Panic Attack Psychologists in Eastern Melbourne

Panic attacks are sudden episodes of intense fear or alarm, often accompanied by powerful physical sensations such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness or shaking. The sensations can be so intense that you may fear you’re losing control, going to collapse, or that something is seriously wrong.

For some people, panic attacks can develop into a difficult cycle. After an attack, you may become increasingly worried about another one, more alert to sensations in your body, and begin avoiding places, situations or activities where you fear an attack might happen. This increased fear and avoidance can reinforce the sense that panic itself is dangerous or unbearable, making you even more alert to signs of another attack and strengthening the cycle.

When recurrent panic attacks become accompanied by ongoing fear of further attacks and changes in behaviour aimed at avoiding them, this pattern may be diagnosed as panic disorder. Understanding how this cycle works can be an important part of learning to respond differently to panic.