Experiencing it during life-and-death situations may be perfectly normal, but what if you get panic attacks on a regular basis? For most individuals who frequently have “episodes” of panic attacks, it could be anxiety disorder or panic disorder — something that needs to be addressed. You wouldn’t want to be stuck in an elevator and suffer from a panic attack without knowing how to calm yourself or keep things in control, which is precisely the reason why you need to learn everything about it, including panic disorder treatments.
Understanding Panic Disorder
First, let’s try to define what a panic disorder exactly is. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear. It is accompanied by physical symptoms that may include chest pains, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, and abdominal distress. Perhaps the most important thing you need to know about panic disorder is that it can strike any place at anytime — without any warning whatsoever. Again, you may experience the physical manifestations before and during the panic attack, examples of which are mentioned earlier. Depending on the individual, panic attacks can last anywhere from 15 seconds to a few hours in the worst cases.
What You Need to Know about Panic Disorder Treatments
Now that you already have an idea about the basic information regarding panic attacks, what are the possible panic disorder treatments available? Basically, the entire treatment of this type of disorder can involve medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of both. If you suspect you could have panic disorder, the first thing to do is seek the help of a medical professional. The doctor will conduct a diagnostic evaluation to determine whether the symptoms that you are experiencing are indeed caused by panic disorder, or another type of medical condition.
Deciding Which Panic Disorder Treatment is for You
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So how would you know whether a particular panic disorder treatment is suitable for your situation or not? Remember that there is no one absolute treatment that is 100% proven to work for panic disorders. More often than not, patients who are getting treated for this condition have to undergo several different panic disorder treatments, or a combination of both medication and psychotherapy before finding one that works for them.
Medications usually given for panic disorders are usually antidepressants. Although they are used for treating depression, these medications are also suitable for addressing anxiety disorders.
Take a look at some of the panic disorder treatments usually prescribed to patients:
1. Anti-Anxiety Drugs — these are usually prescribed to be taken for only a short period of time, due to their being harmful for those who have a history of drug dependence.
2. Beta Blockers — used to treat the accompanying physical symptoms that come with anxiety/panic disorder.
3. SSRIs or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors — used to treat panic disorders with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or OCD.
4. Tricyclics — medications that address anxiety disorders other than OCD.
Aside from medications, psychotherapy is also used to treat the most common symptoms associated with panic disorder. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT is the most common form of psychotherapy used to treat panic disorder. Depending on the patient, CBT can be done individually or with a group of patients suffering from the similar condition — and it usually lasts for about 12 weeks.
Although patients suffering from panic disorder do have a say when it comes to the treatment they would like to have, it is still best to follow the expert advice of medical professionals. In most cases, a combination of medication and psychotherapy is the best approach in finally eliminating the symptoms of panic disorder.
At the end of the day, there is absolutely no reason for patients to unnecessarily suffer from panic disorder or go through fear the onset of panic attacks when there are perfectly safe panic disorder treatments such as medications and psychotherapy. By working with a medical expert, you can determine which type of treatment is right for you so you don’t have to live through this emotionally debilitating disorder.
