Psychotherapy is an integral part of the treatment for panic attack. Support is given to the patient to eliminate extreme fearfulness and the feeling of something bad is going to happen. Sometimes, psychotherapy is enough as a treatment for panic attack. However, since the cause of panic attacks in most patients is not clear, treatment varies from person to person. And in some, psychotherapy alone may not be sufficient to eliminate the disorder.
There are treatments for panic attacks aside from psychotherapy that serve as alternatives and complements. These are usually therapeutic procedures applied once a person is found to have a propensity towards panic attacks. While causes of panic attacks and what specific things and situations are identified as definite triggers, there are some symptoms that help signal a panic attack. Indicators include hot flushes or chills accompanied by chest pains, palpitations, numbness of hands, dizziness, breathing difficulties, and nausea.
A possible treatment for panic attack that complements psychotherapy is cognitive-behavioral therapy. Using this treatment, behavior towards dealing with panic is normalized to the point that the mind is conditioned to deal proactively with panic to avoid a panic attack. Techniques that are employed include breathing exercises to help the muscles relax. Aside from trying to control physical manifestations of the beginnings of a panic attack, a patient also undergoes counseling to reassure him or her that fears are unfounded and will not yield to a great harm.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an effective treatment for panic attack and a lot of patients respond positively. Reassurance combined with relaxation methods enable patients to deviate their attention away from their fears and anxieties thereby minimizing and later on, eliminating incidences of panic attacks.
However, there are some patients whose panic attacks border on the extreme. This would require medical intervention in the form of antidepressant medications. These treatments for panic attack, like Tofranil, act to reduce anxiety and the overall feeling of panic. Patients have been responsive to treatment for panic attack in the form of medications because they feel that they are proactively doing something about their illness.
SSRI's or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac, Celexa, Lexapro, Paxil and Zoloft are more frequently prescribed by the doctors for treatment of panic attack. In fact, these medications are referred to as the first line of treatment for panic attack disorders. Therefore, they can be regarded as the most effective and most commonly used mode of treatment for panic disorders.
Other medications like Ativan, Klonopin, and Xanax are usually prescribed at the beginning of therapy involving medications. Usually using the lowest dose available, treatment usually progresses dosage based on the perceived need and responsiveness of the patient to treatment.
Find out from my health blog how natural treatment for panic attacks can help you to stop your problems in a harmless and yet effective and instant way.