Anxiety & Panic Care  /  Panic attacks

Panic Attacks & Panic Avoidance

Panic can become frightening not only because of the symptoms themselves, but because of what you begin to believe the symptoms mean.

A panic episode can include

For some people, the most difficult part becomes the fear of having another episode.

That can lead to avoiding:

driving
stores
crowds
exercise
travel
being alone
being far from home
waiting in lines
elevators
places that feel difficult to leave

How this pattern works

The panic cycle

Treatment aims to change this cycle through experience rather than reassurance alone.

The panic cycle

↺ repeats

The sensation becomes even more frightening next time

Treatment

Notice → Test → Approach → Learn → Generalize

Rather than relieving anxiety in the moment, treatment interrupts the loop: you notice the prediction, test it against what actually happens, approach what has been avoided, and let real experience update what your mind expects.

Panic treatment may include

Exposure is planned collaboratively and adapted to relevant health and medical considerations.

Panic or medical problem?

New, unusual or unexplained physical symptoms should not automatically be assumed to be anxiety. Where appropriate, your clinician may recommend medical assessment or collaboration with your healthcare provider.

Psychological treatment becomes most useful when the clinical picture supports panic/anxiety processes and the relevant safety considerations have been addressed.

The goal is not to never feel your heart race.

The goal is to become less controlled by what your mind predicts that sensation means.

“My heart can race and I do not immediately have to escape.”

“I can feel dizzy and remain in the situation.”

“I can experience anxiety without treating the feeling itself as an emergency.”

If fear of panic is beginning to determine where you can go or what you can do, treatment can help change that pattern.

Start with a structured screening. A clinician reviews your results and recommends the next step.

Anxiety screening & clinical review

$40

Complete a structured screening for anxiety-related symptoms and receive:

A non-refundable $40 screening fee applies after submission unless the screening is covered through an approved funding arrangement such as NIHB. This is a screening and clinical review service, not a formal diagnostic assessment.