Panic Attack Treatment Options

According to statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health, 2.7 percent of American adults suffer from 12-month prevalence of panic disorder. A person suffering from panic disorder gets panic attacks at frequent intervals. Some common symptoms of panic attack include racing heart, sweating, feelings of dying, chest pain and heavy breathing. These panic attacks may last for 10 minutes or more. A person suffering from panic disorder often gets a feeling that he is going to die, even when there is no actual physical danger. So how does one approach panic attack treatment? You have two major options when it comes to panic attack treatment - medication and psychotherapy. In this article, we will take a closer look at both these panic attack treatment options.

Panic Attack Treatment: Your Options

Depending upon the frequency and severity of panic attacks, your doctor may decide any one of the two major panic attack treatment options. In some cases, combination of both panic attack treatment options may be required. Following are the two major types of treatment options for panic attacks and panic disorders.

1. Psychotherapy – Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is perhaps the most effective form of psychotherapy for treating panic attacks. This involves weekly sessions where the psychotherapist discusses with the patient to discover the root cause of panic attacks. Behavioral therapy aims to change the way the sufferer thinks or reacts to a situation. This approach to panic attack treatment usually takes one or two hours per week. According to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), a person suffering from panic attacks needs up to 14 hours of cognitive behavioral therapy in total. In a CBT session, the patient learns how to think differently during a panic attack. This is generally done by telling the patient about the worst that can happen to him or her at the time of an attack. For example, if an attack strikes while you are driving and you park the car by the side of the road, there is no way you can die.

2. Medications – Doctors may also recommend FDA approved anti-anxiety medications or anti-depressants in severe cases. Although use of medications can give you quick relief, it may trigger some unhealthy side-effects. It is advisable that you consult your doctor before using medications for panic disorder treatment.

You should also avoid alcohol and smoking for better results. It is also important to grow healthy living habits such as exercising regularly and taking a balanced diet in order to reduce the ill effects of panic disorder.