Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia Treatment in Sycamore and North Aurora IL
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If you are interested in counseling for Panic Disorder, call OakHeart at 630-570-0050 or 779-201-6440 or email us at [email protected]. We have counselors, psychologists, and social workers available to help you at one of our locations in North Aurora, IL, Sycamore, IL, and/or via Telehealth Online Therapy Services serving Kane County, DeKalb County, Dupage County, and beyond.
What is Panic Disorder?Panic Disorder is characterized by recurrent and sometimes unexpected panic attacks. These panic attacks often feel as though they are coming out of the blue and can sometimes even occur while someone is asleep. Panic attacks are episodes of intense fear and anxiety, with symptoms such as pounding heart, heart palpitations, fast heart rate, sweating, trembling or shaking, shortness of breath, smothering sensations, feeling of choking, chest pain, nausea, stomach distress, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, feeling weak or faint, and feelings of unreality or of having an "out of body experience." Symptoms may include a feeling of dread or that something terrible is about to happen.
People with Panic Disorder have a number of fears associated with these symptoms that typically fall into 3 groups: Physical Fears, Cognitive Fears, and Social Fears. For example, an individual with Panic Disorder might have physical fears that they are dying, having a heart attack, having a stroke, or that they are going to faint. Examples of cognitive fears are being afraid that their symptoms mean that they are going crazy, that they are going to "lose it," or that they are going to lose control of themselves. Finally, examples of social fears might include being afraid that others will see them having a panic attack and being negatively judged. Some individuals with Panic Disorder express a fear that they will stay "stuck" in a panic attack forever. Because panic attacks are so distressing, individuals with Panic Disorder often worry about having them and avoid things that they believe to be triggers of their panic attacks. They also often engage in "safety behaviors" to try and prevent the attacks. For example, they may engage in the safety behavior of always having a safety person (e.g., friend or family member) with them if they are out in public or when they drive. They may always make sure that they have easy access to a phone, water, a restroom, or to their medications. |
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They may use superstitious objects to help them feel more safe/secure in certain situations. They may drive a certain route or avoid highways or high-traffic areas in case they need to escape. In fact, an intense need to escape is often associated with panic attacks and individuals with Panic Disorder may avoid situations where escape might be difficult (e.g., movie theaters, new places where exits are unknown, driving on roads with frequent stop lights), also known as Agoraphobia. Individual's with Panic Disorder may not always avoid triggers or use safety behaviors, but they may instead use avoidance techniques such as distraction (e.g., listening to music) or "white knuckle" through the situation.
While the most intense part of the panic attack is often short-lived, to people with Panic Disorder, it can feel like an eternity. People with Panic Disorder often have a history of going to the emergency room at least once for fear that their physical symptoms are a sign of something very serious such as a heart attack or stroke. What is Agoraphobia?Agoraphobia is defined as a fear or anxiety about specific situations where escape might be difficult or where help may not be readily available in case a panic attack were to occur (or other physical symptom such as fear of falling or other embarrassing symptoms such as having diarrhea). Typically feared and/or avoided situations include public transportation, being away from home alone, crowds, standing in line, being stuck at a stop-light, enclosed spaces such as movie theaters or malls, and being in wide-open spaces such as in a rural area, parking lot, or in a boat at sea. Some individuals with Panic Disorder may not also have co-occurring Agoraphobia, but they often go hand in hand.
What is the Treatment for Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia?The good news is that there are highly effective treatments for Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia, and many sufferers are able to achieve total remission from panic attacks. First-line treatments of Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), medications, or both. In particular, a kind of CBT treatment for Panic Disorder called Panic Control Treatment (PCT) can significantly reduce symptoms and improve functioning.
