What is the theory behind this Therapy Worksheet for Panic Attacks?

A panic attack is a severe and sudden anxiety attack which is felt not just mentally but physically as well.  It has a sudden onset and can make people feel like something terrible is going to happen to them at the very moment. They are stuck in a vicious cycle of catastrophizing their thoughts and physical sensations. Someone who experiences frequent panic attacks is always worried about having the next one or actively trying to avoid situations that might trigger it causing significant impairments in their daily functioning. 

How will the worksheet help?

The worksheet will help clients to identify the symptoms, thoughts and avoidance or coping behaviours associated with their panic attacks. This information can be helpful in tailoring a cognitive behavioural treatment plan specific to the client’s nature of panic attack. 

How to use the worksheet?

Instruct the client to recall their past panic attacks and fill the information in the table accordingly. Instruct them to write down the physical symptoms they remember feeling, the thoughts that were racing through their heads at the time and mention any coping strategies that they have used. 

Therapy Worksheet for Panic Attacks

Recall your past panic attacks and fill out the table accordingly. 

Panic attack history	What are the physical symptoms that you experience during a panic attack?	What are the thoughts racing through your head at the time?	What strategies have you used to manage your panic attacks?Write about the ones that helped and ones that did not.
How many panic attacks have you had in the past month? How long did they approximately last? What are some triggers that you have identified?

Reference

Welsh, E. (2019). The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Workbook for Panic Attacks. Althea Press. 

You can download this worksheet here.