Panic Attack Treatment

I know you want a good panic attack treatment when a panic attack occurs. It is too bad that panic attacks have become so common in these days. The many stresses of living today have produced lots of severe psychological disorders. It is getting to be harder and harder to ignore them.

What exactly is a panic attack?

It is important for you to know the panic attack symptoms so you will know when you are having one. If you know what is going on it is easier to get the right help when you need it.

The growing number of reported panic attacks has produced many new improvements in the battle to combat panic attacks. Panic attack treatments usually will involve either some sort of therapy or some sort of medication.

Therapy

Two of the common panic attack treatments are psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy. These types of therapy help to minimize a patient’s fearfulness of symptoms. The therapy reassures a patient that the panic will not lead to the terrible events they fear. By that I mean an event like a heart attack.

These types of panic attack treatments can help people to deal with their panic symptoms. The treatments use such simple techniques as muscle and breathing relaxation. You have to think that this kind of panic disorder treatment tends to be a long-term process.

That process takes a lot of time and can be more costly than medication. Some people may think there is some sort of stigma with seeking therapy as a panic attack treatment. I do not think you need to worry about that.

We know that panic attacks return less frequently after psychotherapy than they do with medication. There is less risk of medical side effects. Other treatments such as meditation and relaxation therapy often are used to help a person relax the body and relieve the anxiety.

Medication

The medications that are used most often as a panic attack treatment are those selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs for short. Those are such well-known brands as Prozac, Paxil, Celexa and Zoloft. They generally are considered to be the first line of defense for panic disorders.

Antidepressants, such as Tofranil, often are able to help reduce a person’s anxiety and the frequency and severity of a person’s panic attacks. Anti-anxiety medications, Xanax and Ativan for instance, can be useful for the first stages of a person’s medical treatment.

Medication often is a faster panic attack treatment than therapy. However, there are some disadvantages.

Many of the popular medications can be addictive. A person usually will develop a tolerance after three to four weeks. Then that person will need a higher dose.

Side effects also are a possibility. Those side effects can range from nausea to heightened anxiety. Studies have revealed that panic attacks return about 80% of the time if a person stops taking medication.

The best panic attack treatment is believed to be a combination of these treatments. It is important not to expect to receive a quick fix. The treatments are going to take time. Any progress is going to come in small amounts.

Leave a Reply