In this episode of Grit & Grace, Pam Rader and Erin Payne sit down with anxiety and panic expert Silvia Araya for a real, grounding conversation about what panic attacks actually feel like—and how to stop letting anxiety run your life.

If you’ve ever wondered “Am I in danger… or is my nervous system just convinced I am?” this episode will land.

• What a panic attack feels like in the body (and why it can mimic a heart attack)

• The key truth: panic is NOT dangerous—but it’s intensely uncomfortable

• Why triggers from the past can hijack the present (even when life is safe now)

• The idea of “parts” that are still stuck in the year the trauma happened

• Why “just calm down” doesn’t help (and what does)

• Healing options beyond talk therapy:

  • EMDR

  • Brainspotting

  • Somatic approaches (movement, yoga, walking)

  • EFT/Tapping

• A simple but powerful distinction:
  Intuition is soft and subtle. Anxiety is loud and urgent.

• Co-regulation: how your nervous system is influenced by the people around you

• Parenting + anxiety: how to model emotional truth without dumping it on your kids

• How to meet yourself where you are (even if you’re not ready to “love” the anxiety yet)

Silvia shares that anxiety is often a messenger—and when we stop shaming it and start listening, it doesn’t need to scream.

• Website: sylviaaraya.com

• Books: available on Amazon (also linked on her website)

If you love someone who struggles with anxiety or panic (including you), send them this episode. That’s why we’re here.

And if you’re coming to get “some cowboy on”… Grit & Grace Retreat (May) is in motion and we cannot wait. 🤠✨

Subscribe, rate, and review if this episode helped you—your support helps the right people find the show.

Until next time: may you find tools to turn the grit of anxiety into grace.