What Happens During a Panic Attack
A panic attack is a sudden surge of overwhelming fear that triggers severe physical symptoms including racing heart, breathlessness, dizziness, chest tightness and feelings of unreality. These symptoms are the result of your body's fight-or-flight response being activated in the absence of real danger. While a panic attack feels genuinely life-threatening, it is not. Understanding this distinction is the beginning of losing your fear of panic itself.
The Fear of Fear and How Panic Disorder Develops
After a panic attack, many people develop a fear of having another one. This fear of fear is what transforms isolated panic attacks into panic disorder. Avoidance of situations associated with panic, hypervigilance to physical sensations, and safety behaviours all maintain the cycle. Therapy targets this fear of fear directly, which is the key to lasting recovery.
Support in Northern Ireland
NI Counselling provides specialist panic attack therapy across Northern Ireland. Our therapists are experienced in working with panic disorder and use evidence-based CBT approaches to break the panic cycle durably. In-person and online sessions are available.
Our Service Areas:
Belfast City
Co. Antrim
Co. Down
Derry/L'Derry
Remote NI
UK-wide Online
Expert Methodologies for Lasting Relief
We don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We utilize the gold standard of evidence-based psychological interventions.
Psychoeducation About Panic
Understanding exactly what a panic attack is and what is happening in your body when one occurs removes much of its terror. We provide clear, detailed psychoeducation about the panic cycle as a first step, because fear of the panic itself is what drives panic disorder.
Interoceptive Exposure
A key component of panic treatment is gradually becoming comfortable with the physical sensations associated with panic through interoceptive exposure exercises. This reduces the catastrophic meaning assigned to those sensations, breaking the misinterpretation that fuels panic attacks.
Breaking the Avoidance Cycle
Avoidance is panic disorder's most powerful maintenance mechanism. We work systematically to reduce avoidance and safety behaviours, restoring your freedom of movement and activity and demonstrating through direct experience that the situations you have been avoiding are genuinely safe.
