Panic Attack
Panic disorder is characterized by episodic and unexpected panic attacks that occur unprovoked. A panic attack is a sudden intense feeling of fear often manifested by either psychological or physical conditions like:-
• computations tremor feeling of shortness of breath
• the feeling of choking sudden intense
• the feeling you may die
The cause of panic attacks is unknown, it could be either genetic or environmental and we don’t exactly even know, what the trigger is because remembered in panic disorder the trigger is unknown people can experience as many as several panic attacks a day or may have one or two per year. There’s some difficulty with panic attacks because they’re so unpredictable, people often become fearful of going out into other activities, because they may experience panic attacks that begin to do social isolation, so that can be quite crippling. Even with just a few small attacks, panic attacks should always be evaluated by health care provider such as HIDP because you need to be sure it’s a panic attack. There are many other physical and psychological conditions that mimic panic attacks you have to be sure you know what you’re talking about.
Symptoms of a Panic Attack
- Shaking or trembling
- Feeling that your heart is pounding or racing
- Sweating
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling that you are choking
- Nausea
- Cramping
- Dizziness or weakness
- An out-of-body feeling
- Tingling or numbness in your hands, arms, feet or legs
Panic disorder can be treated with two types which are Medications and Psychotherapy.
Medication
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
• Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).
• Benzodiazepines.
These are some most used medication in the treatment of panic attacks and panic disorder. These are the type of antidepressants which are widely used in the medication of panic attacks. Medication is just used to reduce the symptoms associated with panic order if that’s an issue for you.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is also called talk therapy or counselling. it is considered as the most effective way of treatment for panic attacks. It can help you understand panic attacks and panic disorder and learn how to deal with them.A type of psychotherapy known as cognitive-behavioral therapy that may help you learn through your own experience. Your therapist will help you gradually re-create the symptoms of a panic attack in a safe, repetitive manner. Once the sensations of panic no longer feel dangerous, the attacks begin to resolve. Successful treatment may help you overcome fears of things that you’ve got avoided due to panic attacks. Seeing results from treatment will take time and effort. You may begin to visualize panic attack symptoms reduce within many weeks, and often symptoms decrease gradually or go away within few months.
In fact, both psychotherapy and medications are equally effective there was one study that suggested the two together even more effective than one alone medication typically used are called SSRIs like Paxil or Prozac or Zoloft which are very effective at decreasing the disorder.
Prevention of Panic Attack
In addition to those medical treatments for panic disorder, at HIDP professionals suggest that some lifestyle changes will facilitate a patient to decrease the incidence of panic attacks and anxiety disorder.
- Avoiding substances which contribute the most to panic disorders which include caffeine, smoking, alcohol or recreational medicine.
- Getting enough sleep daily.
- Joining a panic attack support group for those who experience regular panic attacks.
- Taking steps to minimize stress in one’s life, like active yoga, partaking in deep respiratory, or partaking in regular physical activity
Is panic disorder serious?
Panic disorder is real condition, and is potentially disabling. The distress of the panic attack itself can rob a person of their quality of life. The anticipation of the next panic attack can be just as powerful, keeping people from driving their cars or, in extreme cases, even leaving their homes.
How can I stop panic attacks?
Essentially, to stop a panic attack, your body needs to relax, which is fairly obvious. To stop panic attacks your anxiety levels need to come down, and particularly in situations that currently cause anxiety or panic, but it is sometimes a little more complicated than that.
How can I handle a panic attack if I have one?
There is no ‘best way’ to handle panic attacks. Your best approach depends on you, the situation at the time, how you feel and so on. However, generally, for long-term benefit, the best way to handle a panic attack is to stay in the situation until it subsides.