Panic and panic disorder in Maidstone and Kent

What is panic?

Panic is a sudden surge of intense fear or physical discomfort that peaks within minutes, often with no obvious trigger. It brings symptoms such as a racing heart, breathlessness and dizziness, along with a strong urge to escape. When these episodes recur and start to shape daily choices, this is sometimes described clinically as panic disorder.

A single panic attack does not necessarily mean someone has panic disorder. Many adults have an isolated episode at some point, often during a period of stress, illness or big change, and never have another. Panic disorder describes a pattern of recurring, unexpected attacks together with ongoing worry about future attacks, or a change in behaviour aimed at avoiding them, persisting for a month or more. It is one of the more common anxiety-related difficulties psychologists see, and it responds well to the right support.

Symptoms of panic

During a panic attack, the body’s stress response activates quickly even though there is no real danger present. Common physical symptoms include a pounding or racing heart, chest tightness, shortness of breath, trembling, sweating, nausea and a feeling of choking. Many people also describe dizziness, tingling in the hands or feet, and a sense of unreality, sometimes called depersonalisation or derealisation.

Psychologically, panic often brings a fear of losing control, fainting, or a conviction that something catastrophic, such as a heart attack or stroke, is happening. This is what makes panic attacks so distressing: the mind interprets a normal, if uncomfortable, physical process as a sign of serious danger. Symptoms usually peak within about ten minutes and settle within half an hour, though the aftermath, feeling shaky, tired or on edge, can last longer. Between attacks, many people develop anticipatory anxiety, a persistent worry about when and where the next one might happen, which can be as limiting as the attacks themselves.

Types of panic

Panic can show up in more than one way. An isolated panic attack happens once or occasionally, often linked to a specific stressor, and does not develop into a wider pattern. Panic disorder involves repeated, unexpected attacks alongside persistent worry about the next one.

For some people, panic becomes linked to particular places or situations, commonly ones where leaving quickly would feel difficult, such as public transport, busy shops or crowded rooms. When avoidance of these situations becomes extensive, it may be described as panic disorder with agoraphobia. Panic attacks can also occur during sleep, known as nocturnal panic attacks, waking a person suddenly with the same physical symptoms as a daytime episode. Panic often appears alongside other difficulties too, including generalised anxiety, health anxiety or depression, which is why an initial conversation looks at the whole picture rather than symptoms in isolation.

How therapy can help

Cognitive behavioural therapy, CBT, is recommended by NICE as a first-line treatment for panic disorder. It works by looking at the thoughts, bodily sensations and behaviours that keep panic going, often a cycle where a physical sensation is misread as dangerous, which raises anxiety and produces more of the same sensations. CBT for panic typically includes psychoeducation about the physiology of panic, work on the thinking patterns that fuel fear, and gradual, structured exposure to feared sensations or situations, sometimes called interoceptive exposure.

The aim is not to eliminate every anxious feeling, since some anxiety is a normal part of life, but to change the relationship someone has with panic so it stops dictating their choices. NICE guidance also notes that online-delivered CBT can produce outcomes comparable to in-person therapy for anxiety-related difficulties, so working online does not mean compromising on evidence-based care. Medication is sometimes used alongside therapy for panic disorder, but decisions about whether that is appropriate sit with a GP or psychiatrist, not with a psychologist.

Our approach

We are clinical psychologists for Maidstone and Kent, working online with adults, and every piece of work starts with listening rather than assuming. An initial conversation looks at how panic shows up, what tends to trigger it, and what has already been tried, before agreeing an approach together. Sessions are structured around what NICE guidance supports for panic, adapted to the specific pattern each person describes rather than delivered as a fixed script.

At the moment all sessions take place by secure video call from wherever suits, without the need to travel into central Maidstone or from Bearsted, Allington, Barming, Loose, Penenden Heath or Tovil for an appointment.

What does therapy for panic involve?

Sessions usually begin with a detailed assessment of your symptoms, history and current circumstances, so that any support offered is tailored rather than generic. From there, CBT for panic tends to move through stages: understanding the panic cycle, noticing and testing the thoughts that accompany physical sensations, and building tolerance for those sensations rather than avoiding them.

Between sessions, most approaches involve some practice or reflection at home, since change tends to come from what happens outside the session as well as within it. Pace is agreed between you and your psychologist and reviewed as things progress, and confidentiality is explained clearly at the outset so you know what to expect. You do not need a formal diagnosis before getting in touch; an initial conversation helps establish what you are experiencing and what kind of support fits.

When to seek help

If panic is affecting your work, relationships or day-to-day choices, or if you have started avoiding places and situations because of it, that is a reasonable point to seek support. If chest pain, breathlessness or a racing heart appear for the first time, particularly with no clear link to anxiety, seek a same-day medical assessment from your GP or NHS 111 to rule out a physical cause before assuming it is panic.

If you are in crisis, or worried about your safety, contact your GP, call NHS 111, or contact the Samaritans on 116 123. In an emergency, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E.