Anxiety Coach

The Panic Diary

A panic attack can really disrupt your concentration and short term memory, and this makes it hard to be a good observer.

A good way to get around that is to take notes during the panic attack. My clients often look at me like I've lost my mind when I first suggest this. "Take notes while I'm panicking?". But it's not as hard as you might think. My clients use a panic diary, a copy of which is here for you to download and reprint for your own personal use. It's a one page form (though, being a little wordy, I needed two pages for the instructions!). I suggest you make some copies and keep them wherever you might need them - in your glove box, your purse, your briefcase, wherever you are likely to experience panic. If you're working with a therapist, please review it with him/her!

Click on the underline text for Adobe PDF Format of The Panic Diary and Instructions.

Date_______ Name_________________________________________________

Level (1 - 10) _____________________Time began :______Time ended: _____

Symptoms_________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

What type?

__________________________________________________________________

Where are you?

__________________________________________________________________

What were you doing when the attack began?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Are you alone? (If not, state who is present.)

__________________________________________________________________

What were you thinking before the attack?

__________________________________________________________________

What were you thinking during the attack?

__________________________________________________________________

How did you talk back to the fears?

__________________________________________________________________

What did you do (behaviorally) that helped you calm down?

__________________________________________________________________

How did the attack end?

__________________________________________________________________

How do you want to respond differently next time?

__________________________________________________________________

PANIC ATTACK DIARY

Instructions
A person makes a recovery from panic attacks by learning how to cope with them. In order to do so, it is essential that you learn as much about your attacks as possible. Use the accompanying panic diary to record each attack and your response, by following the instructions below. Complete a description for each attack you have between now and our next session.

STEP 1: Fill in "Date" and "Name"
STEP 2: Next to "Level", rate your level of panic on a scale of 0 to 10, in which 0 means no panic, and 10 means the worst panic possible.
STEP 3: Next to "Symptoms", record the symptoms you experienced during the attack.
STEP 4: Next to "Time began" and "Time ended", record the time when the attack began, and when it ended. ALWAYS time your attacks whenever they occur. Don't rely on estimates!
STEP 5: Next to "What type?", classify your attack as one of the following types. Each attack will have only one classification.
SPONTANEOUS ATTACK. A panic attack that appears to come "out of the blue." This classification is not used when you are in a feared situation, or thinking about something fearful.
ANTICIPATORY ATTACK. A panic attack that occurred in anticipation of facing a feared situation, or thinking about something fearful.
SITUATIONAL ATTACK. A panic attack that occurred while you were in a feared situation.
STEP 6: Next to "Where are you?", record your location at the time of the attack.
STEP 7: Next to "What were you doing when the attack began?", record your activity at the time of the attack.
STEP 8: Next to "Are you alone?", answer yes or no. If no, write who was with you.
STEP 9: Record your thoughts immediately before the panic attack.
STEP 10: Record your disturbing thoughts during the panic attack. BE SPECIFIC!
STEP 11: Describe what you said to yourself to calm yourself.
STEP 12: Describe what you did to calm yourself.
STEP 13: Describe how the attack ended (what caused it to end?)
STEP 14: Record any different responses that you want to use next time you have an attack.

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This page was last modified on 6-10-2004.