When somebody uses the term “having a panic attack” in jest, the reaction is usually one of amusement from those in receipt of the comment. The reality is though, over 30 per cent of people will have an attack at some stage of their lives but it’s those who suffer from it on a daily basis, the chronic sufferers, who would find such a comment less than amusing.
You see, for a chronic sufferer, living in fear of an attack has repercussions such as social withdrawal and loss of control and for these people, it’s a daily grind living from one episode to another.
Panic Attack MedicationMedications are available for people suffering from panic disorder. The question is, are these medications just a quick fix solution or do they actually help a sufferer eliminate it from their lives entirely? Medication for panic attack comes in different forms from what are known as Beta blockers to antidepressants.
Beta blockers are a class of drug designed to relieve heavy work load on the heart and control high blood pressure. What has this got to do with panic attack? Well, one of the frightening symptoms of an attack is the pounding heart. It’s such a scary experience that those who have experienced it often confuse it with having a heart attack. They are useful in their application but again, treat the symptom rather than the underlying problem.
Depression is a result of constant episodes of panic disorder and antidepressants are effective in treating it. For chronic sufferers, drugs with a tranquilizing effect known as Benzodiazepines also have proven effective in reducing the symptoms of panic attack.
The above medication has it’s place amongst the list of panic attack treatments however, while patients report being able to control and reduce the incidence of attack while using them, relapses are possible if the drugs are discontinued while in the case of Benzidiazepines, there’s also a risk of dependency.
Cognitive Behavioral TherapyMedications are considered a fix for the symptoms of panic disorder however, getting to the cause of the underlying problem is best achieved through counseling. A popular form of counseling is Cognitive-behavioral therapy and it’s aim is to modify certain thoughts and behavior patterns to control the symptoms.
An example of this type of treatment involves working with a therapist and basically predicting when a panic attack is going to occur. How does this help you? The idea is you will learn of ways to deal or respond to a panic attack which will help eliminate the fear of having another attack. Your therapist will introduce you to effective exercises designed to identify your destructive or fearful thought patterns and alter them. The process can usually be a long and involved one and eventually, when a patient is confident of controlling their attacks, they are introduced to controlled situations or areas where they have experienced or had cause to experience panic attacks in the past. Did You Know?Having an isolated panic attack doesn’t mean a person will develop a panic attack disorder. However, the latter is a factor when a person suffers constant attacks and the best course of action is to seek professional help.
What Will You Do Next?The debate rages on about the effectiveness of medications, not as a fix for symptoms but as a long tern solution. The idea that panic attack may be better tackled by looking for the root cause makes a lot of sense with on going research in this area. The fact is, if you currently suffer from chronic panic disorder then doing nothing is not your best option.
