New strategy for dealing with panic attacks:

Do the dishes.

Because the attacks manifest themselves as apparent catatonia. Because the thought process/spiral ends up being "You can't even perform the most basic human tasks". Because they usually need doing.

I'm not the kind of person who gets the overwhelming urge to tidy when I'm freaked out. (I live with one, though.) When I'm really panicky, I tend to shut down. So these days, when I feel the attack coming on, I force myself to do at least one real, mundane, basic household chore. It seems to be doing the staving off trick. Note how I'm typing now, not huddling on the floor.