u/Comprehensive-Box-85

Hi Everyone,

I’ve been building an iOS app focused specifically on panic attacks and acute anxiety, and I’m looking for honest feedback from early users.

I started working on it in January and launched an early version around March. The goal was to keep it extremely simple and useful during overwhelming moments.

Core ideas:

• No login required
• No ads
• Works offline
• One tap access to breathing, grounding, calming prompts, and SOS tools

A few current features:

• Guided breathing exercises
• 5-4-3-2-1 grounding flow
• “Truth cards” / reassurance prompts
• Panic journal for tracking triggers and intensity
• Sleep sounds and calming tools

One of the biggest things I’ve learned so far:
People in panic don’t want complexity—they want the fastest possible path to relief.

I recently had my first real paying user, which was encouraging, but I still feel like there’s a lot to improve around usability and real-world effectiveness.

I’d genuinely appreciate feedback on:

• UX during stressful moments
• What feels helpful vs unnecessary
• Features you’d expect in a panic-first app
• Anything confusing or frustrating

Core features are free.

Happy to share the TestFlight/App Store link if anyone is interested in trying it and giving honest feedback.

After months of building a panic attack app, my first real user paid for it today

I’ve been building a panic attack support app since January.

The original idea was intentionally simple:

• no login
• no ads
• works offline
• open app → immediate breathing + grounding support

Today, someone used it during an actual panic episode and later upgraded because it helped them.

What surprised me most was how little the “extra” features mattered.

They didn’t browse around.
They didn’t customise anything.
They just needed something fast and clear while overwhelmed.

Building this has changed how I think about UX.

When users are stressed or panicking:

• fewer decisions matter
• speed matters
• cognitive load matters
• clarity matters more than feature depth

A lot of apps optimise for engagement.
But panic-state UX feels completely different.

Still learning as I go, but this was one of the first moments when the product felt genuinely useful to someone other than me.

If you deal with anxiety or panic attacks, what actually helps you in the moment?

I’ve been working on something for panic attacks, and today someone actually used it during one

I’ve struggled with understanding panic attacks for a while, and earlier this year I started building a small tool to help in those moments.

The goal wasn’t to make another “wellness app” — just something simple that helps when things feel overwhelming.

Today, someone used it during a panic episode and told me it actually helped them calm down.

That honestly meant a lot more than I expected.

What I’m trying to focus on is:

• No thinking required
• Immediate access (no login, no setup)
• Simple things like breathing + grounding + reassuring prompts

I’m still figuring out what actually works best in real situations.

If you’ve had panic attacks, what has genuinely helped you in the moment?

(Not long-term advice—just what helps when it’s happening)