The term ‘panic attack’ is well known by this point – for better or for worse. It’s so well known that it’s slipped into our daily lexicon as a lazy shorthand for anything resembling a moment of heightened emotion. “I’m having a panic attack,” some people will jokingly say as a means of indicating that they’re finding an experience stressful (which, when you consider the debilitating nature of these sudden episodes of intense fear – that can even physically immobilise someone – is incredibly unhelpful).

‘Doom attacks’, on the other hand, are a relatively new concept currently gaining traction on social media after Dr Glenn Patrick Doyle shared the following post on X (formerly known as Twitter): “We talk a lot about panic attacks. But trauma survivors often have what I call ‘doom attacks’ – abrupt surges of crushing certainty that the absolute worst case scenario will absolutely happen, and we’re powerless to stop it.”

I stumbled across the post late one night, and found myself reading and rereading it, trying the words on for size. Because here’s the thing: as someone who escaped a house fire as a child – with a few cuts and bruises, my hair singed and burnt and a veritable buffet of horrifying memories – they seemed to describe what I experience perfectly. I’m often hit by waves of dread and a sense of impermanence, for example. I am constantly mapping out escape routes and plans for every possible disaster I can conceive of, whether that’s a home invasion or a nuclear attack. And I am constantly plagued by the idea that everything I have and love will (literally or metaphorically) disappear in a wave of smoke, which is likely why the only saved items in my Amazon basket are fire blankets, extinguishers and a collapsible escape ladder. 

“Doom attacks might be better known as catastrophising – a thought pattern that leads people to believe or worry about the worst case scenario or feeling an impending sense of doom,” explains female empowerment coach Grace McMahon.

Dr Kalanit Ben-Ari agrees, adding: “One might speak about two different reactions to fear and anxiety: one is paralysing and the other is catastrophising.

“The former can be a reaction to stress and trauma or a defensive mechanism to an acute stress disorder,” she continues. “Catastrophising, on the other hand, involves anxiety colouring our reality in a dramatic and pessimistic tone. Both can occur when one feels powerless and hopeless.”

Essentially, while the term doom attacks is new (or yet another case of “invented vocabulary”, according to Dr Ben-Ari), the phenomenon itself is not.

“Feeling an impending sense of doom or catastrophising is experienced differently so it can be a challenge to put into words,” says McMahon, who points out that while new terminology can and may lead some people to falsely diagnose themselves with something, the term doom attacks is likely gaining momentum because it is helping many people, myself included, “describe their feelings in a way they haven’t yet been able to”.

With that in mind, then, here’s everything you need to know about doom attacks – just in case you too find that the definition hits a little too close to home.

“Some describe a doom attack as a sinking feeling in the pit of their stomach or tightness in their chest, or it might just be an overwhelming sense that something bad is going to happen,” says McMahon. “Generally, it is recognised as intense feelings of fear that could be coupled with physical symptoms of stress. But it is essentially your mind-body connection trying to tell you something – as with any emotion.”

She adds that, while doom attacks are not currently a recognised phenomenon, that doesn’t mean they won’t become one.

“Remember, post-pandemic stress disorder (PPSD) was coined during the later stages of the pandemic to refer to the ongoing symptoms of stress, anxiety and panic, and it did become a phenomenon recognised in research caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,” she points out.

Dr Ben-Ari adds: “Social media traffic feeds on new terms, leading to an overabundance of invented vocabulary by everyone. My advice would be to take a step back and evaluate the information you’re consuming on social media.

“Recognise that social media platforms often amplify sensationalised content, leading to heightened feelings of fear or anxiety. It’s essential to critically assess the credibility and accuracy of the information you encounter and to evaluate whether your social media use adds value to your life in terms of inspiration, information, creativity and connection or if, instead, it exacerbates your mental health state.”

“When we’ve experienced trauma, the brain remembers it and tries to protect us as a way of coping, and it’s also a meaning-making machine, so when the unknown crops up in life or we’re in uncertain circumstances – or even out of the blue when we’re not in any danger – we might fear everything going wrong, get a sense of impending doom or worry that everything is going to fall apart because the brain is trying to keep us safe,” says McMahon.

