Help aimed at panic-specific patterns
Track your own panic pattern
We look closely at triggers, thoughts, sensations and what happens next.
Work with body sensations
Understanding the alarm response can reduce the fear around early symptoms.
Breaking the panic cycle with understanding
Panic attacks can make your own body feel frightening. A fast heartbeat, dizziness, tight breathing or shakiness may be read as a sign that something terrible is about to happen, which drives fear even higher and creates the full panic cycle. After a few attacks, many people start living with anticipatory anxiety, checking, reassurance seeking or avoiding places linked with previous episodes.
Through Cleeve Therapy Group, we work on understanding your specific pattern, so therapy matches the way panic shows up for you. That may include sudden attacks, fear of bodily sensations or a shrinking of daily life around the possibility of another episode.
Learning to respond differently to early panic signs
CBT for panic looks at the body's alarm response, the catastrophic thoughts attached to it and the habits that follow, such as escape, monitoring or avoiding certain places. With Cleeve Therapy Group, we may use tracking, behavioural experiments and gradual work on feared sensations or situations, so you can test what you predict will happen.
The aim is to help you respond differently to early panic signs and rebuild activities that fear has pushed out of reach. Sessions are available online or at our Cheltenham clinic.
Frequently asked questions
Can therapy help if I avoid places after panic attacks?
Yes. Panic therapy often helps people who have started avoiding places, travel, exercise or other situations because they fear another attack. We look at what the fear is asking you to do, then build gradual ways of returning to the parts of life that have narrowed.
Will we focus on physical sensations as well as thoughts?
Yes. Panic is closely tied to how bodily sensations are noticed and interpreted, so we look at physical symptoms as well as thoughts and behaviour. Understanding the body's alarm response can reduce the fear around early sensations and make them feel less mysterious.
Do I need to wait until panic feels less intense to start?
No. You do not need to wait until things feel calmer before asking for help. In fact, starting while panic is active can help us map the pattern more clearly. The early work often focuses on understanding triggers, sensations and responses before testing new ways of managing them.