Panic Attack Treatment

Panic attack is a sudden episode of intense anxiety triggered for no apparent reason. A person can experience a panic attack at any time or at any place. Although people in the age group of 20 to 40 years are more vulnerable to these attacks, panic attacks in children are not uncommon. These unexpected attacks, which are very often disabling, give rise to an unknown fear in the mind of the individuals who experience them, and lead to a serious impact on the their day to day life.

Panic Attack: Causes and Symptoms
The exact causes which trigger panic attacks in an individual are not known. Some attribute it to severe stress, while others feel it's caused due to alterations in brain functioning. Some researches trace the roots of this disorder to genetics as well. The symptoms of panic attack can differ from person to person. Some common symptoms though are nausea, hyperventilation, feeling dizzy, sweating, headache, breathlessness and strange feeling of approaching danger. Panic attack strike without warning and make life of the individuals very miserable, as they constantly live in fear of the next attack. Some individuals try to avoid situations, wherein they experienced the last panic attack, and eventually develop agoraphobia and avoid leaving home. It is wise to diagnose panic attack disorder from a specialist and initiate proper anxiety and panic attack treatment at the right time. Panic attack treatment is categorized into two groups - medications and psychotherapy.

Panic Attack Treatment: Medications
Medications approved by Food and Drug Administration for panic attack treatment include SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) as well as sedatives such as benzodiazepine. Some of these depression medications include sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil) and clonazepam (Klonopin). Physical symptoms associated with panic attacks can be treated by medications of beta-blocker group, such as propranolol. Though not so common, tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are also used in treating panic attack disorder. SSRIs are preferred over TCAs as they are more tolerant and hence safe. Sometimes these medications can lead to some unusual side-effects, and hence it is important to take these medicines on doctors prescription. The individual who is being administered these medicines should be closely monitored to check if there are any side-effects. Many a times, panic situations, such as heart attacks, are mistaken to be panic attacks. In such a misdiagnoses situation, administering wrong medicine can turn out to be fatal for the patient, and hence should be best avoided.

Panic Attack Treatment: Psychotherapy
A major problem with these antidepressants and sedatives is that the person can get addicted to it on frequent use, and hence psychotherapy is regarded as a better treatment option for panic attacks. Psychotherapy is widely used in tackling the menace of panic attacks. Cognitive behavioral therapy, one of the most popular form of psychotherapy, is a popular choice when it comes to addressing anxiety disorders. It helps the individual suffering from panic attacks to identify the problems associated with the disorder and over come them. Other than cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral techniques, such as relaxation, are also used to help the individual to cope up with panic attacks in environments wherein a panic attack was experienced earlier. Making the individual understand the emotional factors that contribute in developing panic symptoms, also helps the individual in coping up with panic attacks. Studies reveal that psychotherapy or combination of psychotherapy and medications, are much more effective in treating panic attacks than treatment with medications alone.

A combination of psychotherapy and medications yield good results when it comes to panic attack treatment. Using this combination ensures that the condition of the individual improves in relatively less time. Though these panic attack treatments don't boast of totally curing the disorder, proper treatment does reduce the severity and frequency of panic attacks and gives relief to the people with panic attack disorder.