Anxiety and Panic Disorders

Anxiety and panic attacks
Information for individuals, partners and families NCMH

National Centre for Mental Health
Anxiety and panic attacks

It is normal to feel anxious or worried in situations
that we see as threatening.
In fact, a certain level of anxiety can be helpful in making us
prepare for important events such as exams or job interviews,
or by helping us escape from dangerous situations.
Anxiety becomes a problem when it lasts a long time, becomes

overwhelming, or affects the way we live our day to day lives.
Problems with anxiety are common, affecting around 1 in 10

of us at some point in our lives. In fact, mixed anxiety and
depression is the most common mental health problem in
the UK. People of all ages and backgrounds can experience
problems with anxiety.
Anxiety symptoms
People who have problems with anxiety may experience a

number of different psychological and physical symptoms:
Physical Symptoms Psychological Symptoms

n Muscle tension n Feeling worried
n Light headedness n Fearing the worst
n Dry mouth n Feeling irritable
n Sweating n Finding it difficult to concentrate
n Trembling
n Hyperventilating
n Nausea

Everyone experiences anxiety differently. There may be
feelings or physical symptoms listed here that you have never
experienced. On the other hand, you may have experienced
anxiety in ways other than these.
2
Anxiety disorders
For some people, feeling anxious is a symptom of an anxiety
disorder. Some of the most common of these are:
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD): Feeling anxious for

a long time about nothing specific. The feelings are often
overwhelming and they may stop you from doing things you
would like to do.
Panic disorder: Experiencing panic attacks that may come out

of the blue. This can cause fear of having more panic attacks
and make you avoid certain situations.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): Anxiety leads to

obsessions (repeated unwanted thoughts) and compulsions
(repetitive behaviours or mental acts). These obsessions and
compulsions can stop you from living a normal life.
Phobias: An intense fear of something specific. The feared

object or situation is usually harmless. A phobia will often make
you go to great lengths to avoid the feared situation.
3
Panic attacks
A panic attack is an intense rush of psychological and physical
symptoms that comes on suddenly.
Experiencing a panic attack can be very frightening and

uncomfortable. Panic attacks cause an overwhelming sense of
fear, as well physical sensations such as nausea, sweating and
trembling. It is common to feel as though you can’t breathe,
that you are choking, or as though your heart is beating too fast.
Panic attacks usually last between 5 and 20 minutes, with a

peak at about 10 minutes. During a panic attack it is common to
fear that you are dying or losing control.
Getting help
If you think that you or someone close to you are experiencing
problems with anxiety that have not resolved themselves,
speak to a GP or other health professional.
4
Treatments for Anxiety
Anxiety might feel like it will never go away, but in most cases it
does get better with the right treatment.
Lifestyle changes are usually the first thing to try. Getting more
exercise, eating healthily and sleeping well can help you feel
much less anxious and more able to cope.
Using self-help tools can be a useful next step. Many of these

are available as workbooks or as internet-based programmes.
These can often be prescribed by your doctor.
Talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

have been found to be effective for the treatment of anxiety.
CBT is a treatment that helps change the way a person thinks

and behaves. It identifies unhelpful ways of thinking and can
help to break the cycle of negative thoughts.
In moderate to severe cases, medication may be required. Many

people find them effective, but they can have drawbacks.
Some people experience unpleasant side effects, and they can

take several weeks to work.
A combination of lifestyle changes, talking therapies and

medication is often the most effective way to treat anxiety.
5
Tips for people with anxiety
n Take some time out every day to do something relaxing,

such as listening to music, gardening, or going for a walk.
n Avoid using alcohol or drugs to calm yourself down when

you are feeling anxious. These can make symptoms worse
and can interfere with any medication you may be taking.
n Look after yourself. Getting enough sleep and eating a

healthy diet can help you feel better.
n You may find it helpful to keep a diary to

monitor how you feel and to identify
possible triggers of anxiety and
panic attacks.
n Stick to your usual routines. Set yourself

