Panic Attacks

The Overwhelming Rush of Panic

A panic attack is one of the most frightening experiences a person can have. Within moments, your body floods with intense sensations - and it can feel like something catastrophic is happening.

What Happens During Panic

Panic attacks come on suddenly and typically peak within minutes. You might experience:

Heart pounding or racing, sometimes so intensely it feels like a heart attack
Difficulty catching your breath, or feeling like you’re choking
Chest tightness or pain
Trembling, shaking, or feeling weak
Sweating or chills
Dizziness, lightheadedness, or feeling faint
Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
A sense of unreality, or feeling detached from yourself
Overwhelming fear - of dying, losing control, or “going mad”

The symptoms are terrifying, but they’re not dangerous. What you’re experiencing is your body’s fight-or-flight response firing in the absence of real threat.

When Panic Becomes Panic Disorder

Individual panic attacks are common - many people have one or two in their lifetime without developing ongoing difficulties. Panic Disorder develops when:

Panic attacks become recurrent
You live in persistent fear of the next attack
You start changing your behaviour to avoid situations where panic might occur

This avoidance can gradually shrink your world, as more and more places feel unsafe.

Breaking the Panic Cycle

Panic maintains itself through a vicious cycle: physical sensations trigger catastrophic thoughts, which increase anxiety, which intensifies the physical sensations. Treatment works by interrupting this cycle.

Our approach includes:

Understanding panic: Learning what’s actually happening in your body during an attack - and why it’s not dangerous - can significantly reduce fear.

Breathing and grounding techniques: Practical tools to use when panic begins, helping your nervous system settle.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: Identifying and challenging the thoughts that escalate panic, and gradually facing avoided situations.

Interoceptive exposure: Carefully and progressively building tolerance to the physical sensations that trigger fear.

Addressing underlying factors: Sometimes panic connects to deeper anxieties, past experiences, or patterns of stress that benefit from exploration.

Regaining Confidence

Panic can make you lose trust in your own body. Effective treatment rebuilds that trust, giving you tools to manage panic when it arises and reducing its frequency and intensity over time.

Many people who once felt trapped by panic go on to live freely again - travelling, socialising, and pursuing opportunities they’d written off.

Get in touch to start your recovery.