What this can feel like
- Racing heart, tight chest, dizziness, shaking or shortness of breath.
- Fear that something terrible is happening.
- Worry about having another panic attack.
Phobias & Panic
Panic attacks
Panic attacks can feel sudden, intense and frightening, often with strong body sensations.
A brief enquiry is enough. Please avoid sensitive clinical details in your first message.
Understanding the difficulty
What does this mean clinically?
A panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear or discomfort accompanied by symptoms such as a racing heart, breathlessness, dizziness, trembling, nausea or a sense of losing control. Panic disorder involves recurrent unexpected attacks followed by ongoing worry or behaviour change. New or unexplained physical symptoms should also be medically assessed.
How it can affect daily life
- People may avoid places where panic has happened before.
- Body sensations may become frightening.
- Work, travel, exercise or social life may become restricted.
How therapy can help
- Understand the panic cycle.
- Work with body sensations and fear of fear.
- Plan gradual steps towards functioning with less fear.
Anchor-Based Approach
How ABA strengthens the treatment plan
ABA strengthens panic treatment by mapping how panic affects anchors such as movement, travel, work, sleep and routine.
The framework connects the clinical formulation to focused priorities, practical strategies and change that can be examined in everyday life.
What meaningful progress looks like
Progress is not limited to feeling better during a session. It is reflected in greater freedom, steadier functioning, less avoidance and a stronger ability to respond differently when the old pattern is activated.
Keep exploring
More in Phobias & Panic
Agoraphobia / fear of being trapped
Agoraphobia can involve fear of being trapped, unable to escape or unable to get help.
Flying anxiety
Flying anxiety can involve fear before, during or after flights, sometimes long before travel.
Driving anxiety
Driving anxiety can involve fear of accidents, panic, highways, bridges, traffic or losing control.
Next step
Contact the clinic with a short enquiry.
Take the first step
A short message is enough.
Choose the contact method that feels easiest. Reception will guide the next step. Please avoid sensitive clinical details in your first message.