What is a Panic Attack? Symptoms, Causes & Help Australia

What is a Panic Attack?

Your heart is pounding. You can't quite catch your breath. A wave of dread washes over you, and for a moment you genuinely wonder if something is seriously wrong, a heart attack, losing control, even dying. Then, just as suddenly as it arrived, it starts to fade.

If this sounds familiar, you may have experienced a panic attack. They are frightening, they are common, and importantly, they are treatable.

This article explains what panic attacks are, what causes them, how they differ from general anxiety, and what support options are available in Australia, including how clinical hypnotherapy at Norwest Wellbeing may help.

What Exactly Is a Panic Attack?

A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear or discomfort that reaches its peak within minutes, accompanied by a cluster of physical and psychological symptoms. Unlike everyday stress, which tends to build gradually, a panic attack arrives abruptly, often without an obvious trigger, and can feel completely disproportionate to what is actually happening around you.

Panic attacks themselves are common. According to Beyond Blue, around 40% of Australians will experience one or two panic attacks at some point in their life. When panic attacks become recurrent, and are followed by persistent worry about having another one, this is known as panic disorder, a less common but more disruptive pattern that Beyond Blue estimates affects around 5% of Australians in their lifetime, with 3-4% affected in any 12-month period.

Most panic attacks last between 5 and 20 minutes, though the intensity can make them feel much longer to the person experiencing them.

Symptoms of a Panic Attack

Panic attacks involve a mix of physical sensations and psychological experiences that can appear together or in different combinations.

Physical symptoms commonly include:

Racing or pounding heart
Shortness of breath or a smothering sensation
Chest tightness or pain
Trembling, shaking, or muscle tension
Sweating, hot flushes, or chills
Dizziness, lightheadedness, or feeling faint
Nausea or stomach discomfort
Tingling or numbness in the hands, feet, or face
A feeling of choking

Psychological symptoms commonly include:

Overwhelming fear or a sense of impending doom
Fear of losing control or "going crazy"
Fear of dying
A sense of unreality or detachment from yourself or your surroundings (depersonalisation or derealisation)
An urge to escape the situation immediately

Because the physical symptoms of a panic attack can closely resemble a cardiac event, it is genuinely difficult, especially the first time, to know that what you are experiencing is panic rather than something medically dangerous. This is a normal and understandable response, not a sign of weakness.

Important: When Chest Pain Needs Urgent Medical Care

If you experience new, severe, or unexplained chest pain, especially if you have risk factors for heart disease, are over 45, or the pain is accompanied by symptoms unusual for your typical panic attacks, treat it as a medical emergency and call 000, or go to your nearest emergency department. A GP or emergency doctor can help rule out cardiac and other medical causes, which is an important step before assuming symptoms are "just anxiety", particularly if this is your first episode or your symptoms have changed.

Once medical causes have been appropriately ruled out or your GP has confirmed a pattern of panic attacks, the guidance below on causes, triggers, and support options becomes relevant.

What Causes Panic Attacks?

Panic attacks rarely have a single, identifiable cause. More often, several factors combine to lower your threshold for a panic response.

Frequently reported contributors include:

Prolonged or accumulated stress
Hyperventilation or altered breathing patterns
Excessive caffeine or stimulant use
Significant life changes or transitions
A family history of anxiety or panic disorder
Certain medical conditions, which is why medical assessment matters
A learned association between certain physical sensations (like a racing heart) and danger

Once a person has had one or more panic attacks, a common and unhelpful cycle can develop: fear of the sensations of panic (a slightly elevated heart rate, for example) triggers anxiety, which in turn produces more of those sensations, escalating into a full panic attack. This is sometimes called the "fear of fear" cycle, and it is a pattern hypnotherapy is well placed to help interrupt.

Panic Attacks vs Panic Disorder vs General Anxiety

These terms are often used loosely, but they describe distinct patterns.

A single panic attack

An isolated episode, sometimes linked to an unusually stressful event, that does not recur or lead to ongoing worry. This is common and does not necessarily indicate an underlying disorder.

Panic disorder

Panic disorder involves recurrent, unexpected panic attacks along with persistent worry about having further attacks, and often changes in behaviour to avoid situations where an attack might occur (which can develop into agoraphobia in more severe cases).

Generalised anxiety

Generalised anxiety tends to build gradually as ongoing worry about various aspects of life, rather than arriving as a sudden, intense spike. Someone can experience generalised anxiety, panic attacks, or both.

Understanding which pattern best describes your experience helps determine the most appropriate support, which is why a proper assessment, whether with your GP or a hypnotherapist, is a useful starting point.

