Panic attacks on subways, trains, and other enclosed spaces can be one of the most challenging forms of anxiety to treat. Unlike other fears, where exposure can be adjusted gradually, public transportation is an all-or-nothing situation—you’re either on the train or off. Because of this, tackling subway anxiety requires a strategic approach.

In this article, we’ll explore the best way to overcome subway-related panic attacks, using systematic exposure, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), reality testing, and the removal of safety behaviors to regain confidence in your ability to travel without fear.

Why Is Subway Anxiety So Hard to Treat?

Subway panic attacks are difficult because you can’t easily control the exposure intensity. Unlike driving anxiety—where you can start on quiet roads and slowly work your way up to highways—public transit doesn’t offer the same flexibility. Once the doors close, you’re committed until the next stop.

The Wrong Approach: Jumping Straight Into Subway Exposure

Many people assume that the best way to overcome subway panic is to force themselves onto the train and endure the anxiety. While this can eventually work, it’s not the most efficient or sustainable approach.

The better method? Work on all your other triggers first.

Subway panic is rarely an isolated problem. People who experience it typically have other anxiety triggers as well—like elevators, crowded spaces, or sitting in traffic. By tackling these smaller fears first, you can build confidence and retrain your response to panic before facing the subway challenge.

Step 1: Tackle Other Triggers First

Instead of immediately forcing subway exposure, first identify other panic-inducing situations in your daily life. These might include:

• Being in a crowded elevator

• Sitting in traffic with no immediate escape

• Standing in long lines

• Crossing large bridges

By gradually exposing yourself to these experiences, you acclimate your nervous system to stress and develop a greater sense of control. The goal is to build up enough confidence that, by the time you reach subway exposure, you’re entering it with the attitude of “I don’t care if I panic.”

The moment you truly stop fearing panic attacks is the moment they stop happening.

Step 2: Change Your Relationship to Panic Attacks

A major key to overcoming panic is shifting your mindset from fearing the experience to accepting it. The best way to do this is by practicing acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) principles alongside exposure therapy.

Here’s how it works:

• Instead of fighting panic, allow yourself to feel it fully.

• Accept that the sensations are uncomfortable but not dangerous.

• Stop trying to “fix” anxiety in the moment—let it happen and observe it without resistance.

The only way out of panic is through it. Once you develop true willingness to experience a full-blown panic attack, your brain will stop treating it as a threat.

At first, when you adopt this mindset, you might still experience high levels of anxiety (8/10 or 9/10). But with repeated practice, your panic levels will start dropping rapidly—eventually reaching the point where full-blown panic never happens at all.

Step 3: Exposure Therapy and Reality Testing

Once you've worked through your other triggers and shifted your attitude toward panic, it’s time for structured subway exposure. This involves three key components:

1. Gradual exposure to subway-like experiences

   • Stand on a subway platform without boarding.

   • Ride one stop and exit immediately.

   • Increase ride duration step by step.

2. Reality testing catastrophic fears
   Many subway anxiety sufferers fear things like:

   • “What if I have a panic attack and can’t escape?”

   • “What if I pass out and no one helps me?”

   • “What if I go crazy and lose control?”

   These fears feel real but are based on false assumptions. To test them:

   • Notice that previous panic attacks never led to disaster.

   • If you fear fainting, practice standing up and checking your balance.

   • If you fear losing control, remind yourself that you’ve always maintained composure before.

3. Removing Safety Behaviors

   • Stop carrying water “just in case.”

   • Avoid using your phone for distraction.

   • Refrain from using deep breathing as a crutch (let the anxiety happen instead).

Safety behaviors prevent true recovery because they send the message that you “need” them to survive the situation. Real freedom comes when you prove to yourself that you don’t need them at all.

Step 4: The Paradox of Panic – Willingness Ends Fear

The more you fight panic, the stronger it becomes. But the more you invite it, the weaker it gets.

Imagine panic as a monster that feeds on your fear. The moment you stop running and say, “Come at me. Do your worst,” the monster shrinks and loses its power over you.

This is the paradox of panic: The more willing you are to have a panic attack, the less likely it is to happen.

Your goal in subway exposure should not be to “avoid” panic—it should be to welcome it. The moment you truly stop caring whether or not you panic is the moment your panic disorder disappears for good.

Final Thoughts

Overcoming subway-related panic is 100% possible when approached correctly. Instead of diving straight into subway exposure, focus on:

• Tackling other triggers first (elevators, crowds, traffic, etc.).

• Changing your relationship to panic (becoming fully willing to experience it).

• Using exposure and reality testing (proving your fears wrong step by step).

• Removing safety behaviors (proving to yourself that you don’t need them).

By the time you’re ready for subway exposure, you’ll already have built the skills and confidence needed to approach it with a fearless attitude.

If you want structured guidance on overcoming panic, sign up for my FREE Panic Survival Guide Newsletter here: https://www.ajbcounseling.com/free-panic-survival-guide. Or, if you’d like one-on-one support, book a free consultation here: https://www.ajbcounseling.com/panic-home.