Panic Attacks And Treatment
An Overview Of Panic Attacks and Treatments
Panic attacks and treatment can be a complicated matter. There is no one set approach that works perfectly for everyone. Everyone responds differently to the different approaches and what works well for one may not work as well for another person.
The bottom line as far as panic attacks and treatments are concerned however is that the overall goal is about reducing the not only the number of panic attacks that occur but also the severity of the symptoms that are displayed during the panic attacks.
The two most common treatments for panic attacks are psychological therapy and medication.
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However it often ends up that a combination of approaches is adopted and a successful balance between the two found. Your doctor will guide you through the process and discuss with you the different approaches at the appropriate time.
Psychological therapy is commonly the first approach to be tried which generally means trying something called cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). This basically means attempting to change the way you behave and think both prior to and during your panic attacks to either prevent them from occurring or reducing their severity.
This will often mean working through your thoughts and feelings with a therapist on a weekly basis in an attempt to change your thought processes and attitude towards your panic attacks. This type of approach has been now to be extremely effective in many people. Common techniques that are introduced revolve around controlled breathing exercises and visualisation.
Involving yourself in local support groups is also a method advocated strongly by many medical professionals especially whilst pursuing CBT. Support groups can be incredibly reassuring as it proves to yourself that you are not alone in your struggles and that many people are in the same boat as you. Sharing thoughts and feelings is very powerful and shouldn’t be underestimated.
If CBT does not work then medication is the next step along the treatment path. Antidepressants are the usual type of medication prescribed although it normally take somewhere between two and four weeks before the drugs start to take full effect meaning the patient should ensure they stay on the medication long enough before they make a judgement as to the effectiveness or otherwise.
Antidepressants may cause side effects in some people, for example: depression, nausea, dry mouth, low sex drive, loss of appetite, sweating, feeling agitated, headaches, diarrhea or constipation, dizziness, blurred vision, insomnia (being unable to sleep) and abdominal pain.
The first type of drugs usually to be prescribed are:
- selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
- tricyclic antidepressants
Your doctor will prescribe what is deemed the most appropriate medication and will monitor your progress closely, however depression is the most pressing concern for most people on these medications and it really is down to the patient to have the final say on whether they wish to continues taking a particular type of medication or not.
Beta-blockers are the other commonly prescribed medication associated with panic attacks and treatments thereof. These focus on reducing the physical symptoms of panic disorders such as trembling and sweating and once more are commonly used in conjunction with CBT treatments. The panic attack cure that many people have found to be effective from this site is located here and shows how many people are able to quickly, safely and effectively eliminate their panic attacks without medication.