Ways to Treat Panic Attacks

A panic attack is an unexpected gush of great panic. Panic attacks have become so common that it is usual to hear things like calm down; it will get on your nerves from the condoling friends to the patient. You need to treat panic attacks if you have them!

During a panic attack your heart pounds hardly, you cannot breathe normally, you feel faint or dizzy, your stomach gets sick. All in all you feel weird. If these attacks are left untreated, they can lead to dangerous panic disorders and some other problems. They may even force you to leave your normal activities. Therefore, the sooner you get treatment, the better it is. Timely cure of Panic disorders will help in eliminating above mentioned anxieties.

When you are suffering from panic attack, you should know some first aid tips to avoid it.

• When you feel like something is going to depress you, you try to remain calm.
• You should forbid yourself to think about what is bothering you, otherwise you will start to lose control.
• You should think about something which makes you happy or cheers you up. You should think about your family, your loved ones and people who care about you.
• Drinking water may also help you in reducing your level of panic. Washing hands and face with mere water can also prove helpful.
• After that you should consult some physician immediately to help you eliminate this condition.

Panic attacks and panic disorder are treatable. Generally these attacks are treated with cognitive behavioral therapy, medication.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy:

Cognitive behavioral therapy is generally taken as the most successful form of medication for panic disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy main idea is to focus on the behaviors that lead to panic attacks. It helps you fight off your fears in a more natural way and allows you to treat panic attacks.

Exposure Therapy:

In exposure therapy the patient is exposed to the physical sensations of panic in a safely controlled surrounding. This helps patient in learning healthier ways of tolerating and coping. Patient is asked to hyperventilate, shake his head from side to side, or to hold his breath. These exercises are preferred as they cause sensations similar to the signs of panic. These exercises make patient capable of enduring panic attacks.

Another way is to use medicines for this purpose, but medicines are used only in severe cases to reduce fears of the patient.

The medications used for panic attacks and panic disorders include:

Antidepressants: Act against depression and are sometimes used in the treatment of panic attacks and panic disorder. However, you should take these medicines regularly as they show the results after several weeks of intake. Benzodiazepines: Anti-panic drugs that act very rapidly typically within 30 minutes to an hour. However, you should be careful as benzodiazepines are highly addictive so they should be used with caution.

Above are some ways through which you can cope with the panic attacks. It will help you in living a peaceful and healthy life that everybody has the right to live.

Mary Gupto