Using a Panic Diary

Tracking Your Thoughts and Behaviors with a Panic Attack Diary

If you have panic disorder or agoraphobia, a behavioral diary may help you to identify your panic attack triggers and your responses to anxiety-provoking situations. It is usually best to record answers to the following questions in your behavioral diary as you are experiencing (or shortly thereafter) anticipatory anxiety or a panic attack:

1. What are your physical symptoms?

   Write down how you feel physically. Physical symptoms may include shortness of breath, heart palpitations, trembling or other physical sensations associated with panic or fear responses.
   
   

2. What are you thinking?

   Include your thoughts before, during and after the panic attack. For example:
   • “Something must be terribly wrong with me.”
   • “What if I pass out?”
   • ”Something must be wrong with my heart.”

3. What emotions are you experiencing?

   Fear, anger, sadness, inadequacy, confusion, shame and many others, are emotions that are often associated with the panic attack experience.
   
   

4. ...and what behaviors are associated with your panic attack?

   Here you should include what you were doing just prior to the onset of the attack, and your behaviors during or shortly after the attack. For example, avoidance of a situation, performing certain rituals or calling a support person may be behaviors associated with a panic attack.
   
   

5. How did you cope with the panic attack?

   Were you able to use any techniques to reduce your panic symptoms?
   
   For example, did you use any of the following:
   
   
   • positive self-talk
   • thought stopping
   • deep breathing
   • PMR
   
   

6. How effectively were you able to get through the panic attack?

   Evaluate what techniques worked and what didn’t. Include the symptoms that you were able to control and those that you were not.

Your panic diary will help you identify what triggers your panic symptoms and how you act and feel as you experience panic and anxiety. You can then work on ways to reduce your triggers and discover what techniques work best to control your symptoms. You can also share your findings with your therapist or doctor, who can help you develop better coping techniques to deal with your panic responses.

_Source:

Carbonell, David, PhD. "Panic Attacks Workbook." 2004 Berkley, CA: Ulysses Press.