PCT involves psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, breathing re-training, and interoceptive and "in-vivo" exposures. These components are meant to help alter unhelpful thinking and behavioral patterns that cause and perpetuate the disorder. Psychoeducation will cover the fight-flight (or freeze) system in our bodies (autonomic nervous system) and how that system, along with misattributions of threat, play a role in the disorder and the cycle of anxiety/panic. Interoceptive exposures are a kind of exposure where the client is asked to face their physical symptoms without the use of safety behaviors. In-vivo exposures include facing feared situations/places without the use of safety behaviors. Ultimately, this helps the client learn that their feared consequences are highly unlikely to occur. If you are struggling with Panic Disorder, there is genuine reason for hope. Panic Disorder is one of the most well-researched and treatment-responsive anxiety disorders we know of. Decades of randomized controlled trials have established CBT as the gold-standard treatment, and the outcomes data are encouraging. A long-term follow-up study by Eide and colleagues (2025) found that 90% of patients who completed an intensive CBT protocol for panic disorder were in remission at 18 months, with treatment gains maintained over time. Research also suggests that relapse rates following CBT for anxiety disorders are relatively low, with one review reporting relapse rates of 0 to 14% across 3 to 12 month follow-up periods (van Dis et al., 2020). In short, if you engage fully in treatment, the odds are meaningfully in your favor. Our team of psychologists, counselors, and social workers in North Aurora and Sycamore, Illinois provides evidence-based treatment for Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia to clients throughout Kane County, DeKalb County, DuPage County, and the surrounding Chicago suburbs, including in-person and telehealth options. |
Frequently Asked Questions About Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia
Can panic disorder go away on its own?
For some individuals, panic attacks may decrease over time without treatment. However, Panic Disorder, particularly when it involves significant avoidance and agoraphobia, tends to be self-maintaining and can worsen without treatment. The good news is that Panic Disorder is one of the most treatable anxiety disorders. With evidence-based treatment, many individuals achieve full or near-full remission from panic attacks.
What is the difference between a panic attack and an anxiety attack?
These terms are often used interchangeably but they are technically distinct. A panic attack is a discrete episode of intense fear that peaks within minutes and involves a specific set of physical and cognitive symptoms as defined in the DSM-5. Anxiety is generally more diffuse and sustained. Not everyone who experiences anxiety has panic attacks, and not everyone who has panic attacks has Panic Disorder.
Why do panic attacks sometimes happen during sleep?
Nocturnal panic attacks, panic attacks that occur during sleep, are a real and relatively common phenomenon in Panic Disorder. They are not the same as nightmares. Nocturnal panic attacks appear to be related to the same physiological and psychological processes that drive daytime panic attacks. They are understandably alarming and can contribute to significant sleep avoidance. They are treatable with the same approaches used for daytime panic.
What is agoraphobia and does everyone with panic disorder develop it?
Agoraphobia is a fear and avoidance of situations where escape might be difficult or help might not be available if a panic attack were to occur. While agoraphobia and Panic Disorder frequently co-occur, not everyone with Panic Disorder develops agoraphobia. Agoraphobia can also occur independently of Panic Disorder. The severity of agoraphobia varies widely, for some individuals it involves avoiding a few specific situations, while for others it can result in being unable to leave the home.
What does treatment for Panic Disorder actually feel like?
Treatment for Panic Disorder involves learning about how panic works, identifying the thinking patterns that maintain it, and gradually confronting feared physical sensations and situations. This process, known as Panic Control Treatment (PCT), is highly structured and collaborative. Your therapist will work with you to build a gradual plan that is challenging but manageable. Many clients find that treatment is more tolerable than they expected and that their confidence grows significantly as they work through it.
For some individuals, panic attacks may decrease over time without treatment. However, Panic Disorder, particularly when it involves significant avoidance and agoraphobia, tends to be self-maintaining and can worsen without treatment. The good news is that Panic Disorder is one of the most treatable anxiety disorders. With evidence-based treatment, many individuals achieve full or near-full remission from panic attacks.
What is the difference between a panic attack and an anxiety attack?
These terms are often used interchangeably but they are technically distinct. A panic attack is a discrete episode of intense fear that peaks within minutes and involves a specific set of physical and cognitive symptoms as defined in the DSM-5. Anxiety is generally more diffuse and sustained. Not everyone who experiences anxiety has panic attacks, and not everyone who has panic attacks has Panic Disorder.
