From Panic to Peace: Breaking Free from the Grip of Panic Attacks

For over five decades, Erich has been living with a relentless companion: panic attacks. They arrive uninvited, unpredictable — in movie theaters, stores, while traveling, or simply stepping outside his carefully constructed “safe zone.”

His message to me paints a portrait of a life constricted by fear, but also of remarkable resilience:

“Hi Nick — I suffer from panic attacks. Non-specific problem areas — I just get them whenever they please — in a movie, at the store, and especially when I am out of my safe zone and traveling. Even if I am going to some place familiar and a place I love. I also have trouble visiting people or having them visit me. I used to teach, but had to quit because I could no longer tolerate the classroom, even though my students were very sympathetic and supportive when I’d have to “leave the room” to collect myself… I’m now 62 and really want to get a handle on this. I am tired of being a slave to my PAs. And it is ruining my wife’s life as well… I think I still have a lot to offer, but when I can’t even go to a movie and be comfortable, how can I stand in front of a classroom?”

Erich, first let me say thank you for your courage in sharing this journey. What comes through so clearly in your words is not just the struggle with panic attacks, but the profound loss you feel at being separated from work you enjoyed and were exceptional at. Teaching is a calling, and I can hear how deeply you miss making that difference in students’ lives.

But here’s what I also hear in your message: determination. At 62, you’re saying “enough” — you’re ready to reclaim your life from these panic attacks that have taken so much from you. That readiness and determination are incredibly powerful starting points for transformation.

“At 62, you’re saying ‘enough’ — you’re ready to reclaim your life from these panic attacks that have taken so much from you.”

Let’s talk about what’s really happening with panic attacks, why they persist despite our best efforts to control them, and how Tapping can offer a different approach to finally breaking free.

Understanding Panic Attacks: Your Brain’s Faulty Alarm System

Picture this: You’re sitting in a movie theater, relaxed and engaged in the film, when suddenly—without warning—your heart starts racing. Your chest tightens. You can’t catch your breath. A wave of dizziness washes over you. And the most terrifying feeling of all: the absolute certainty that something catastrophic is about to happen.

What’s actually happening in these moments is fascinating, if incredibly uncomfortable. Your body’s alarm system—the fight-or-flight response—has been triggered, but there’s no actual danger present. It’s as if your smoke detector is blaring at full volume, but there’s no fire anywhere in the house.

The Primitive Brain’s Misguided Protection

In my book, I talk about these two cavemen named Grog and Thor—Grog, who survived because he was cautious and always on the lookout for danger, and Thor, who was more relaxed and eventually got eaten by a tiger. Our brains evolved like Grog’s, constantly scanning for threats and preparing us to either fight or flee when danger appears.

This system served our ancestors well when threats were primarily physical—predators, hostile tribes, natural disasters. But in our modern world, this same system often misfires, treating a crowded movie theater or classroom as if it were a life-threatening situation.

What makes panic attacks particularly challenging is that once you’ve experienced one, your brain creates a powerful association. It remembers the intense discomfort and essentially thinks, “That was terrible! We must avoid that at all costs!” This leads to what psychologists call “fear of fear” — where you become afraid of having another panic attack, which ironically makes you more likely to experience one.

The Cycle of Panic and Avoidance

This creates a cruel cycle:

1. You experience a panic attack in a particular situation
2. Your brain associates that situation with danger
3. You begin avoiding similar situations to prevent another attack
4. Your world gradually becomes smaller as you avoid more places
5. Each avoidance reinforces the brain’s belief that these situations are truly dangerous
6. The panic attacks continue and may even increase as your nervous system becomes more sensitized

This is exactly what you described happening—from teaching a subject you loved to feeling unable to even attend a movie. And the more your life contracts around this “safe zone,” the more your brain becomes convinced that everything outside it is genuinely dangerous.

Why Traditional Approaches Often Fall Short

What makes panic attacks so frustrating is that logical thinking—knowing there’s no real danger—doesn’t stop them. You can tell yourself a thousand times that you’re safe in a movie theater, but when a panic attack hits, that rational thinking goes right out the window.

This is because panic attacks aren’t happening in the thinking part of your brain (the neocortex). They’re originating in deeper, more primitive brain structures like the amygdala—the brain’s alarm system—which reacts faster than conscious thought.

It’s like trying to reason with a fire alarm. You can’t talk it out of beeping; you need to actually address what’s causing it to activate.

“It’s like trying to reason with a fire alarm. You can’t talk it out of beeping; you need to actually address what’s causing it to activate.”

How Tapping Changes the Game

This is exactly where Tapping (Emotional Freedom Techniques or EFT) offers something truly different. Unlike approaches that work primarily with conscious thought, Tapping communicates directly with the nervous system and the primitive brain structures where panic originates.

When you tap on specific meridian endpoints while focusing on the feelings of panic, you’re essentially sending a calming signal to the amygdala. You’re telling your brain’s alarm system, “Even though this feels dangerous, I am actually safe right now.”

Over time, this rewires the neural pathways that have been maintaining your panic response. The smoke detector becomes less sensitive; it stops blaring at every hint of smoke and only activates when there’s an actual fire.

A Tapping Approach for Panic Attacks

Let’s dive into how you might use Tapping specifically for your situation, Erich. I’ve found a layered approach works best for long-standing panic attacks:

Layer 1: Tapping on the Physical Sensations

The first layer involves Tapping directly on the physical sensations of panic as they arise. This can help interrupt a panic attack in progress or reduce one that’s building.

Continue tapping through several rounds, following the sensations as they shift and change. You might notice the racing heart calms but then tightness in your throat becomes more prominent. Just keep Tapping and addressing whatever is most intense in each moment.

