When Panic Attacks

Main Ideas

• David Burns’s book reveals anxiety as a delicate web of thoughts, where every fear is merely a reflection of distorted perception, not an inevitable threat. The author skillfully dissects the nature of panic attacks, showing that anxiety feeds on our inner dialogues and false beliefs. The central concept is the power of cognitive therapy, which allows us to gradually untangle anxious thoughts, replacing them with clarity and calm. Burns encourages readers not to fight anxiety, but to engage in dialogue with it, learning to see panic not as an enemy but as a signal for change. Through elegant metaphors and practical exercises, he teaches how to recognize thinking traps, overcome irrational fears, and regain control over one’s inner world. The book becomes a guide through the mind’s labyrinths, where each step is a move toward freedom from anxiety and the restoration of emotional balance.