The most common treatment options for panic attacks include prescription medication, relaxation techniques, and behavioral therapy.
Some of the most popular medications used to treat panic attacks are sertraline, fluoxetine, paroxetine, or fluvoxamine, which can help relieve isolated occurrences of anxiety and stress. These are often initially prescribed to gauge how well a patient reacts to a medication therapy. Benzodiazepines such as alprazolam and clonazepam are more intense calming agents that are prescribed in more severe cases. All of these treatments must be used under close supervision to avoid dependency and addiction. Panic attacks may also recur with heightened severity if this medication is stopped abruptly. This makes prescription treatments difficult to manage, and they are best utilized with other forms of therapy.
Relaxation techniques, which can be taught to a patient and practiced at home, can also be an effective control of panic attacks. Since these techniques are natural, there are no side effects involved. The weakness in this form of treatment is the fact that it can take a significant amount of time and practice to train your brain to properly utilize them. Patients have a tendency to give up on these methods if they experience any lapse in their effectiveness.
Behavioral therapy is another form of treatment which incorporates psychotherapy and counseling based on the cognitive model of emotional response. The patient is trained to recognize the emotional responses to their inherent thoughts, helping them to better understand the origin of their panic attacks. The therapist subsequently teaches the patient to replace this destructive thinking with proactive and positive reactions which will help counter the sensations brought on with panic attacks.
As diverse as these treatments are, there are still many sufferers of panic attacks who have trouble breaking the cycle of their condition. For those who have failed to find an effective strategy, the Panic Away Method offers an alternative. It is a natural technique that controls panic attacks and eliminate anxious thoughts. Developed by a former victim of panic attacks, the strategy makes up for some of the inherent flaws found in traditional treatments.