Why do panic attacks sometimes happen during sleep?
Nocturnal panic attacks, panic attacks that occur during sleep, are a real and relatively common phenomenon in Panic Disorder. They are not the same as nightmares. Nocturnal panic attacks appear to be related to the same physiological and psychological processes that drive daytime panic attacks. They are understandably alarming and can contribute to significant sleep avoidance. They are treatable with the same approaches used for daytime panic.
What is agoraphobia and does everyone with panic disorder develop it?
Agoraphobia is a fear and avoidance of situations where escape might be difficult or help might not be available if a panic attack were to occur. While agoraphobia and Panic Disorder frequently co-occur, not everyone with Panic Disorder develops agoraphobia. Agoraphobia can also occur independently of Panic Disorder. The severity of agoraphobia varies widely, for some individuals it involves avoiding a few specific situations, while for others it can result in being unable to leave the home.
What does treatment for Panic Disorder actually feel like?
Treatment for Panic Disorder involves learning about how panic works, identifying the thinking patterns that maintain it, and gradually confronting feared physical sensations and situations. This process, known as Panic Control Treatment (PCT), is highly structured and collaborative. Your therapist will work with you to build a gradual plan that is challenging but manageable. Many clients find that treatment is more tolerable than they expected and that their confidence grows significantly as they work through it.
Click here to learn more about Generalized Anxiety Disorder (Worry)
Click here to learn more about Social Anxiety Disorder
Click here to learn more about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Click here to learn more about Health Anxiety/Illness Anxiety Disorder
Click here to learn more about Specific Phobias
Click here to learn more about Social Anxiety Disorder
Click here to learn more about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Click here to learn more about Health Anxiety/Illness Anxiety Disorder
Click here to learn more about Specific Phobias
OakHeart Panic Disorder Counselors, Psychologists, and Social Workers
Panic Disorder Related Blogs:
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Most of us, in our lifetime, will experience a panic attack. However, when you develop panic disorder, you experience frequent, unexpected panic attacks (or surges of intense fear and discomfort) accompanied by either a fear of having another panic attack or change in behavior related to attacks (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). In other words, you live in fear of having another panic attack and have panic attacks that feel like they hit you out of the blue. This is often a very hard way to live...(to read more, click on the link above).
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I often tell my clients about Anxiety Planet. Anxiety Planet can be a lonely and scary place. And unfortunately, gravity keeps its inhabitants stuck. There are many reasons why it can be difficult to escape the gravitational pull of Anxiety Planet. The first is avoidance. The name of the game in getting off of Anxiety Planet is to make safety associations instead of danger associations. However, avoidance makes it essentially impossible or very difficult to make safety associations, therefore danger associations dominate...(to read more, click on the link above).
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Resources
Panic Disorder Statistics
Panic Disorder General
Understanding Panic Disorder (ADAA)
Symptoms of Panic Disorder (ADAA)
Treatment of Panic Disorder (ADAA)
Panic Disorder Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) Resources
Panic Disorder General
Understanding Panic Disorder (ADAA)
Symptoms of Panic Disorder (ADAA)
Treatment of Panic Disorder (ADAA)
Panic Disorder Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) Resources
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Eide, T. O., et al. (2025). Long-term outcomes following intensive CBT for panic disorder. BMC Psychiatry, 25(107).
van Dis, E. A. M., van Veen, S. C., Hagenaars, M. A., Batelaan, N. M., Cuijpers, P., van der Wee, N. J. A., Denys, D., & Engelhard, I. M. (2020). Long-term outcomes of cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety-related disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry, 77(3), 265-273.
Eide, T. O., et al. (2025). Long-term outcomes following intensive CBT for panic disorder. BMC Psychiatry, 25(107).
van Dis, E. A. M., van Veen, S. C., Hagenaars, M. A., Batelaan, N. M., Cuijpers, P., van der Wee, N. J. A., Denys, D., & Engelhard, I. M. (2020). Long-term outcomes of cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety-related disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry, 77(3), 265-273.