Layer 2: Tapping on Specific Trigger Situations

The next layer involves tapping on specific situations that trigger panic, like movie theaters or travel. This is best done when you’re not actually in those situations, as a form of preparation.

After a few rounds addressing the fear, you can shift to more positive possibilities:

Layer 3: Tapping on the Core Emotional Patterns

The deepest layer involves addressing the core emotional patterns that might be contributing to your panic cycle. If your panic attacks emerged early in life, there may be early experiences involved.

This layer often benefits from working with a skilled EFT practitioner who can help you identify and process these deeper patterns. However, you can begin exploring with questions like:

• What was happening in your life when you had your first panic attack?
• What does panic protect you from having to do or face?
• If the panic had a message for you, what would it be trying to say?

Reclaiming Your Teaching Gift: A Step-by-Step Path

Erich, what particularly moved me in your message was how much you miss teaching.

Your gift for teaching hasn’t disappeared. It’s still within you, temporarily obscured by these panic attacks.

Here’s a gradual approach to potentially reclaim this part of your life:

1. Start with Tapping regularly on the three layers I outlined above. Daily Tapping, even for just 5-10 minutes, can begin to shift these patterns.
2. Consider creating a “panic ladder” — a graduated hierarchy of situations from least to most challenging. For example:
   • Standing in your living room pretending to teach for 5 minutes
   • Teaching a 10-minute lesson to your wife
   • Recording a short teaching video at home
   • Teaching one person at a coffee shop for 15 minutes
   • Teaching a small group of 2-3 friends in a familiar environment
   • Each step up the ladder gives your nervous system a chance to learn that teaching can be safe again.
3. Explore online teaching opportunities as an intermediate step. This allows you to teach from your “safe zone” while gradually expanding your comfort with teaching again.
4. Consider working with a Tapping practitioner who has experience with anxiety and panic. While self-guided Tapping is powerful, a skilled practitioner can often help navigate the deeper layers more efficiently.

Small Steps, Profound Changes

One important insight I want to share is that healing from panic attacks usually happens gradually, not all at once. You might not go from having a panic attack in a movie theater to sitting comfortably through a three-hour film in one step. But you might find that the intensity decreases, or that you can stay a bit longer before needing to leave, or that recovery happens more quickly.

Each small victory is significant—it’s evidence that your nervous system is learning something new, that change is possible.

And these small changes compound. The person who can stay in a theater for 30 minutes today might be able to stay for an hour next month, and might be enjoying full movies six months from now.

“Each small victory is significant—it’s evidence that your nervous system is learning something new, that change is possible.”

The Gift of Your Experience

There’s something else I want to mention. As you heal your relationship with panic, you’ll gain insights and wisdom that few others have. This isn’t just healing for healing’s sake—it potentially becomes a new dimension of what you can offer others.

Imagine being the professor who not only teaches English brilliantly but also understands profoundly what it means to face and move through intense anxiety. How many students struggling with their own anxiety might find hope in your example? How might your journey enrich your teaching in ways you couldn’t have anticipated?

This isn’t to suggest that panic attacks are a “gift” in the conventional sense. But sometimes our deepest challenges, once navigated, become the source of our most meaningful contributions.

Final Thoughts and Next Steps

Erich, your message touched me deeply because it speaks to something I believe firmly: it’s never too late to reclaim the parts of ourselves that fear has taken. At 62, with decades of history with panic attacks, you still have time to write a different story for the chapters ahead.

The fact that you reached out shows tremendous courage and readiness. You said you’re “tired of being a slave” to panic attacks, and that weariness can be a powerful catalyst for change.

I’d encourage you to start with daily Tapping, even for just a few minutes, focusing on the approach I’ve outlined above. Notice any small shifts or changes, and celebrate them. Keep a journal of your experiences if that feels helpful.

Consider downloading The Tapping Solution App, which includes specific guided meditations for anxiety and panic that can support your daily practice (see below for more info!).

And remember that you don’t have to do this alone. Whether it’s working with a Tapping practitioner, joining a support group, or simply sharing your journey with understanding friends or family, community can be an important part of healing.

I believe in your capacity to transform this pattern, Erich. The passionate educator who made such a difference in his students’ lives is still there, waiting to emerge again. With patience, persistence, and the powerful tool of Tapping, I have every confidence that you can create a new relationship with anxiety and reclaim the parts of your life that matter most to you.

Looking for more support with anxiety and panic attacks?

• Find a Certified EFT Practitioner – For personalized guidance on overcoming panic attacks
• The Tapping Solution App Facebook Group – A community of like-minded, supportive individuals sharing their questions, stories, successes, and setbacks.
• The Tapping Solution App – Features specific meditations for anxiety, panic, and fear:
  • Anxiety Relief: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Method – This session combines Tapping with a simple grounding exercise designed to help you use the five senses to come back into the present moment.
  • Stop a Panic Attack – Tapping is a powerful tool to use in the moment to stop panic attacks. Use this session to stop a panic attack and reconnect with a sense of inner calm and safety.
  • 5 Day Release Anxiety Series is a great starting point to explore how Tapping can help address anxiety in your body, heart, and mind so you can authentically connect with greater peace and ease.
  • From Fear and Worry to Peace – This is a well-loved session that can help you honor any fear and worry and open up to greater peace and ease.
  • Anxiety Soother Card Deck – This is a fabulous way to tap on anxiety. You can pick a card at random to reveal your soothing message for the moment, and then play the related 2 minutes Quick Tap to do some Tapping on that theme.

Note: You can access these meditations by clicking the links above using your mobile device, or type the name of the meditation into The Tapping Solution App’s search function.

I’d love to hear how your journey with Tapping unfolds. Please feel free to share your experience in the comments below, or reach out again to let us know how you’re doing.

Until next time… Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner