How do paper bags help with panic attacks?

The paper creates more carbon so you produce more oxygen so it helps your breathing

Panic attacks can be intensified if a person does not get their breathing slowed down. A paper bag can help manage the duration of a breathe which will help someone who is unable to control their breathing during a panic attack.

It has to do with the diaphragm I believe. It kind of forces you to breathe deeper and breathing exercises help with anxiety.

In fact, emergency room physicians often tell people suffering panic attacks to breathe into paper bags on the theory that rebreathing exhaled, carbon dioxide-rich air will raise carbon dioxide levels in the blood and stop the panic attack.

A paper bag can be quite helpful during a panic attack to effectively manage hyperventilation, which is a common symptom of panic attacks. Hyperventilation leads to a drop in carbon dioxide levels, causing symptoms like lightheadedness and limb tingling. Breathing into a paper bag allows you to rebreathe your exhaled carbon dioxide, helping stabilize these levels and alleviate such symptoms. However, this method is only suitable for some and should not replace professional treatment. It's a temporary measure, and long-term management of panic attacks requires consulting healthcare professionals for tailored advice and treatment options, including therapy and possibly medication. Lastly, "Always seek professional guidance for effective panic attack management."

They only help if you're hyperventilating. Other times, they give you something to focus on, but they do not directly help panic attacks.

Sometimes panic attacks trigger a response where the individual takes in more oxygen than needed, this response is called hyperventilating. Hyperventilating is one way your body copes with high levels of stress, but not having a balance of oxygen can lead to fainting or a feeling of lightheadedness. In the event of a panic attack a Paper Bag could help control your oxygen levels and help you re-breath exhaled carbon dioxide.

It helps by breathing in and out of the bag. By breathing in the bag, Carbon Dioxide is released and so is some Oxygen your lungs didn't take into your body. You keep breathing in and out, with less and less Oxygen released into the bag and going into your lungs. Because of that, your brain and body slows down, therefore slowing your panic attack.

When you have a panic attack, your breathing can become erratic and your body's levels of carbon dioxide can be reduced. Breathing in and out of a paper bag will build up the levels of carbon dioxide again, making you feel better!

•When people get anxiety attacks they 'over-breathe'. This lowers the level of carbon dioxide in the blood and that makes them feel worse! Breathing into a paper bag for half a dozen or so breaths, builds up the carbon dioxide in your body again, so you should immediately start feeling better.