About this resource
Panic attacks can feel frightening, but understanding them helps. This handout explains common sensations, why the body's alarm system produces them, how fear of the sensations can create a cycle and what tends to help, such as slowing breathing, staying with the sensations and gradually returning to avoided situations.
Purpose
To explain panic in plain language and reduce fear of the sensations.
Who it is for
Primary profession: Psychologists. Also relevant for counsellors and therapists, allied health and multidisciplinary teams.
Client or participant group: Adolescents and adults who experience panic attacks.
Practice setting: Psychology sessions and health settings, as part of psychoeducation.
Suggested uses
- Psychoeducation in early sessions
- Information for family members
- Normalising panic in health settings
- Reference between sessions
Instructions for practitioners
- Go through the handout together and invite questions.
- Link the cycle to the client's own experience.
- Ensure new or unexplained physical symptoms have been checked by a doctor.
- Use alongside a treatment plan.
Instructions for clients or participants
- Read the handout.
- Circle the sensations you notice.
- Write what you would like to try.
Accessibility considerations
Plain language. Can be read aloud. Diagram supported by text.
Scope and limitations
Psychoeducation for general information. It is not a diagnosis. Chest pain or new physical symptoms should always be checked by a doctor.
Research basis
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has a strong research base for anxiety, depression and many related problems; this resource uses CBT techniques to support, not replace, a structured treatment plan. Gradual, repeated approach to feared situations is a well-supported part of anxiety treatment; current guidance focuses on learning that feared outcomes are unlikely or manageable, rather than waiting for anxiety to fall. Brief psychoeducation can reduce symptoms of depression and psychological distress.
- Beck, J. S. (2021). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
- Craske, M. G., Treanor, M., Conway, C. C., Zbozinek, T., & Vervliet, B. (2014). Maximizing exposure therapy: An inhibitory learning approach. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 58, 10–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2014.04.006
- Donker, T., Griffiths, K. M., Cuijpers, P., & Christensen, H. (2009). Psychoeducation for depression, anxiety and psychological distress: a meta-analysis. BMC Medicine, 7(1), 79. https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7015-7-79
- Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427–440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1
- Kircanski, K., Lieberman, M. D., & Craske, M. G. (2012). Feelings Into Words: Contributions of Language to Exposure Therapy. Psychological Science, 23(10), 1086–1091. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612443830
What is included
A 2-page printable A4 PDF, including a practitioner notes page with the research basis (version 1.0).
Originality
Original Practitioner Plus content: wording, activity structure, layout and icons were created for this resource. No third-party worksheets, illustrations or text were reproduced. Reflects widely described psychoeducation about panic in cognitive behavioural approaches.
