Compare appointments for support for recurring panic attacks
Use the information below to understand the topic. When you are ready to choose an appointment, compare relevant experience, qualifications, language, service type and the exact fee.
- What to ask before booking support for recurring panic attacks
- Medical and psychiatry consultation options
- Compare fees and follow-up costs
What a panic attack is
A panic attack is a sudden rush of intense fear that peaks within minutes. Your body's alarm system fires as if you were in danger, even when you're sitting at your desk, in a metro or lying in bed. Common symptoms include:
- a pounding or racing heart, chest tightness or pain;
- feeling short of breath, choking or unable to get enough air;
- dizziness, light-headedness, tingling hands or face;
- shaking, sweating, hot or cold flushes, nausea;
- feeling unreal or detached from your surroundings;
- fear that you're having a heart attack, losing control, going mad or dying.
Many people end up in an emergency department after their first attack, sure it's their heart. When panic attacks keep happening and you start living in fear of the next one, or avoiding places where they happened, it may be panic disorder. Panic is a form of anxiety, and treatment works on both.
First, rule out a physical cause
If you've never had your symptoms checked, see a doctor, especially for chest pain, fainting or breathlessness. Heart rhythm problems, thyroid problems, asthma, low blood sugar, and too much caffeine can cause similar symptoms. Once a doctor has ruled these out, you can treat panic with more confidence. If chest pain is new, severe or different from usual, call 112 or go to an emergency department.
What to do during a panic attack
- Name it: "This is a panic attack. It's uncomfortable, but it will pass."
- Slow your breathing, gently: breathe out slowly for longer than you breathe in. Don't force big breaths.
- Stay where you are, if you can. Leaving teaches your brain the place was dangerous.
- Ground yourself: notice five things you can see and four you can feel.
- Let it peak and fall. Fighting the sensations usually makes them stronger.
Make your own step-by-step panic attack coping plan, or read more about what can help in the moment and when to get urgent help.
Panic attack treatment without medication
Many people want to treat panic without medicine, and talking therapy is often the first treatment offered. The main approach is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for panic. In plain words, it works like this:
- Understanding the panic cycle. A normal sensation, such as a skipped heartbeat, gets read as danger; fear makes the sensation stronger; the stronger sensation feels like proof. Seeing the cycle takes away some of its power.
- Facing the sensations. With your therapist you safely bring on mild versions of the feared feelings, for example by running on the spot to raise your heart rate, until your body learns they are harmless.
- Dropping safety habits. Carrying water everywhere, sitting near exits or always having someone with you feel protective, but they keep the fear alive.
- Returning to places you avoid, such as the metro, lifts, crowds or long drives, step by step.
Breathing practice, like this calming breathing exercise, can help too, though it is most useful as part of CBT rather than as a way to escape every sensation.
If panic is severe, frequent or comes with depression, a psychiatrist (a medical doctor for mental health) may suggest medicine alongside therapy. Never stop or change a medicine without your doctor.
When panic makes life smaller
After a few attacks, many people start organising their day around avoiding the next one. They stop taking the metro or flights, avoid crowded markets, weddings or temples, stay close to home, or won't go anywhere alone. This is sometimes called agoraphobia. It can creep up slowly, until a once-ordinary life feels out of reach. Treatment brings these places back, one step at a time, and it's never too late to start.
How family can help
During an attack, stay calm and stay with the person. Speak slowly, remind them it will pass, and breathe out slowly together. Avoid saying "it's nothing" or "just relax", which can feel dismissive. Afterwards, encourage treatment rather than taking over tasks they now avoid, since doing everything for them can keep the avoidance going.
How many sessions?
CBT for panic is often a fairly short course, commonly somewhere around 6 to 12 weekly sessions, with practice between sessions. Some people improve faster; panic with a lot of avoidance, or with other problems, may take longer.
Can panic attacks be treated online?
Yes. CBT for panic works well by video or audio, and practising exposure at home and on your own routes, with your therapist guiding you, can be very practical. If leaving the house has become difficult, online sessions mean you can start treatment now rather than waiting until you can travel.
Panic attack treatment in Hindi
Each provider on Mindara lists the languages they work in; the box above shows which are available for panic right now. पैनिक अटैक में दिल तेज़ धड़कता है, साँस फूलती है और लगता है कि कुछ बहुत बुरा होने वाला है। यह डरावना होता है, लेकिन इसका इलाज संभव है। आप हिंदी बोलने वाले थेरेपिस्ट से ऑनलाइन बात कर सकते हैं।
Choosing a provider, and what it costs
- Ask whether they use CBT and exposure for panic.
- Pick your language and, if it matters to you, a woman or a man.
- Check the Credentials section for qualifications and registration.
- Fees are set by each provider and shown on their card; the live range is in the box above. See the therapy cost guide for typical fees in India.
- Some providers offer a free first session of 15 or 30 minutes.
- Free help: Tele-MANAS on 14416 or 1-800-891-4416, 24×7.
When to get urgent help
Call 112 for chest pain that is new, severe or different, fainting, or breathlessness that doesn't settle. If panic comes with thoughts of ending your life, call Tele-MANAS on 14416 or 112 now.
