Frequently Asked Questions

What is Panic Attack Toolkit?

Panic Attack Toolkit is a free web app for getting through a panic attack. It walks you through three guided relief flows — breathing, grounding, and anchoring — designed to work mid-attack, when concentration is hardest. The whole design assumes you may be shaking, breathing fast, and unable to hold much in your head: relief starts within two taps, every step is self-paced, and nothing requires an account.

Do I need an account to use it?

No. Relief never requires an account. You can open the app and start a guided breathing, grounding, or anchoring flow completely signed out, and the technique library and education pages are open to everyone. An account is only needed for the things that remember: your safety plan, your episode history, and (on paid tiers) reminders and insights. You can add an account later, whenever you're ready.

Is this a replacement for therapy or emergency care?

No. Panic Attack Toolkit is a self-help tool based on techniques used in clinical practice. It is not therapy, diagnosis, or crisis intervention, and it cannot respond to an emergency. If you are in danger, call your local emergency number — the app shows this guidance on its relief screens. If panic attacks are frequent or worsening, please reach out to a doctor or mental health professional. The app's education page covers when and how to seek help.

What happens during a panic attack, and what do the flows do?

A panic attack floods your body with adrenaline — racing heart, tight chest, tingling hands, a strong sense that something is medically wrong. It is genuinely distressing and not dangerous, and it passes. The three flows each interrupt the spiral in a different way:

• Breathing slows your body down. A visual pacer breathes with you so you don't have to count or remember anything.
• Grounding (the 5-4-3-2-1 technique) pulls your attention out of the panic and into the room, one sense at a time.
• Anchoring offers short reframing statements, one at a time, to interrupt catastrophic thoughts like "I'm dying" or "I'm losing control."

The app's education page, "What's happening to me," explains this in plain language after the fact.

What breathing patterns are included?

Four: box breathing (equal counts in, hold, out, hold), 4-7-8 (inhale 4, hold 7, exhale 8 — a longer exhale that calms the nervous system), the physiological sigh (a double inhale followed by a long exhale — the fastest known way to offload adrenaline), and a "just breathe" default that simply paces your breath with no counts to follow. If you can't decide, accept the default — the pacer guides you either way.

What is the safety plan?

The safety plan is a personal, at-a-glance page you prepare on a calm day and read mid-attack. It has five sections: your warning signs, what has helped before, three people to contact, your medications, and a note to yourself. It is written in large, calm typography so you — or someone helping you — can read it without scrolling or searching. It requires an account, because it lives server-side and survives sign-outs, new devices, and cleared browsers.

What is the episode log?

The episode log turns attacks into data points. Logging an episode takes under 30 seconds: you pick an intensity from 1 to 10 (an explicit choice — the app never pre-selects one), optionally tag triggers and what helped from quick picks, and add a short reflection if you want. Over time your history shows evidence that attacks end — and, on Pro, the patterns inside them. You can export the whole history as CSV or JSON on any tier, free.

What are pattern insights?

Pattern insights (Pro) analyze your own logged history — never anyone else's — to show your most common triggers, time-of-day trends, and which techniques correlate with better outcomes for you. Findings are stated with appropriate uncertainty ("appears in 4 of your last 6 episodes"), never as diagnoses. Insights unlock once you've logged at least 5 episodes, so the patterns are real ones.

Does it work offline?

The relief flows run entirely in your browser — after your first visit, they work with no network at all, including mid-flow: if your connection drops while you're breathing, the flow continues untouched. The safety plan, episode log, and insights read and write server-side data, so they need a connection; when one isn't available, the app shows a clear, calm error with a retry — never a blank screen.

Is my data private?

Yes. Your plan, episodes, and reflections are stored server-side under your account and are visible only to you. When you're signed out, nothing about you is stored at all — relief flows keep no record. Sign-in tokens never touch your browser; the app holds your session server-side. You can turn analytics off in Settings with one toggle, and you can export or delete your data at any time.

Can I export my data?

Yes — on every tier, including free. Settings → "Export my data" downloads your full episode history (dates, intensities, triggers, what helped, reflections) as CSV or JSON. Many people bring the export to a doctor or therapy appointment. Your data is yours.

Can I install it as an app?

Yes. Panic Attack Toolkit is a progressive web app (PWA). On your phone, accept the install prompt (or use your browser's "Add to Home Screen") and it opens in standalone mode with its own icon. After the first visit, relief flows load instantly from cache — even with no network.

Are there ads?

Only on the free tier, and only in approved placements like the Home footer. Ads never appear in relief flows, the safety plan, education pages, or onboarding — the moments that matter are never interrupted. Plus removes ads entirely.

How do reminders work?

Reminders (Plus) are gentle, optional practice nudges — for example, box breathing on weekday mornings. You choose the technique, days, and time; the browser asks for notification permission with a plain-language explanation, and if you decline, the reminder still works in-app. There are no streaks, no guilt, and no pressure copy. You can pause or delete any reminder at any time.

What if I'm in danger right now?

If you are in danger, call your local emergency number immediately — the app displays this on its relief screens for exactly this reason. Panic Attack Toolkit is a self-help tool, not an emergency service, and it cannot reach anyone on your behalf.