to control my panic.
It started with understanding.
For the first time, I saw that my body was not malfunctioning. It responded exactly as it was designed to.
My nervous system simply learned to stay alert.
Once this understanding was established, something subtle but powerful changed.
The feelings of panic were still unpleasant, but they no longer felt like evidence that something catastrophic was about to happen.
They became signs of a nervous system that carried too much stress for too long.
And nervous systems can learn new patterns.
Learning safety again
I realized that healing from panic does not mean forcing the body calm down.
In fact, fighting feelings often makes them stronger.
Instead, the process involves helping the nervous system relearn what safety feels like.
Sometimes this seems to slow down your breathing. I practice a simple breathing technique that I call “four-six breathing”. You close your eyes, then inhale, count to four, then exhale, counting to six.
Exhaling longer slows the heart rate and sends a message to the nervous system: “We’re OK.” This activates the reaction of rest and digestion and the body relaxes.
Sometimes that means letting the feelings pass without resisting them. The feelings of a panic attack can be unpleasant or intense, but they are not dangerous. Once I understood this simple truth, it was easier to be with the feelings, knowing that they come and go like an ocean wave.
Sometimes we just learn to trust that the body knows how to restore balance. Healing was not a one-time event, but a gradual process. As my panic attacks became shorter and less intense, I felt more confident because I knew exactly what I needed to do to take care of myself.
Eventually they left and never came back.
Some people believe that panic attacks cannot be cured, but I have found that simply not true.
With practice, the nervous system learns a new pattern and begins to recognize that the alarm is no longer necessary.
The reaction is less intense.
Episodes are getting shorter.
Eventually, many people find that the cycle of panic dissolves completely.
A different kind of relationship with the body
My panic attacks were once so severe that I was afraid to drive for years. Today I drive without fear. Road trips have become a favorite hobby and meditative experience. This past summer, I drove over 3,500 miles around the country – by myself.
I walk the world with a sense of confidence in my body that I once felt was impossible.
What I discovered during my healing journey eventually became the basis of a new way of life:
I listen to my body’s signals instead of overriding them.
Rest is a priority because it is a key component of health.
I explore my own deepest wisdom and ability to maintain my energy, vitality and well-being.
Gathering tools and practices that allow me to be peaceful and grounded no matter what is going on in my life.
I was the calm, confident, joyful person I wanted to be.
Because the truth is:
When you experience a panic attack, your body is not broken.
He tries to protect her.
Sometimes healing begins not with fighting what we’re feeling, but with understanding it—and in that understanding, the body slowly remembers how to feel safe again.
About Grier Cooper
Grier Cooper is a trauma-informed anxiety coach and creator of The Panic-Free Formula. It helps high-functioning women retrain the neural patterns behind anxiety and panic so they can be safe, balanced, and fully present. As a former professional ballet dancer, she uses a body-based, compassionate approach to healing. Her work focuses on turning fear into safety and helping women regain inner peace and confidence. Download the free 3 Minute Panic Eraser at: GrierCooper.com.
