Anxiety and panic attacks

Explains anxiety and panic attacks, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.

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What is a panic attack?

Panic attacks are a type of fear response. They're an exaggeration of your body's normal response to danger, stress or excitement.

"I can’t sleep due to panic attacks and nightmares. When I fall asleep within an hour I am up, soaked, heart racing and shaking."

What do panic attacks feel like?

During a panic attack, physical symptoms can build up very quickly. These can include:

a pounding or racing heartbeat
feeling faint, dizzy or light-headed
feeling very hot or very cold
sweating, trembling or shaking
nausea (feeling sick)
pain in your chest or abdomen
struggling to breathe or feeling like you're choking
feeling like your legs are shaky or are turning to jelly
feeling disconnected from your mind, body or surroundings (these are types of dissociation – see our pages on dissociative disorders for more information).

During a panic attack you might feel very afraid that you're:

losing control
going to faint
having a heart attack
going to die.

"My teeth would chatter uncontrollably and my whole body [would] tremble, I’d hyperventilate and cry with panic as the feeling that I was going to fall unconscious was so convincing."

You might find that you become scared of going out alone or to public places because you're worried about having another panic attack. If this fear becomes very intense, it may be called agoraphobia (see our pages on phobias for more information).

"I felt like I couldn't breathe, I just wanted to get out, to go somewhere else, but I couldn't because I was on a train."

Panic attacks

Watch Polly, Lewis, Faisal, Brian and Shelley share how panic attacks feel for them, and talk about what helps:

When might I have panic attacks?

Panic attacks can happen during the day or night. Some people have one panic attack then don't ever experience another, or you might find that you have them regularly, or several in a short space of time. You might notice that particular places, situations or activities seem to trigger panic attacks. For example, they might happen before a stressful appointment.

Most panic attacks last between 5–20 minutes. They can come on very quickly. Your symptoms will usually peak (be at their worst) within 10 minutes. You might also experience symptoms of a panic attack over a longer period of time. This could be because you're having a second panic attack, or you're experiencing other symptoms of anxiety.

"My panic attacks seem to come out of the blue now. But in fact, they seem to be triggered mainly at night when I want to go to sleep but cannot stop my mind racing, experiencing worry and panic about anything that may be on my mind."

What helps to manage panic attacks?

Panic attacks can be frightening, but there are things you can do to help yourself cope. It could help to keep print these tips out and keep them somewhere easy to find.

During a panic attack:

Focus on your breathing. It can help to concentrate on breathing slowly in and out while counting to five.
Stamp on the spot. Some people find this helps control their breathing.
Focus on your senses. For example, taste mint-flavoured sweets or gum, or touch or cuddle something soft.
Try grounding techniques. Grounding techniques can help you feel more in control. They're especially useful if you experience dissociation during panic attacks. (See our page on self-care for dissociative disorders for more information on grounding techniques.)

After a panic attack:

Think about self-care. It's important to pay attention to what your body needs after you've had a panic attack. For example, you might need to rest somewhere quietly, or eat or drink something.
Tell someone you trust. If you feel able to, it could help to let someone know you've had a panic attack. It could be particularly helpful to mention how they might notice if you're having another one, and how you'd like them to help you.

(See our pages on self-care for anxiety and treatments for anxiety for more information on what could help.)

Coping with panic attacks

"I began to avoid assemblies, going to class and going out with friends."

Read Hannah's story

What is panic disorder?

If you're having lots of panic attacks at unpredictable times and there doesn't seem to be a particular trigger or cause, you might be given a diagnosis of panic disorder. It's common to experience panic disorder and agoraphobia (a type of phobia) together. People who experience panic disorder may have some periods with few or no panic attacks, but have lots at other times.

Panic disorder and high sensitivity

Some research suggests that people who have panic disorder might be very sensitive to sensory experiences (such as sunlight, smells and changes in the weather), but there's not enough evidence yet to say for sure. Also it's not clear whether having a high level of sensitivity to these sorts of things is something that might cause you to develop panic disorder, or whether it may be an effect of having it.

"Never knowing when I was going to [have] a panic attack was the worst feeling in the world."