Panic Disorder Self-Help Resources - Information Sheets & Workbooks

Many people experience some mild sensations when they feel anxious about something, but a panic attack is much more intense than usual. A panic attack can be very frightening and you may feel a strong desire to escape the situation or to seek emergency assistance.

Panic disorder is used to describe the condition where panic attacks seem to happen unexpectedly rather than always in predictable situations. Importantly, someone with panic disorder has a persistent fear of having another attack or worries about the consequences of the attack. Many people change their behaviour to try to prevent panic attacks. Some people are affected so much that they try to avoid any place where it might be difficult to get help or to escape from. When this avoidance is severe it is called agoraphobia.

Workbook - Panic Stations

Coping with Panic Attacks: This workbook is designed to provide you with some information about panic attacks and panic disorder and suggested strategies for how you can manage your panic and anxiety. It is organised into modules that are designed to be worked through in sequence. Although it is not necessary that you complete one module before going on to the next, this is recommended. Each module includes information, worksheets, and suggested exercises or activities.

Module 1: Overview of Panic

This module describes panic attacks and panic disorder and looks at the symptoms of panic.

Module 2: More About Panic

The aim of this module is to provide you with some more detailed information on how panic attacks actually develop. This module will also describe how panic attacks develop into panic disorder and what treatment strategies may be useful.

Module 3: The Thinking-Feeling Connection

This module describes automatic thoughts and explores how thoughts influence feelings.

Module 4: The ABC's of Thinking and Feeling

This module explores how you can use a thought diary to monitor the unhelpful thoughts that can lead to how you feel about a particular situation.

Module 5: Unhelpful Thinking Styles

This module describes a number of common unhelpful thinking styles that can lead to negative emotions.

Module 6: Detective Work and Disputation

Module 6 explores how you can examine and challenge unhelpful thoughts by expanding the thought diary described in Module 4.

Module 7: Evaluation and balanced thinking

This module describes how you can summarise how you have challenged unhelpful thoughts by producing a balanced thought.

Module 8: Core Beliefs

Core beliefs are often at the root of unhelpful thoughts that are particularly difficult to change. This module looks at core beliefs and how to change them.

Module 9: Coping with Physical Alarms - Exposure Part 1

The aim of this module is to give you information about how to challenge your beliefs about panic symptoms by actually experiencing them. Research has shown that this is particularly important in being able to successfully overcome panic symptoms and distress about panic symptoms.