small daily goals and reward yourself for what
you achieve.
n It may be tempting to withdraw from social activities and

stay at home. This will not help in the long run. It is
important to stay engaged with other people and to try and
keep doing the things you enjoy.
n Talking to someone you trust about how you feel can be

helpful, and may make it easier for you to talk to your GP.
n Do not be afraid to ask for help. Make an appointment with

a GP. There are lots of different treatments available that
may help you feel better.
6
Tips for families, partners and carers
n One of the best ways to help a person with anxiety is to listen
to their worries. Try to be patient and understanding.
n Avoid being judgmental or telling them to ‘snap out of it’.
n Anxious people can sometimes be irritable or difficult to deal

with. Try to be patient and not to take their reactions
personally.
n Encourage the person having problems to stick to normal

routines. Help them to establish small daily goals and
recognise each success.
n If someone you care about is feeling very anxious, encourage

them to get help rather than dealing with it by themselves. A
good place to start is by discussing things with a GP.
Useful websites
Royal College of Psychiatrists
This site provides a detailed patient information leaflet about
anxiety as well as other mental health information. Search
‘anxiety’ from the homepage.
rcpsych.ac.uk
Mind
Information and support along with downloadable leaflets and
real people’s stories. Search ‘anxiety’ from the homepage.
mind.org.uk
Samaritans
Available 24 hours a day to provide confidential emotional
support for people experiencing feelings of distress and finding it
difficult to cope.
samaritans.org
7
Help with our anxiety research
We are working to better understand mental health problems
including anxiety. The aim of our research is to improve diagnosis,
treatment and support for the future.
But to do this we need your help.
Helping with our research is easy - it involves completing an online

survey which should take around 10-15 minutes to complete. It
asks questions about your:
n personal information, like date of birth and ethnicity
n mental and physical health
n lifestyle
To take part, visit www.ncmh.info/help or contact us:
[email protected] /walesmentalhealth
( 029 2068 8401 @ncmh_wales
Produced by the National Centre for Mental Health.

The information in this leaflet is correct at the time of printing. Printed February 2018.
NCMH is funded by Welsh Government through Health and Care Research Wales.
Mae’r wybodaeth hon hefyd ar gael drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg. I ofyn am gopi, cysylltwch â ni: [email protected]

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Anxiety and panic attacks

Information for individuals, partners and families NCMH

Anxiety and panic attacks

Anxiety becomes a problem when it lasts a long time, becomes

Problems with anxiety are common, affecting around 1 in 10

People who have problems with anxiety may experience a

Physical Symptoms Psychological Symptoms

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD): Feeling anxious for

Panic disorder: Experiencing panic attacks that may come out

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): Anxiety leads to

Phobias: An intense fear of something specific. The feared

Experiencing a panic attack can be very frightening and

Panic attacks usually last between 5 and 20 minutes, with a

Using self-help tools can be a useful next step. Many of these

Talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

CBT is a treatment that helps change the way a person thinks

In moderate to severe cases, medication may be required. Many

Some people experience unpleasant side effects, and they can

A combination of lifestyle changes, talking therapies and

n Take some time out every day to do something relaxing,

n Avoid using alcohol or drugs to calm yourself down when

n Look after yourself. Getting enough sleep and eating a

n You may find it helpful to keep a diary to

n Stick to your usual routines. Set yourself

n It may be tempting to withdraw from social activities and

n Talking to someone you trust about how you feel can be

n Do not be afraid to ask for help. Make an appointment with

n Avoid being judgmental or telling them to ‘snap out of it’.

n Anxious people can sometimes be irritable or difficult to deal

n Encourage the person having problems to stick to normal

n If someone you care about is feeling very anxious, encourage

But to do this we need your help.

Helping with our research is easy - it involves completing an online

n personal information, like date of birth and ethnicity

n mental and physical health

To take part, visit www.ncmh.info/help or contact us:

( 029 2068 8401 @ncmh_wales

Produced by the National Centre for Mental Health.

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