Panic Disorder Model

How to Use this Worksheet​​

This worksheet helps you understand how panic attacks are maintained. Panic can feel sudden and overwhelming, but it usually follows a predictable cycle. By writing each step down, you can begin to see how panic builds — and where it can be interrupted.

 

This is not about judging yourself or trying to “stop” anxiety. It’s about understanding the pattern so your brain can learn that panic sensations are uncomfortable but not dangerous.

 

Step 1: Identify the trigger

Start by writing down what happened just before the panic started.

This can be:

• Something external (e.g., being in a store, driving, an argument)

• Something internal (e.g., noticing your heartbeat, feeling dizzy, a stressful thought)

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Keep it simple and factual.

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Example:
“I noticed my heart beating faster while standing in line.”

 

Step 2: Write Down the Perceived Threat

Next, write what your mind told you the trigger meant.

These thoughts are often fast and scary, even if they don’t feel like “thoughts” at the time.

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Example:
“Something is wrong with my heart.”
“I might faint or lose control.”

 

Step 3: Notice the Anxiety or Apprehension

Describe the emotional reaction that followed the perceived threat.

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Example:
“Fear, dread, panic.”

 

Step 4: Write Down the Body Sensations

List the physical sensations you noticed.

These are normal anxiety responses, even though they can feel intense.

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Example:
“Racing heart, shortness of breath, light-headedness.”

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Step 5: Write How You Interpreted the Sensations

Now, note what you believed these sensations meant.

This step is important — panic often grows because sensations are misinterpreted as dangerous.

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Example:
“My heart rate means I’m about to have a heart attack.”

 

Step 6: Write Down What You Did (Safety Behaviours)

Describe what you did to try to feel safe or prevent something bad from happening.

These behaviours are understandable, but they can keep the panic cycle going.

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Example:
“I left the store, sat down, and checked my pulse.”

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Step 7: Look at the Cycle

Take a moment to notice how each step fed into the next.

You might notice that:

• Fear increased body sensations.

• Body sensations confirmed the scary interpretation.

• Safety behaviours prevented you from learning that the sensations would pass on their own.

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Example:
“Leaving the store made me feel better short-term, but it also taught my brain that the sensations were dangerous.”

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Step 8: Reflect on Where Change Can Happen

Ask yourself:

• “Which part of this cycle could I respond to differently next time?”

• “What might happen if I allowed the sensations to be there without escaping or checking?”

Small changes are enough. You don’t need to change everything at once.

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Tip:  Panic patterns are learned, not permanent. Your body is doing its best to protect you, even when the alarm is false. By understanding this cycle and responding differently over time, your brain can learn that panic sensations are safe and temporary.

With practice, panic loses its power.