Free Panic Attack Test (PDSS)

Take the check

The Panic Disorder Severity Scale asks about the frequency, distress, worry and avoidance that come with panic. Answer for how the last week has been.

What your score means

Seven items scored out of 28. Broad bands:

• 0–5 — lower. Panic isn't a major load right now. Worth re-checking if it builds.
• 6–10 — mild. Noticeable but often manageable. Learning to ride out the surge goes a long way.
• 11–15 — moderate. Panic is likely shaping what you do and avoid. A good point to get support.
• 16–28 — higher. A heavy load, often with avoidance building around it. Professional support is genuinely worth arranging.

In the middle of a panic attack

It will peak and pass — it always does, usually within minutes, and it cannot actually harm you however it feels. Two things help most: breathe out for longer than you breathe in (four counts in, six out), and let the sensations be there without fighting them. Fighting panic feeds it; riding it out teaches your body there was never real danger.

What actually helps with panic

None of this replaces support, but all of it is worth doing while you decide:

• Lengthen the exhale. A four-count in, six-count out, for two minutes. The long out-breath is what your nervous system reads as safety and the fastest way to bring a spiking body down.
• Stop fighting the surge. Panic feeds on the fear of panic. Letting the sensations rise and fall, without bracing against them, is what eventually switches off the false alarm.
• Don't start avoiding. Skipping the bus, the mall or the meeting brings relief now and makes the fear bigger next time. Keep doing the things, even anxiously.
• Cut the fuel. Caffeine, poor sleep and nicotine all prime the body for panic. Easing them lowers the baseline.
• Know the physiology. Racing heart, tingling, unreality — these are harmless adrenaline effects, not signs of danger. Understanding that robs panic of its power.

When self-help isn't enough

Self-help works well while you can still face the situations that trigger panic. It works less well once avoidance has set in — once you're planning your days around not having an attack. That's the stage where therapy makes the real difference: panic responds specifically and quickly to CBT, which teaches your body, through guided practice, that the sensations are a false alarm. It's much easier to do that with someone than alone.

Talking to someone about it

A Lume Live session is a confidential 1:1 conversation with Sachin Bajaj, who holds an M.Sc in Clinical Psychology (Gurugram University) and a PGDGC from Jamia Millia Islamia. Sessions are ₹499 for 45 minutes, with your first at ₹249 using code FIRST50 — priced so that finding out whether it helps doesn't require asking anyone for money.

Nothing is shared with your parents, school, college or employer, and you can book using a first name only. For most people that matters more than the price.

Frequently asked questions