If you are with someone that is prone to having a panic attack the important thing to try to do is to be with them and offer a calming presence. Read more about what happens to a person when they have a panic attack as well as the differences between Panic Disorder and Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The article explains what happens in the body when someone experiences an episode, which can often come about completely unexpectedly. The mere fact of these scary feelings coming so ‘out of the blue’ can make people think they are about to have a heart attack or a stroke. If it is a panic attack they will survive the experience, that is why it is so important to offer a calming presence.