Panic Attacks

A panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear or discomfort that often seems to come out of nowhere. During an episode, physical sensations such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, chest tightness, dizziness, trembling, or sweating can feel overwhelming and frightening. Many people also experience a sense of losing control, detachment from reality, or fear that something terrible is about to happen, such as fainting, collapsing, or even dying.

Although panic attacks are not dangerous, they can feel deeply distressing and exhausting, often leading people to avoid situations they fear might trigger another episode. Over time, this avoidance can shrink a person’s world, undermine confidence, and reduce quality of life.

Therapy can help by teaching strategies to manage symptoms, understand the body’s threat response, and regain a sense of safety and control. Together, our aim is to explore and shift the beliefs that fuel anxiety while gently turning down the volume of the body’s threat system, so that everyday life feels calmer, safer, and more manageable.

Overcoming Panic Attacks

The good news is that panic attacks are highly treatable. With the right support, it’s possible to reduce their frequency and intensity, understand what’s happening in your body, and regain a sense of safety and control. As a BABCP-accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, I use a range of evidence-based approaches tailored to your individual needs.

Whether panic attacks have been part of your life for many years or are a more recent experience, we’ll work together to understand the patterns and beliefs that keep them going. Therapy focuses on retraining your body’s alarm system, challenging unhelpful thoughts, and building confidence in your ability to cope. Along the way, we’ll practise strategies to manage physical sensations and gradually face situations you may have started to avoid.

Many people also develop a self-attacking inner dialogue in response to panic, blaming themselves for their reactions or believing they’re “weak” or “failing” for feeling anxious. This internal criticism can significantly increase distress and keep the cycle going, often eroding confidence and self-worth. Therapy works directly with these patterns, helping you develop a more compassionate and supportive inner voice, and strengthening your belief in your ability to handle challenges.

If panic attacks are limiting your life or leaving you fearful of when the next one might occur, you don’t have to manage them alone. Therapy offers a safe, structured space to make sense of what’s happening, reduce the power panic holds over you, and rebuild a life with more freedom, calm, confidence, and control.

How Panic Attacks Develop

Panic attacks are the body’s alarm system switching on even when there’s no real danger present. They often occur when the brain misinterprets normal physical sensations (like a racing heart, slight breathlessness, or lightheadedness) as signs of threat. This triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, flooding you with adrenaline and heightening physical reactions even further. As these sensations build, the mind starts to catastrophise, thinking “I’m going to pass out,” “I’m losing control,” or “Something is seriously wrong,” which in turn intensifies the fear response. Very quickly, this feedback loop creates a panic attack.

It’s important to know that this process is not a sign of weakness or something you’re doing wrong. It’s a deeply human, biological response designed to keep you safe; it’s just being activated at the wrong time. Many people who experience panic attacks are highly self-aware, sensitive, or attuned to their bodies, which means they notice small changes quickly. This sensitivity is not a flaw; it’s part of why the alarm system can become overactive.

Understandably, people often try hard to stop panic attacks when they happen by using strategies like controlled breathing, distraction, or trying to “push the feelings away.” While these approaches can bring temporary relief, they can also inadvertently teach the brain that panic sensations are dangerous and must be avoided. Over time, this reinforces the cycle: the more you try to control or escape the sensations, the more powerful and threatening they feel.

Therapy takes a different approach. Instead of fighting panic, we work on changing your relationship with it by understanding the body’s alarm system, reducing catastrophic interpretations, and learning how to stay present and grounded even when anxiety arises. This shift breaks the feedback loop, helps the body relearn safety, and gradually makes panic attacks less frequent, less intense, and far less frightening.

Contact

For all enquires please complete the form below or use the details provided

Email: Cognitive-psychotherapy@proton.me

Phone: +44 7729 267218

Address: Fourth Floor, Studio 410. 95A Rye Ln, London SE15 4ST