In a CBT session, anxiety group, or at home between appointments, this module can help someone notice the subtle safety behaviours that keep panic attacks and fear of panic going. It focuses on panic disorder, avoidance, behavioural experiments, and practical ways to test feared predictions without relying on reassurance, distraction, escape routes, medication carried “just in case”, or other coping habits that have become safety signals.
This Dropping panic safety behaviours CBT module PDF is designed for adults and older teenagers who are working on panic attacks, panic disorder, anxiety about body sensations, or avoidance of places where panic feels difficult to manage. It may be used in CBT sessions, guided self-help, anxiety group work, or as a home learning task between appointments.
The resource explains what panic safety behaviours are and why they can feel helpful in the short term while keeping fear active over time. Examples include carrying water, scanning for exits, staying close to a trusted person, using a phone for distraction, avoiding caffeine, sitting near a door, or repeatedly checking symptoms. Clear prompts help the user connect each behaviour with the feared outcome they are trying to prevent.
Practitioners can use the module to structure discussion, plan behavioural experiments, or support revision of key CBT ideas after a session. Clients can use it as a worksheet-style guide to identify their own patterns, choose one behaviour to reduce, and reflect on what happens when they test predictions more directly.
Download or print the PDF to support practical work on reducing safety behaviours and building confidence in approaching feared situations in a planned, manageable way.