Impact on Daily Life

Panic attacks are not merely uncomfortable. For many people, the impact extends well beyond the episodes themselves.

Anticipatory anxiety frequently becomes a problem in its own right. Worrying about when the next attack might happen, and where, can be as exhausting as the attacks themselves.

Avoidance behaviours often develop as a way of managing this fear, avoiding driving, crowded places, public transport, or situations where leaving quickly would be difficult. Over time, this avoidance can significantly narrow someone's world.

Relationships and work can be affected as people cancel plans, avoid commitments, or struggle to explain what is happening to colleagues, friends, or family who have not experienced panic attacks themselves.

Physical health concerns are common too, given how closely panic symptoms can mimic other medical conditions, leading some people to repeated GP or emergency department visits seeking reassurance.

When to Seek Help in Australia

If you recognise yourself in this description, and your experience involves:

Recurrent panic attacks, particularly if they seem to come without warning
Ongoing worry about having another attack
Avoiding places or situations because of this fear
Panic attacks that are affecting your work, relationships, or daily functioning

...then it is worth seeking professional support.

Your GP is a sensible first stop, particularly to rule out medical causes for your symptoms and discuss options including psychology-based treatments such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Clinical hypnotherapists can work alongside this, particularly where the fear of the physical sensations themselves has become part of the cycle.

At Norwest Wellbeing, we work with clients from across the Sydney Hills district and throughout Australia via Zoom. If you are unsure whether what you are experiencing fits this description, or you are ready to explore support, we encourage you to reach out for a conversation.

How Clinical Hypnotherapy May Help

Clinical hypnotherapy does not claim to replace medical assessment or established treatments like CBT. What it aims to do is work with the automatic fear response and the learned associations that drive the panic cycle, once medical causes have been appropriately addressed.

Interrupting the Fear of Fear Cycle

Through guided relaxation and focused attention, hypnotherapy aims to help the mind and body respond differently to the early physical sensations that typically escalate into a full panic attack.

Building Genuine Coping Confidence

Sessions work towards building internal resources and coping strategies that increase a felt sense of safety and control, rather than relying solely on avoidance to manage anxiety.

A Realistic, Individual Approach

Results vary between individuals, and the pattern and severity of panic attacks differs from person to person. At Norwest Wellbeing, Paul or Rebecca Smith will discuss your specific experience and provide a realistic sense of what a course of sessions might look like, with Norwest Wellbeing reporting a typical success rate of 75-85% over 2 to 5 sessions.

Learn more about how clinical hypnotherapy supports panic attacks at Norwest Wellbeing →

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a panic attack be dangerous?

Panic attacks themselves are not physically dangerous, though the symptoms can feel alarming and closely resemble more serious conditions. That said, new or unusual symptoms, especially chest pain, should always be assessed by a medical professional to rule out other causes, particularly the first time they occur.

How is a panic attack different from a heart attack?

Both can involve chest pain, a racing heart, and shortness of breath, which is exactly why new or unusual symptoms need medical assessment rather than self-diagnosis. Panic attack symptoms typically peak within about 10 minutes and settle within 20 to 30 minutes, but this pattern should never replace an emergency assessment if you are at all unsure.

Can hypnotherapy help if my panic attacks seem to come out of nowhere?

Yes. Hypnotherapy works with the underlying, often subconscious, fear response that drives panic attacks, which can be helpful even when there is no obvious external trigger.

Do I need a diagnosis of panic disorder before trying hypnotherapy?

No. Many clients seek support for recurring panic attacks without a formal panic disorder diagnosis. A conversation with your practitioner can help clarify your specific pattern and the most appropriate approach.

Can I access hypnotherapy if I don't live near Norwest Sydney?

Yes. Norwest Wellbeing offers clinical hypnotherapy via Zoom for clients throughout Australia, alongside in-person sessions at our Sydney Hills clinic.

Conclusion

Panic attacks are frightening, but they are also common, well understood clinically, and genuinely treatable. If recurring episodes, or the fear of having another one, have started to shape your daily choices, support is available.

Clinical hypnotherapy, as offered at Norwest Wellbeing, is one evidence-informed option that may help you interrupt the fear-of-fear cycle and build lasting confidence in your own ability to cope.

At Norwest Wellbeing, Paul or Rebecca Smith work with clients in person at Norwest, in Sydney's Hills district, and with clients across Australia via Zoom.

Find out more about panic attack support at Norwest Wellbeing →

What is a Panic Attack? Symptoms, Causes and When to Get Help