If you are one of the millions who suffer from panic disorder, you may need to seek out your treatment options. There are many places where you can go to get help from someone who is well trained in the field and who will be able to help you through whatever you are facing. One place that you can look first is your physician. Your physician will often do a physical exam to be sure that you do not have a medical problem that is causing your panic disorder. For some people, it is just easiest to talk to someone about what is going on.
Medication
If you prefer to try a medicinal way, you can try prescribed medications. The medications used for panic disorder include:
* Antidepressants are sometimes used in the treatment of panic attacks and panic disorder. However, it takes several weeks before they begin to work, so you have to take them continuously, not just during a panic attack.
* Benzodiazepines are anti-anxiety drugs that act very quickly (usually within 30 minutes to an hour). Taking them during a panic attack provides rapid relief of symptoms. However, benzodiazepines are highly addictive and have serious withdrawal symptoms, so they should be used with caution.
Some medications, depending on which ones you choose, can immediately eliminate the symptoms that you are feeling, where as other medications require that you take them every day to see an improvement. When you are taking the medications that require every day consumption, you may still experience attacks, but they will be less frequent and of a lesser duration. Another thing to consider is that you are not supposed to treat panic attacks with just medication. A lot of medications are not intended for long term use and can have drastic side effects. Something to be aware of is that some panic attack medications are addictive, so when choosing which is best for you, know that there are possibilities of you getting addicted.
You should always have a back-up plan when taking medications for panic disorder. Some back-up plans include psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy and relaxation therapy. When looking at each one individually and as a group you may notice they have many differences.
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Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is primarily used to help people experiencing panic attacks know what is causing their anxiety. Psychotherapy also helps you to know what you can do to treat the issue at hand, or how to deal with it.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on the thinking patterns and behaviors that are sustaining or triggering the panic attacks. It helps you look at your fears in a more realistic light. For example, if you had a panic attack while driving, what is the worst thing that would really happen? While you might have to pull over to the side of the road, you are not likely to crash your car or have a heart attack. Once your learn that nothing truly disastrous is going to happen, the experience of panic becomes less terrifying.
Exposure therapy
In exposure therapy for panic disorder, you are exposed to the physical sensations of panic in a safe and controlled environment, giving you the opportunity to learn healthier ways of coping. You may be asked to hyperventilate, shake your head from side to side, or hold your breath. These different exercises cause sensations similar to the symptoms of panic. With each exposure, you become less afraid of these internal bodily sensations and feel a greater sense of control over your panic.
Relaxation therapy.
Relaxation therapy is used to help you release the tension you have built up. It is designed to teach you ways to relax, to in turn, relieve your anxiety. It is supposed to help you overcome your panic attacks more easily than you would have been able to before.
If you do not like the idea of talking to a stranger about your feelings, you can try talking to a friend or family member. While they will not be able to give medical advice, they can give you personal advice based on how they know you and they may be able to help you out a great deal. There is also a more personal option, which is self-hypnosis. Self-hypnosis, also known as NLP (neuro linguistic programming), is done to help you learn to take control over the situation at hand, and make it easier for you to be able to treat it yourself.
You do not have to just use one system to treat your panic disorder. You can try each one and see what works for you. You might find that it is a balance between all of them, and you may have to incorporate them into your daily life. Whichever method you chose, if it doesn’t work, you can always try another one.
