Dr Elaine RyanDoctor of PsychologyStart Panic Course
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Panic Attack Test

Written and clinically reviewed by , PsychD · 20+ years treating anxiety disorders & OCD
Chartered Psychologist (BPS)
Panic attack test with Dr Elaine Ryan

Panic attacks can feel frightening and overwhelming. They often come on suddenly, with intense physical sensations—like a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, shaking, nausea, or feeling unreal—alongside thoughts such as “Something is seriously wrong” or “I’m going to lose control.”

This panic attack test is a short self-check to help you understand whether what you’re experiencing fits common panic patterns, and what may be fuelling them—body sensations, fear-based thoughts, avoidance, or safety behaviours (like escaping, checking, reassurance-seeking, or constantly monitoring your body). Your results include personalised feedback and a recommended next step to get help.

This is an educational self-check, not a diagnosis. If you have new, severe, or worsening symptoms—especially chest pain, fainting, or difficulty breathing—seek urgent medical advice.

A clearer picture, one question at a time

Make sense of panic and the fear of another attack

Think about the past month and choose what best fits your experience. Your feedback explains the pattern your answers suggest, what may keep it going, and where to start.

8 questionsAbout 3 minutesNo email needed

This self-check is for adults. The questionnaire itself does not send or save your answers. They are cleared when you reload or leave this page.

You can read the questions below. Enable JavaScript for the step-by-step questionnaire and personalised feedback.

Have you experienced a sudden surge of intense fear or discomfort that built quickly?

Think about distinct episodes, rather than background worry all day.

During those surges, did you notice several strong sensations such as a racing heart, shaking, sweating, breathlessness, dizziness or feeling unreal?

Choose Never if there were no such episodes.

During an episode, did you fear dying, fainting, losing control or that something terrible was happening?

Answer about the fear you experienced, rather than whether the feared event happened.

Have these episodes happened when there was no obvious immediate danger or feared situation?

An unexpected attack is different from anxiety only in one predictable situation.

Between episodes, do you worry about another attack or what it could mean?

Include fear about where an attack might happen.

Do you avoid places or leave situations because you fear having an attack there?

Include changes in travel, shopping, work or being alone.

Do you repeatedly monitor your body, check your pulse or rely on protective habits to prevent panic?

Do not count monitoring or treatment advised by your clinician.

How much has this affected your work, study, relationships or ordinary activities?

Choose the answer that best reflects your own experience.

How to understand this self-check

A panic attack is an episode; panic disorder involves a broader recurrent pattern and its consequences. CBT addresses frightening interpretations of sensations, fear of further attacks and avoidance. A clinician can consider medical causes and other anxiety problems.

The questions are an original educational self-check, rather than a validated diagnostic instrument. Results reflect the combinations, frequency and impact you report; they do not provide a probability of diagnosis or a clinical severity score.

Read the panic guide for more information.

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