Help... Am I having a panic attack?!

Imagine you are walking in the bush and suddenly spot a snake near your feet. Instantly, your heart races, your chest tightens, you break into a sweat, and your body tells you: Run! Now! That is fear doing exactly what it is designed to do: keeping you safe. This is the fight-or-flight response, an ancient biological system hardwired into all of us to help us escape danger.

But what if that same alarm goes off when there is no snake, no danger; just you, standing in a queue, sitting at your desk, or even lying in bed asleep? This is what a panic attack feels like. A full-blown, high-voltage fear response triggered by... seemingly nothing at all.

What Is a Panic Attack?

Panic attacks are sudden surges of overwhelming fear or discomfort, and they can be terrifying. The symptoms come on fast, often within minutes, and can include:

·       Racing heart

·       Sweating and shaking

·       Difficulty breathing or chest tightness

·       Dizziness or nausea

·       Feeling detached or like the world isn't real

·       Fear of losing control or dying

For some, it feels like a heart attack. For others, it is sheer terror with no warning signs and no apparent trigger. And while panic attacks themselves are not dangerous, the experience is so intense that it often leads people to emergency rooms, convinced something is seriously wrong.

The False Alarm

At its core, a panic attack is your body’s alarm system going off when there is no actual fire. It is like someone pulling a fire alarm in a quiet room, sirens wailing, lights flashing, while everyone looks around confused.

This misfiring of the fight-or-flight system does not always make sense in the moment. That is part of why panic attacks are so frightening. They are unexpected, and they can happen anywhere.

Why Do Panic Attacks Keep Happening?

The reason panic attacks can become a recurring issue has a lot to do with how we interpret and respond to the symptoms.

For example, someone might notice their heart skipping a beat and think, “Something’s wrong… I’m going to pass out.” That thought then triggers more anxiety, which triggers more symptoms, which seems to confirm the fear... and the cycle continues. This is called “catastrophic thinking”, and it is a key player in panic disorder.

Many people also develop avoidance behaviours, steering clear of places or situations where they have had a panic attack before like: supermarkets, public transport, or crowded spaces. Or they start relying on "safety behaviours," like only going out with certain people, staying close to exit points, always carrying water or medication, or constantly scanning their body for signs of danger. Unfortunately, these strategies, while understandable, can keep panic going in the long term.

The Role of the Body

What’s happening biologically during a panic attack is very real. Your heart races because your body thinks it needs to send oxygen to your muscles to fight or flee. You breathe faster to fuel that movement. But if you are not actually running or fighting, this can cause an imbalance in oxygen and carbon dioxide, leading to symptoms like dizziness, tingling, or feeling faint. These physical sensations then become scary in themselves.

So What Can Help?

Panic disorder is more common than many people realise. Around 1 in 30 people will experience panic attacks at some point in their lives. Approximately 3.7% of the population may develop Panic Disorder2, where panic attacks occur repeatedly and are accompanied by a persistent fear of having more. Of those, about 1.1% may also develop Agoraphobia, a condition where individuals begin to avoid places or situations they fear might trigger a panic attack. These numbers highlight just how widespread, and treatable, this condition is.

Understanding what’s happening is a powerful first step. Panic attacks are not dangerous, even if they feel like it. They are your body’s natural fear response occurring in the wrong context. You can retrain your brain to realise: This isn’t a threat by changing how you think about the symptoms, gradually exposing yourself to the sensations and situations you fear and interrupting the breathing cycle that escalates symptoms.

Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) has the most research evidence as an effective treatment for panic disorder1. CBT is a type of psychological therapy that helps a person identify and modify unhelpful thoughts and behaviours that may lead to feelings of panic.

CBT for panic disorder involves a range of strategies and techniques, including education, self-monitoring, cognitive restructuring, exposure therapy, and relaxation. This is commonly provided by psychologists, who have specialised training and experience with mental health difficulties such as panic disorder and treatments including CBT.

This kind of work takes courage. It can be confronting to intentionally face what you have been trying to avoid. But here’s the good news: With the support of a skilled clinician, and especially one you feel safe and understood by, it’s absolutely possible to break free from the cycle of panic.

A strong therapeutic relationship can be the foundation for growth, healing, and learning to trust your body again.

If this sounds like something you have been living with, know that you are not alone, that it can get better…

At Inner Space Clinical Psychology, we’re here to listen, support, and walk with you every step of the way.

📞 Contact us today to book a confidential consultation.

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1 Papola, D., Ostuzzi, G., Tedeschi, F., Gastaldon, C., Purgato, M., Del Giovane, C., Pompoli, A., Pauley, D., Karyotaki, E., Sijbrandij, M., Furukawa, T. A., Cuijpers, P., & Barbui, C. (2022). Comparative efficacy and acceptability of psychotherapies for panic disorder with or without agoraphobia: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. The British Journal of Psychiatry: the journal of mental science, 221(3), 507–519. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2021.148

2 https://psychology.org.au/for-the-public/psychology-topics/panic-disorder