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Silent Panic Attacks (How to Stop & Treat Them)

February 20, 2026

Silent panic attacks can be terrifying experiences. If you have one, or if you’re with someone who does, there are several steps you can take to minimize their severity and duration. However, if panic attacks are persistent, seeking professional treatment is likely the best route. 

Contact Time Wellness today for more information on anxiety disorder treatment near you. 

What Are Silent Panic Attacks?

To understand what silent panic attacks are, you first need to know what goes on during a “normal” panic attack.

The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) describes a panic attack as “an abrupt surge of intense fear or intense discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes.”

Sometimes panic attacks can be triggered by a specific event or set of circumstances. Other times, they can occur out of the blue, with no clear warning or obvious cause. Symptoms rarely last more than 15 minutes or so, but during that relatively brief period they can be sources of immense distress. 

Given the intensity of the experience, people who are in the midst of a panic attack often display obvious signs that they’re in crisis.

These signs may include:

  • Sweating profusely
  • Struggling to maintain their balance
  • Hyperventilating or having trouble catching their breath
  • Trembling or shaking

Sometimes, though, people are able to maintain an outward appearance of normality while going through a panic attack. This is what’s known as having a silent panic attack.

Symptoms of Silent Panic Attacks

Common symptoms of silent panic attacks include:

  • Dizziness or lightheadedness
  • Hot flashes and/or chills
  • Racing heart rate
  • Chest pain
  • Tingling or “pins and needles” sensation in the hands and feet
  • Nausea
  • Sense of being choked or smothered
  • Fear of imminent death
  • Feeling of being detached from your thoughts, feelings, and/or body (depersonalization)
  • Feeling that reality has become somehow skews, such as the world seeming to be drained of color (derealization)

“Fear of imminent” death is not an exaggeration. The chest pains and other symptoms of silent panic attacks can cause people to believe that they are having a heart attack and are about to die.

What Causes Silent Panic Attacks?

One of the many unsettling aspects of silent panic attacks is that they can occur at any time, often with little to no warning. 

While there’s no clear cause of these types of attacks, experts have identified factors that can increase a person’s risk.

These include:

  • Certain genetic variations
  • Family history of mental illness, especially anxiety disorders
  • Personal history of untreated trauma
  • Exposure to overwhelming stress
  • Major life changes, both positive (such a starting a new job or getting married) and negative (such as job loss, divorce, or the death of a loved one).
  • Abuse of alcohol and other drugs, including excessive intake of nicotine or caffeine

It’s not uncommon to have a few infrequent panic attacks, silent or otherwise, over the course of your lifetime. According to the Cleveland Clinic, more than one of every 10 people in the U.S. will have a panic attack during a typical year.

However, if you begin to have multiple panic attacks, you may have developed panic disorder, which is a type of anxiety disorder. 

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has reported that the lifetime prevalence of panic disorder among adults in the U.S. is 4.7%. Among those who have this condition, 44.8% experience severe impairment as scored on the Sheehan Disability Scale.

How to Respond to a Silent Panic Attack

The ideal response to a silent panic attack can vary depending on factors such as who is having the attack, the type and severity of their symptoms, and if they’ve gone through the experience before.

When You’re Having a Silent Panic Attack

If you are the one having the silent panic attack, here are a few tips that may help:

  • Remind yourself that what you’re going through is temporary. If you’ve had panic attacks before, reassure yourself that you made it through your previous ones and you’ll make it through this one as well.
  • Find a comfortable place to sit down if possible. If you are driving, find a safe place to stop – such as a parking lot or the shoulder of the road – and shut off the engine.
  • If you’re with someone you trust, let them know what’s happening and what they can do to help, such as getting you a glass of water or helping you find a place to sit.
  • If you’re alone or among strangers, it may be helpful to call or text a loved one. Sometimes, talking (or texting) about what you’re feeling can help you regain a sense of control and ease your distress.

There are several grounding or self-soothing techniques that can be helpful for easing the symptoms of a silent panic attack, such as:

  • Breathwork: Take a deep breath, silently counting to four while you do. Hold your breath for a silent count of five. Then exhale through a silent count of six. Repeat this a few times until you start to feel better.
  • The 5-4-3-2-1 technique: Silently or out loud, name five things you can see, four things you can touch/feel, three sounds you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This can help you shift your focus away from your symptoms.

If Someone Else Has a Silent Panic Attack

By definition, silent panic attacks don’t cause easily observable symptoms. So it’s quite possible to be near someone and not even realize what they’re going through.

But if someone tells you that they’re having a silent panic attack, or if you notice that they are in obvious distress, here are a few way to help:

  • Help them find a comfortable place to sit.
  • Reassure them that they are safe.
  • Do NOT tell them that what they’re feeling isn’t real or is “all in their head.” Observable or not, panic attack symptoms are very real to the person who is experiencing them.
  • Unless they are about to fall or otherwise put themselves in immediate physical danger, do NOT touch them without first getting their consent.
  • Ask them if there’s someone you can call for them or if there’s anything else you can do to help. 
  • Offer to help practice the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, breathing exercises, or any other self-soothing activity that you’re familiar with.
  • Stay with them until their distress has passed and they are feeling physically and mentally OK again.

Find Treatment for Panic Attacks in Arkansas

Time Wellness Arkansas offers a full continuum of personalized services for adults whose lives have been disrupted by panic attacks and other mental health concerns. We also serve clients who have substance use disorders (addictions).

Treatment options at our center in Fayetteville, AR, included inpatient/residential care, a partial hospitalization program (PHP), an intensive outpatient program (IOP), and virtual (online) therapy

To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Admissions page or call us today.