Have you ever set off a smoke detector while cooking? Maybe you were flipping French toast for a surprise breakfast or heating up an after-school snack when—BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!—the alarm screamed through the house. You weren’t in danger, but the smoke detector didn’t know that. It was just doing its job: detecting potential threats, even when it got a little overzealous.
Your brain works the same way.
The human brain is always scanning for danger—it’s built to protect us. But sometimes it misfires. It mistakes a harmless situation for an emergency and sends your body into full-on panic mode. Your heart races, your breathing quickens, and your body prepares to flee… even when there’s nothing to run from.
That’s what a panic attack is: a false alarm going off in your brain.
🔥 The Smoke Alarm in Your Brain
Just like we don’t throw out the smoke detector because it occasionally overreacts, we don’t need to fear our panic system—it’s there for a reason. If you were ever truly in danger, you’d want your internal alarm system to alert you. But most of the time, it’s just a little too jumpy.
🧠 For You To Know
A panic attack may feel like a heart attack, suffocation, or the world collapsing—but it’s not. It’s your brain shouting “FIRE!” when all you did was toast some bread. Understanding that panic is a false alarm can take away some of its power. The more we recognize panic for what it is—an annoying but harmless signal—the more we can respond with calm instead of fear.
🎯 For You To Do: Danger vs. False Alarm
Let’s play a game. Imagine you’re in a panicky moment. Ask yourself:
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Are there any angry bears nearby?
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Is there a fire?
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Is someone pointing a weapon at me?
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Is a volcano erupting?
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Is the ground shaking?
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Are there wasps—or hail—falling from the sky?
If the answer is yes, take immediate action. If the answer is no? Then congratulations—you’ve just identified a false alarm.
Take a breath. Remind your brain, “I am safe, even if my body doesn’t feel that way right now.”
📝 More To Try This Week
Every time panic starts to bubble up:
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Rate your anxiety level (1–10).
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Play “Where Is the Danger?” Look around and name the (lack of) actual threats.
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Jot it down. Track what happened, what you observed, and how the panic shifted.
Over time, your brain will begin to learn: not every alarm means danger. Not every sensation means something is wrong. And you, strong and steady, can ride the wave—even when the alarm gets loud.
Excerpt adapted from
The Panic Workbook for Teens
By Dr. Debra Kissen, Bari Goldman Cohen & Kathi F. Abitbol
Available here