“It’s like: ‘Hey, imagine this worst-case scenario and now you won’t risk finding out if it’ll happen and we can stay safe’ or ‘Remember when everything did go wrong? It could happen again so we’ll hold onto that just in case so I can keep you safe.’ The brain is doing its job, but the person is likely feeling deep discomfort and fear, and that’s enough to stop us from doing anything.”

Dr Ben-Ari agrees, adding: “Our defensive reaction to pain is a complex and layered psychological response, rooted in our early attachment style, childhood experiences, past trauma, historical family trauma and our own genetic and temperamental make-up. It’s a combination of nature and nurture or nature and conditioning.” 

“While our society often overuses the word ‘trauma,’ the DSM-5 [The Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders, fifth edition] provides a specific definition,” says Dr Ben-Ari, noting that trauma is defined as exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violence in one or more of the following ways:

• Directly experiencing the traumatic event(s).
• Witnessing the traumatic event(s) in person.
• Learning that the traumatic event(s) occurred to a close family member or close friend. In cases of actual or threatened death of a family member or friend, the event(s) must have been violent or accidental.
• Experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the traumatic event(s) (eg first responders collecting human remains; police officers repeatedly exposed to details of child abuse).

“The DSM-5 emphasises that exposure to traumatic events can result in a wide range of short- or long-term symptoms that may vary in severity,” she concludes. “These symptoms can include intrusive memories, nightmares, avoidance of reminders of the trauma, negative changes in mood or cognition and heightened arousal or reactivity. Trauma-related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are diagnosed when these symptoms cause significant distress or impairment in functioning.”

McMahon agrees, noting that “these symptoms don’t always look like what we see on the TV or in films. For example having flashbacks or nightmares.

“People can develop ways of coping, managing or masking their symptoms, so just because someone isn’t telling you about their intense feelings – or even fully aware themselves – it doesn’t mean they aren’t experiencing significant distress,” she says.

“From the definition of doom attacks from Dr Glenn Patrick Doyle – catastrophising and the sense of impending doom – there are similarities where thoughts of doom are coupled with physical symptoms of stress such as racing heart, sweating or shortness of breath,” says McMahon.

“While these are very similar to the symptoms of panic attacks, they are likely to pass fairly quickly in contrast. Remember: during a panic attack, a person can feel so overwhelmed with fear and anxiety that they genuinely feel like they are dying. The symptoms can be so strong that they don’t feel like they will pass. In contrast, a doom attack – or an overwhelming sense of doom – is linked to thoughts, feelings and sensations that something bad is going to happen, which might leave someone with similar but brief symptoms or a feeling of being stuck or paralysed. This sensation will seem to fade or be calmed easily in the moment.”

She adds that, while this sense of doom can be a precursor of an anxiety or panic attack, it “could escalate further, or even be a sign of a medical emergency so it should be taken somewhat seriously”. 

“There are no magic wands here,” says Dr Ben-Ari, “so one needs to engage in the work of self-inquiry with a trauma-informed therapist.”

“Some may find ways to express their inner pain through art, creativity, mindfulness, or journaling for regulation and soothing,” she adds. “However, for deeper transformation of inner unconscious beliefs and messages, therapy is recommended.”

Get to the root cause of these feelings and seek professional support to do so.

“Social media is great for raising awareness and highlighting feelings or issues that people haven’t yet been able to articulate,” says McMahon, “but it should all be taken with a pinch of salt as it is not a reliable source of information.”

If you do, however, resonate with the idea of doom attacks, McMahon goes on to add that “it could be linked to a mental health condition such as anxiety, depression or PTSD.

“It is important to seek help and understand what is causing the symptoms you are experiencing in order to manage them effectively.”

Frame Of Mind is Stylist’s home for all things mental health and the mind. From expert advice on the small changes you can make to improve your wellbeing to first-person essays and features on topics ranging from autism to antidepressants, we’ll be exploring mental health in all its forms. You can check out the series home page to get started.

Images: Getty