Panic Attacks – Coping With Anxiety And Other Treatments

Modern living comes at a price – along with its stresses are its fears.  For some, it is the fear of losing one’s job, which leads to fears of losing one’s home, credibility, income and basic needs.  For others, it is the fear of losing a loved one either through sickness or divorce and then for some others, it is the fear of death.
All these fears affect each of us differently.  Some may be able to sufficiently pooh-pooh these thoughts away or treat them as a fact of life in a matter-of-fact way.  Others may prefer to ignore such thoughts and use the “cross the bridge when we come to it” philosophy.  There will be portion of us who will, unfortunately, not be as skilled in managing these notions.  It is this portion who will be the most susceptible to panic attacks.
Here are some common symptoms of panic attacks:
-    An accelerated heart rate
-    Quick, shallow breathing
-    Choking-like gasps of breath almost showing signs of suffocation
-    Trembling
-    Feeling faint or dizzy
-    Perspiration or hot flushes.  Alternatively, some sufferers feel chilly during an attack.
-    Disorientation – temporary loss of reality leading to a feeling of going crazy or losing their mind.
More other more serious symptoms may include some numbness in limbs and nausea. Very acute sufferers may even show signs of temporary mental illness such as sudden fits of rage or insanity.  These can be frightening to both the sufferer (who feels totally out of control of their emotions at such times) and their spectators.
Panic attacks are always connected to some kind of anxiety disorder or psychological disturbance.  By themselves, panic attacks are not dangerous and rarely fatal.  It is what they lead people to do that is dangerous and sometimes, fatal to both the one having the attack and the ones around them.  It is, therefore, essential that panic attack sufferers consult a physician regarding their medical condition.  The faster they learn of ways of coping with anxiety or fears that are the cause of such attacks, the better for them.
As panic attacks stem from some deep-rooted psychological trauma, coping with anxiety is a very big part of treatment.  Sometimes, realizing, understanding and accepting the root of such anxiety may be enough to control forthcoming panic attacks.  Usually, however, no panic attack treatment is as straightforward and will require a mid to long-term commitment to its cure.
One of the most popular non-prescriptive methods of panic attack treatment is the deep breathing technique.  This requires the sufferers to practice and master the skill of deep breathing.  In a nutshell, sufferers are taught how to breathe correctly through the nostrils into the diaphragm and abdomen, then to exhale slowly through the mouth.  This helps in ensuring sufficient oxygen intake into the brain, which encourages proper brain activity and encourage more rational thought.
Deep breathing is usually accompanied by some kind of mantra.  Positive mantras such as “I am in control on my fear, my fear is not in control of me” are usually used.  When repeated continuously, such mantras help in diminishing the fear until it is gone.  This approach can take anywhere from ten minutes to half an hour depending on how serious the attack is and how long (as in how many months or years) the sufferer has been suffering it.
Other than these, panic attacks can also be treated with prescribed medication.  Although these are effective, they are usually resorted to only if non-prescriptive methods have failed.  Panic attack medication is not the first option usually because of their ability to make us addicted.  Just like painkillers, these drugs help us to maintain the illusion of control over panic discomforts.  Such feel-good emotions may be but temporary solutions for more critical sufferers.  Physical dependence on these pills is not a solution to coping with anxiety disorders that are more serious and deep-rooted.
However, should panic attack medication be resorted to, anti-depressants are preferred as they are less prone to lead to reliance.  Anti-depressants have also been seen to be highly effective for reducing occurrences of panic attacks at the initial period of treatment, which many medical practitioners hope will end any further need for additional medication.