Understanding panic thoughts

This resource helps young people identify and challenge unhelpful thoughts related to panic. It introduces the ‘Realistic Odds Pie’—a simple, visual tool for cognitive restructuring that encourages them to consider different explanations, not just the most frightening one.

It is designed to support therapists in building insight and reducing the power of catastrophic thinking in a clear, visual, and teen-friendly way.

References and Further Reading

  • Last , C. G. , & Strauss , C. C. ( 1989 ). Panic disorder in children and adolescents . Journal of Anxiety Disorders , 3 , 87 – 95.
  • James, A. C., Reardon, T., Soler, A., James, G., & Creswell, C. (2020). Cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013162.pub2.
  • Peterman, J. S., Carper, M. M., & Kendall, P. C. (2016). Testing the Habituation-Based Model of Exposures for Child and Adolescent Anxiety. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, pp. 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2016.1163707.
  • Rachman, S., Radomsky, A. S., & Shafran, R. (2008). Safety behaviour: A reconsideration. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 46(2), 163–173.
  • Meyer et al. (2019). Beliefs about safety behaviours in the prediction of safety behaviour use. Published online by Cambridge University Press.