Episode Overview

Podcast: The Dr. Laura Podcast
Episode Title: Will Panic Attacks Kill You?
Date: December 8, 2025
Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger

Main Theme:
In this episode, Dr. Laura Schlessinger openly shares her personal journey with panic attacks, debunking the myth that they are fatal, and provides actionable advice and coping mechanisms for those who suffer from them. Blending humor, vulnerability, and clinical insight, Dr. Laura delivers a candid account designed to inform, comfort, and empower listeners challenged by anxiety or panic disorder.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Dr. Laura’s Personal Story: The Onset of Panic Attacks

• Sudden Family Emergency as the Catalyst
  • Dr. Laura recounts a harrowing night when her husband collapsed from sudden cardiac arrest ([03:17]). Her quick action—and perhaps, as doctors later suggest, her “nagging”—saved his life.
  • Quote (Dr. Laura, 04:52): “It’s good she nagged you because you’d be dead. She’d wake up in the morning to a corpse next door.”
• Immediate Aftermath
  • Dr. Laura describes the profound fear and heightened bodily awareness following the incident, likening herself to the narrator in Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Tell-Tale Heart" ([05:17]).
  • Memorable moment (Dr. Laura, 05:26): “I could hear my heart from across the room, even though my heart’s in my own body. I know that sounds weird, but it was so loud.”

Living with Panic Attacks: Symptoms and Experiences

• Intense Physical and Psychological Distress

  • She shares how her anxiety spiraled, impacting her ability to function, and how she was repeatedly treated in emergency rooms and prescribed sedatives ([09:00]–[11:11]).
  • Vivid anecdote: Collapsing in front of the hospital elevator, begging, “Please don’t let me die. My son is only 8…” ([09:11])

• Failed (and Misguided) Therapy

  • Dr. Laura’s psychologist makes an unhelpful promise that her panic attacks would stop in two months, which only increased her focus and distress ([09:51]–[10:05]).
  • Quote (Dr. Laura, 10:05): “Never tell a patient you have a specific date and this will stop.”

• Misunderstanding and Stigma

  • Many practitioners—and even Dr. Laura’s sensei—downplay her experiences, which is both frustrating and illustrative of common misconceptions ([10:40], [11:06]).

What Panic Attacks Really Feel Like

• Not a Heart Attack, but Feels Like It

  • Dr. Laura details the hallmark sensations of panic attacks:
    • Racing heart
    • Feeling like her chest was being vacuumed out
    • A certainty she was about to die ([10:15]–[11:38])

• Diagnostic Journey

  • After a high-stress episode at an airshow, a cardiologist confirms she has panic attacks, not a cardiac issue ([11:38]–[12:19]).
  • Quote (Cardiologist, 12:04): “I think I have bad news. It’s not cardiac. …because that’s easy to fix. You’re having panic attacks.”

Understanding the Cycle of Panic

• No Clear Triggers
  • Dr. Laura notes that, initially triggered by her husband’s near-death, her panic attacks eventually become “triggerless,” highlighting the entrenched neural pathways involved ([13:01]).
  • Quote (Dr. Laura, 13:54): “Most people I worked with in my practice who had this, I tell them, don’t look for a trigger. It probably isn’t there, just a pathway in your brain, like a furrow in the dirt with water going through it.”
• The Fear of Fear
  • She emphasizes that it’s not just the anxiety but the anticipation of anxiety—“the fear of fear”—that perpetuates and exacerbates panic attacks ([13:54]–[14:15]).
  • Key insight (Dr. Laura, 14:15): “The less you resist your anxiety, the less anxiety you will feel.”

Practical Coping Tools & Strategies

• Grounding Exercise: The 5-4-3-2-1 Game ([14:52]–[16:00])

  1. Five things you can see, name and describe them
  2. Four things you can feel with your body
  3. Three things you can hear
  4. Two things you can smell (or name if not possible)
  5. One thing good about yourself
  • Quote (Dr. Laura, 16:04): “I’m going to survive this.”

