What is panic?
If you suffer from panic disorder you may find yourself experiencing recurring panic attacks out of the blue. Panic attacks are unpredictable bursts of extreme fear usually lasting only a few minutes, sometimes hours, but never days. They are quite common and are often the result of a build-up of stress. Panic attacks can be frightening and the very fear of having a panic attack can often become as much as a problem than the actual panic attack.
What are the symptoms of panic?
Panic attacks usually involve very strong physical symptoms including:
During a panic attack you are likely to think something terrible is going to happen e.g.:
Panic attacks are extremely unpleasant and our natural reaction is to escape the situation. We may also start avoiding places where we feel we are likely to have a panic attack:
If you experience panic attacks our psychologists are highly skilled in helping you understand what keeps panic going and teaching you effective coping strategies.
