Understanding Panic Attack and Panic Disorder

At Evolving Minds Counselling and Psychology in Menai, our psychologists and counsellors provide evidence-based therapy for panic attacks and Panic Disorder in a safe, respectful and collaborative environment. Our team works with children, adolescents and adults across the Sutherland Shire, including Bangor, Illawong, Engadine and surrounding suburbs, with appointments available in person at our Menai practice and online across Sydney and Australia.

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Panic attacks are sudden and intense episodes of fear or distress that can occur without warning. Symptoms may include a racing heartbeat, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, dizziness, nausea, shaking, or a strong sense that something terrible is about to happen. Although panic attacks are not physically harmful, they can feel extremely frightening in the moment.

 

Understanding Panic and the Panic Cycle

 

​Panic attacks occur when the body’s threat response (often referred to as the fight–flight response) becomes activated even when there is no immediate danger.  For some children and adolescents, panic symptoms may also appear in situations such as attending school, particularly when anxiety about school becomes overwhelming. You can learn more about this on our School Avoidance and School Refusal page.

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Panic attacks can occur alongside other experiences such as anxiety, OCD, low mood, trauma, autism or ADHD. When these experiences overlap, physical sensations and emotional distress can intensify, making everyday situations feel more overwhelming.

 

Therapy considers the whole picture, including how past experiences, physical sensations and thinking patterns interact. Treatment focuses on building emotional regulation skills, reducing avoidance and increasing confidence in managing panic symptoms over time.

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Panic Attacks at Night

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Some people experience panic attacks during the night or wake suddenly with intense physical sensations such as a racing heart, shortness of breath or dizziness. These experiences can feel confusing or frightening, particularly when they occur during sleep or without an obvious trigger. Therapy can help people understand how the body’s threat response operates and develop strategies to reduce fear of these sensations over time.

 

When Panic Attacks Become Panic Disorder

 

When panic attacks occur repeatedly, they may develop into Panic Disorder. Some people begin avoiding places, activities or situations out of fear that another attack might occur.

 

For some individuals, panic may also overlap with social anxiety, where concerns about being judged or embarrassed in social situations increase the fear of panic symptoms occurring in public.

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Therapy for Panic Attacks in Menai and the Sutherland Shire

 

At Evolving Minds, therapy focuses on helping people understand the panic cycle, including how physical sensations, thoughts and behaviours interact to maintain anxiety.

 

Our psychologists and counsellors draw on a range of evidence-based therapies, including:

 

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

• Exposure Based Therapy

• Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy 

• Schema Therapy

• Mindfulness-based strategies

 

Therapy is tailored to each person and may include learning to understand physical sensations, gradually approaching feared situations and developing emotional regulation strategies to reduce the intensity of panic over time.

 

If you’re unsure where to begin, our Client Care Team can assist. Call 02 8519 4197 or use the button below to request an appointment.