A panic attack is a sudden and intense feeling of terror, fear, or apprehension, without the presence of actual danger. The symptoms of a panic attack are very intense with sudden onset.   Panic attacks usually peak and subside within 10 minutes.  Physical responses in the body include palpitations, dizziness, sweating, choking, trembling or shaking and breathlessness.

During a panic attack, a person may feel as though they are suffocating, having a heart-attack or indeed dying.  Sufferers of panic attacks feel their symptoms so intensely that they call emergency services for help and following physical examination paramedics can find nothing wrong.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)

A panic attack is characterised by a “surge of intense fear or intense discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes”

Symptoms of Panic Attacks

The experience can vary from one person to the next, but some of the most common symptoms include:

• Chest pain or discomfort
• Chills or hot sensations
• Feeling of choking
• Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint
• Fear of dying
• Fear of losing control or going crazy
• Feelings of being detached from oneself
• Nausea or abdominal distress
• Numbness or tingling sensations
• Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
• Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
• Sweating
• Trembling or shaking

Treatment for Panic Attacks

Evidence based clinical hypnotherapy and psychotherapy is effective in the treatment of panic attacks.  It focuses on:

– Alleviatingthe underlying anxiety triggering panic attacks
– Minimising the occurrence of panic attacks
– Reducing the persistent worry about having additional panic attacks
– Removing the need for avoidant safety behaviours and activities 

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