The Importance of ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) for Panic
If you’ve been battling panic attacks, you might have tried countless strategies to stop them. But have you considered that the problem may not be the panic itself, but your relationship with it? Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers a fresh perspective, focusing not on eliminating panic, but on changing how you respond to it. In combination with exposure therapy, ACT provides a comprehensive solution to the panic problem. Let’s explore why ACT is so effective for panic and how you can start applying its principles today.
What is ACT?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a scientifically supported approach that helps you build psychological flexibility—the ability to stay present and take meaningful action even when facing uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. Unlike traditional methods that focus on reducing symptoms, ACT emphasizes acceptance, mindfulness, and living a values-driven life.
ACT teaches that fighting panic only strengthens its hold over you. Instead of resisting or avoiding, you learn to accept panic as part of your experience, making room for it while focusing on what truly matters in your life. When combined with exposure therapy, ACT helps you take an active and aggressive approach to facing panic, allowing corrective experiences to extinguish the panic over time.
Why ACT Works for Panic
Panic thrives on avoidance and resistance. When you resist panic, you reinforce the message that it’s dangerous, fueling the fear cycle. ACT helps break this cycle by:
Reducing Avoidance:
Avoidance may feel like relief in the short term, but it keeps panic alive in the long run. ACT encourages you to face your fears with openness and curiosity, retraining your brain to see that panic isn’t dangerous.Changing Your Relationship with Panic:
Instead of seeing panic as an enemy to fight, ACT helps you view it as a transient experience—unpleasant, but not harmful. This shift takes the power away from panic and allows you to focus on what matters.Building Resilience:
ACT equips you with tools to navigate discomfort, so you no longer feel controlled by panic. Over time, this builds confidence and reduces the impact of future attacks.
When combined with exposure therapy, these principles lead to corrective experiences. By repeatedly facing fears in a controlled and intentional way, your brain learns that the feared sensations and situations are safe, ultimately extinguishing panic attacks.
Key ACT Principles for Panic
1. Acceptance
Acceptance means making space for uncomfortable sensations and thoughts, rather than fighting or avoiding them. This doesn’t mean you like or approve of panic, but you allow it to exist without resistance.
For example, if your heart is racing during a panic attack, acceptance might look like saying, “This is uncomfortable, but I can allow it to be here.” This mindset reduces emotional reactivity and fosters a calmer response.
2. Defuse Catastrophic Thoughts
Catastrophic thoughts often fuel panic, leading to fears about your health, safety, or sanity. These thoughts can feel overwhelming, but ACT teaches you to defuse them—to see them as mental events, not facts.
Here are examples for common panic-related preoccupations:
Cardiac Preoccupation:
Thought: “I’m having a heart attack.”
Response: “I’m noticing the thought that I’m having a heart attack.” Say it in a silly voice or imagine it written on a billboard to create distance from the thought.Respiratory Preoccupation:
Thought: “I’m going to faint because I can’t breathe.”
Response: “I’m having the thought that I’m going to faint because I feel breathless.” Remind yourself that fainting during panic is rare, as your blood pressure is elevated.Derealization/Unreality Preoccupation:
Thought: “I feel disconnected; maybe I’m losing my mind or not real.”
Response: “I’m having the thought that I’m not real or losing my mind.” Then ground yourself by touching an object or describing your surroundings.
This process reduces the intensity of catastrophic thoughts and helps you respond with calmness and clarity.
3. Commit to Values-Driven Action
Panic often pulls you away from the life you want to live. ACT helps you reconnect with your values—what truly matters to you—and take action aligned with them, even in the presence of fear.
For example, if spending time with loved ones is a core value, but you’ve been avoiding social events due to panic, ACT encourages you to attend these events despite your discomfort. By focusing on your values, you weaken panic’s grip and reclaim your life.
4. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a cornerstone of ACT, teaching you to stay present and observe your experiences without judgment. During a panic attack, mindfulness might involve focusing on your breath, noticing sensations in your body, or listening to sounds around you.
Mindfulness helps you anchor yourself in the present moment, reducing the intensity of panic and creating a sense of stability.
How ACT and Exposure Therapy Disrupt the Panic Cycle
The panic cycle is fueled by fear and avoidance. You feel a sensation (e.g., a racing heart), interpret it catastrophically (e.g., “I’m dying”), and respond with avoidance or resistance, which reinforces the fear. ACT and exposure therapy disrupt this cycle by:
Acknowledging Sensations:
Label what you’re feeling (e.g., “My heart is racing”) without judgment.Defusing Thoughts:
Observe catastrophic thoughts as ideas, not facts.Allowing the Experience:
Accept sensations and thoughts without resistance.Focusing on Values:
Take meaningful action, even in the presence of panic.Engaging in Exposure Therapy:
Exposure therapy provides the corrective experiences needed to retrain your brain. By willingly and repeatedly confronting feared situations or sensations, you teach your brain that they are not dangerous. Over time, this extinguishes the panic response.
By combining ACT’s principles with exposure therapy, you approach panic with courage and openness, creating a path toward lasting recovery.
Final Thoughts
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy offers a powerful framework for overcoming panic. When paired with exposure therapy, it not only helps you change your relationship with panic but also extinguishes panic attacks by fostering corrective experiences. By embracing acceptance, defusing catastrophic thoughts, and committing to values-driven action, you can break free from the cycle of fear and reclaim your life.
ACT and exposure therapy don’t promise instant relief, but with practice, they offer a comprehensive and lasting solution. If you’re ready to change your relationship with panic, start by incorporating these principles into your daily life. Over time, you’ll find that panic loses its grip, and you’ll gain the freedom to live the life you want.
