Anxiety, fear and panic

Support is also available if you're finding it hard to cope with anxiety, fear or panic.

Coronavirus advice

Get advice about coronavirus and looking after your mental wellbeing:

Symptoms of anxiety

Anxiety can cause many different symptoms. It might affect how you feel physically, mentally and how you behave.

It's not always easy to recognise when anxiety is the reason you're feeling or acting differently.

Physical symptoms Mental symptoms Changes in behaviour

Symptoms of a panic attack

If you experience sudden, intense anxiety and fear, it might be the symptoms of a panic attack. Other symptoms may include:

feeling that you're losing control
sweating, trembling or shaking
shortness of breath or breathing very quickly
feeling sick (nausea)

A panic attack usually lasts 5 to 30 minutes. They can be very frightening, but they're not dangerous and should not harm you.

If you're not sure how you feel, try our mood self-assessment.

Things you can try to help with anxiety, fear and panic

Do

try talking about your feelings to a friend, family member, health professional or counsellor. You could also contact Samaritans, call: 116 123 or email: jo@samaritans.org if you need someone to talk to
use calming breathing exercises
exercise – activities such as running, walking, swimming and yoga can help you relax
find out how to get to sleep if you're struggling to sleep
eat a healthy diet with regular meals to keep your energy levels stable
consider peer support, where people use their experiences to help each other. Find out more about peer support on the Mind website
listen to free mental wellbeing audio guides

search and download relaxation and mindfulness apps or online community apps from the NHS apps library

Don’t

do not try to do everything at once – set small targets that you can easily achieve
do not focus on the things you cannot change – focus your time and energy into helping yourself feel better
do not avoid situations that make you anxious – try slowly building up time spent in worrying situations to gradually reduce anxiety
try not to tell yourself that you're alone; most people experience anxiety or fear at some point in their life

try not to use alcohol, cigarettes, gambling or drugs to relieve anxiety as these can all contribute to poor mental health

Further information and support

The mental health charity Mind offer more information on:

Your Mind Plan on the Every Mind Matters website sends personalised tips and advice to your email inbox.

Where to get NHS help for anxiety, fear and panic

Referring yourself for therapy

If you need more support, you can get free psychological therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) on the NHS.

You can refer yourself directly to an NHS psychological therapies service (IAPT) without a referral from a GP.

Find an NHS psychological therapies service (IAPT)

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

you're struggling to cope with anxiety, fear or panic
things you're trying yourself are not helping
you would prefer to get a referral from a GP

Coronavirus update: how to contact a GP

It's still important to get help from a GP if you need it. To contact your GP surgery:

visit their website
use the NHS App
call them

Find out about using the NHS during coronavirus

Urgent advice: Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if:

you need help urgently, but it's not an emergency

111 can tell you the right place to get help if you need to see someone. Go to 111.nhs.uk or call: 111.

Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E now if:

you or someone you know needs immediate help
you have seriously harmed yourself – for example, by taking a drug overdose

A mental health emergency should be taken as seriously as a medical emergency.

Find your nearest A&E

Causes of anxiety, fear and panic

There are many different causes of anxiety, fear or panic and it's different for everyone.

When you're feeling anxious or scared, your body releases stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol.

This can be helpful in some situations, but it might also cause physical symptoms such as an increased heart rate and increased sweating. In some people, it might cause a panic attack.

Regular anxiety, fear or panic can also be the main symptom of several health conditions. Do not self-diagnose – speak to a GP if you're worried about how you're feeling.

Identifying the cause

If you know what's causing anxiety, fear or panic, it might be easier to find ways to manage it.

Some examples of possible causes include:

work – feeling pressure at work, unemployment or retirement
family – relationship difficulties, divorce or caring for someone
financial problems – unexpected bills or borrowing money
health – illness, injury or losing someone (bereavement)
difficult past experiences – bullying, abuse or neglect

Even significant life events such as buying a house, having a baby or planning a wedding could lead to feelings of stress and anxiety.

You might find it hard to explain to people why you feel this way, but talking to someone could help you find a solution.

Find out more about the 5 steps to mental wellbeing.

Conditions related to anxiety, fear and panic

A table showing some of the conditions related to anxiety, fear and panic
Symptoms	Possible cause
feelings of anxiety that will not go away, anxiety is affecting your life	generalised anxiety disorder
overwhelming fear of something specific like an object, place or animal	phobias
regularly experiencing panic attacks	panic disorder
often reliving traumatic past experiences, nightmares and flashbacks	post-traumatic stress disorder

Page last reviewed: Tue Oct 2019 Next review due: Sat Oct 2022