• Breathing Techniques ([16:09]–[16:38])

  • Inhale through the nose to a count of five, hold for two, then exhale slowly through the mouth to five (or up to ten with practice).
  • Tip: “Because when you’re anxious, you tend to want to exhale.” ([16:38])

• Distraction and Acceptance

  • Dr. Laura notes that grounding, breathing, and distraction techniques work mainly by breaking the cycle of escalating anxiety.
  • The most helpful belief: Nobody has ever died from a panic attack.
    • Quote (Dr. Laura quoting her psychologist, 10:15 and repeating at 17:17): “Nobody’s ever died from a panic attack … Even though I feel like I’m gonna die, nobody has ever died from a panic attack.”

Recovery & Moving Forward

• Time Heals and Habits Help
  • Dr. Laura affirms that, with time, practice, and a shift in attitude, her panic attacks have virtually disappeared ([17:48]).
  • She notes that she now distinguishes normal situational anxiety (e.g., the adrenaline rush of a competitive race) from pathological panic, and no longer fears anxiety itself ([18:03]–[18:34]).
  • Quote (Dr. Laura, 18:03): “I just don’t fret about it.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [04:52] Dr. Laura’s doctor: “It’s good she nagged you because you’d be dead.”
• [05:26] Dr. Laura: “I could hear my heart from across the room, even though my heart’s in my own body.”
• [10:05] Dr. Laura: “Never tell a patient you have a specific date and this will stop.”
• [12:04] Dr. Laura’s cardiologist: “I think I have bad news. It’s not cardiac … because that’s easy to fix. You’re having panic attacks.”
• [13:54] Dr. Laura: “Don’t look for a trigger. … Just a pathway in your brain, like a furrow in the dirt with water going through it.”
• [14:15] Dr. Laura: “The less you resist your anxiety, the less anxiety you will feel.”
• [16:04] Dr. Laura: “I’m going to survive this.”
• [17:17] Dr. Laura: “Nobody has ever died from a panic attack.”
• [18:03] Dr. Laura: “I just don’t fret about it.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | Content Summary | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:33 | Family emergency | Dr. Laura narrates husband’s sudden collapse | | 05:26 | First panic attack symptoms | Uncontrollable fear and bodily sensations after traumatic night | | 09:11 | Hospital & anxiety escalation | Own panic attacks worsen conflicts with caretaking/motherhood | | 09:47 | Therapy unfortunately misapplied | “You’ll be cured in two months” proves harmful | | 10:15 | “Nobody’s ever died from a panic attack” | Seed of hope that reframes Dr. Laura’s experience | | 11:38 | Diagnostic process clarifies panic vs. heart attack| Experiencing panic as distinct from physical cardiac problem | | 13:54 | Cycle of fear | How fear of panic triggers more panic, advice from Dr. Laura’s clinical practice | | 14:52 | Coping techniques introduced | 5-4-3-2-1 grounding, breath control, positive self-talk | | 17:17 | Reinforcement of key lesson | Repeating “Nobody has ever died from a panic attack” and the power of acceptance | | 18:14 | Distinguishing normal anxiety | How she recognizes when anxiety is just a normal part of life (start of a race, etc.) | | 17:48+ | Recovery, perspective, and current health | Dr. Laura rarely experiences panic attacks; shares message of hope |

Tone & Style

Dr. Laura’s style in this episode is warm, confessional, occasionally humorous, and direct. She intersperses vivid personal stories with advice, acknowledging both the fear and irrationality that come with panic attacks, and always brings the discussion back to practical, empowering truths. The episode is highly accessible—both relatable to sufferers and instructive for caregivers.

Takeaway Messages

• Panic attacks, while terrifying, are not fatal.
• Don’t waste energy searching for what triggered a panic attack—sometimes, there isn’t one.
• Fear of panic attacks can perpetuate more attacks; acceptance and distraction help break the cycle.
• Grounding and controlled breathing are simple and effective tools.
• Over time, with knowledge and practice, most people experience relief—even after years of suffering.

Final Reflection

Dr. Laura’s honest recounting and practical strategies provide hope and reassurance for anyone navigating the bewildering world of panic attacks. Her message is clear: You are not alone, you are not doomed, and there are concrete steps you can take to regain control.