“A panic attack isn’t a lack of strength; it’s the result of a body that has struggled so hard on its own.”
Mental health has become one of the major topics of discussion on social media, with influencers taking on the role of mental health counselors. This raises questions about who has the scientific training to speak about mental health, how we can recognize reliable information, and why panic attacks continue to be accompanied by stereotypes and feelings of guilt.
What Is a Panic Attack?
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A panic attack is not simply a moment of intense anxiety, but an unexpected episode of intense fear and distress. During the episode, the body’s “alarm” mechanism is triggered even when there is no actual external danger. In other words, the body biologically prepares itself to face an immediate danger that, in reality, does not exist.
Symptoms
The symptoms of a panic attack can vary from person to person. They often include a racing heart, dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath, a feeling of choking or suffocation, and fear of an impending heart attack or loss of control.
Ways to Cope
Speaking to “Alpha on Sunday,” Dr. Aristoniki Theodosiou Tryfonidou, a specialist in Educational and Developmental Psychology, explains that during a panic attack, the first priority is to gradually reduce the intensity and help the person feel safe again. One technique that can help is slow, controlled breathing. For example, inhale for 4 seconds and exhale for 6 seconds; this helps rapidly lower the heart rate. A second technique is the “5-4-3-2-1” method. The person experiencing a panic attack tries to redirect their attention elsewhere. More specifically, they observe five things they see, identify four things they can touch, three things they hear, two things they smell, and one thing they can taste. In this way, attention is diverted from the vicious cycle of destructive introspection and catastrophizing.
As Ms. Tryfonidou notes, when panic attacks are recurrent or interfere with a person’s daily life, it is necessary to seek help from a mental health professional. One evidence-based treatment is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), through which the individual learns to recognize the thoughts that trigger fear and to respond differently to the physical sensations they once considered dangerous. “Acute intervention calms the nervous system; therapy trains the mind not to be afraid of its own shadow,” he notes.
The Downplaying of Panic Attacks and the Blame Game
Among the most serious issues faced by people who experience panic attacks is how they are treated by those around them. According to Ms. Tryfonidou, downplaying the severity of panic attacks has devastating consequences for a person’s mental well-being. She explains that, because panic does not present the “visible” signs of a physical injury, the individual begins to blame themselves. Thoughts such as “If others can do it, why am I falling apart?” reinforce the belief that the situation is a personal weakness. As he notes, the fear of criticism leads to secrecy, preventing the person from seeking professional help in a timely manner, resulting in the chronic entrenchment of the disorder.
Are panic attacks a sign of weakness?
The perception that panic attacks and anxiety disorders are a sign of a weak character persists in society. As Ms. Tryfonidou notes, behind this perception lies, among other things, the mistaken impression that a person can completely control their emotions as long as they decide to. However, this is not the case. As Ms. Tryfonidou points out, a person’s mental health can be influenced by various factors. For example, by life experiences, the environment, biology, and the conditions in which a person lives. Furthermore, within the context of the contemporary economic and social paradigm of “toxic resilience” and relentless productivity, human vulnerability is viewed as a weakness. Any deviation from flawless emotional stability is misinterpreted by the environment as a personal weakness, because it perpetuates the illusion that anyone can “control their emotions at any time through sheer willpower.” At the same time, she emphasizes that, “a panic attack is not a lack of strength; it is the overload of a body that has struggled so hard on its own.”
Influencers as Mental Health Advisors
If there’s one thing we’re seeing more and more on social media, it’s various posts where people who aren’t mental health professionals explain complex mental health conditions (such as panic attacks), offer simplistic advice, and so on. This raises the question of what the risks are when people without scientific training offer advice on mental health issues. In response, Ms. Tryfonidou states that the uncontrolled dissemination of psychological content by uncertified creators on social media poses an emerging risk to public health.
Recent systematic literature reviews (Starvaggi et al., 2024; Carter et al., 2026) demonstrate that misinformation regarding mental health consistently leads to incorrect self-diagnosis and self-stigmatization, delays in clinical intervention, and the commodification of suffering.
Evaluation Criteria for Safe Navigation on Social Media
Mental health cannot be addressed or assessed through a short video. To ensure safe information regarding mental health issues, Ms. Tryfonidou advises users to verify that the content creator holds a valid professional license and has a recognized academic background, and to verify whether the recommended methods are based on international clinical guidelines and empirical research. At the same time, it recommends recognizing that social media offers only general information and destigmatization, but under no circumstances can it replace a personalized therapy session. Finally, it advises users to identify tactics that exploit fear and guilt in order to boost creators’ popularity.
