Self Help Has a Major Role in Treatment of Panic

Anxiety disorder, as a whole, is the most common of all the mental disorder. Out of all the anxiety disorders, the social phobia is the most common disorder, followed by post traumatic stress disorder and panic disorder. Interestingly, panic disorder is more prevalent among women than in men. It is said that twice as many women suffer from panic disorder than men. Possibly this has propped up the idea that panic disorder is actually a character flaw, those who have panic disorder are weak natured. “Pull up yourself”, they are often told. Such remarks show nothing but ignorance on the part of general public.

The exact causes of panic attacks are not known. It is, however, seen that tendency to have panic attack runs in families. There also seems to be a connection between major life transitions like entering the job market or getting married or having a baby. Losses like death of a loved one, divorce or loss of job also trigger panic attacks. But most of the time, a true panic attack does not have any apparent reason. It comes out of blue, builds up within ten minutes and subsides within thirty minutes. It is more like a hurricane which coming out of nowhere wrecks havoc before passing away.

Panic attack can be terrifying. But it is never life threatening. You may think you are going to die, but you will not. You are neither going to die nor have heart attack nor faint. You must remind yourself again and again whatever may be the symptom, you are suffering from just a bout of panic attack and you are going to survive. In fact self help has a major role to play while you are undergoing treatment for panic under some eminent doctor. Yes, you must see a doctor. Many patients refuse to see a doctor because they feel embarrassed. Some others refuse to go because of ignorance. They think nerve medicines will do them more harm than good. This is not true. Anxiety attack medicines such as benzodiazepines and antidepressants do help a victim of panic disorder lead a normal life if taken under the guidance of a qualified doctor. A psychiatrist with acronym MD or DO is the right person to see if you think you may be suffering from panic disorder.

It is true that benzodiazepines are sometimes habit forming and may lead to addiction. It should not be taken without proper medical advice. In fact no medicine should be taken without doctor’s advice. In general benzodiazepines should not be taken regularly to avoid drug dependence. These are actually fast acting drugs which stops panic attack symptoms immediately. Antidepressants also help in panic control and should be taken according to doctor’s advice, irrespective of the fact that the patient may not be depressed at all. These drugs have other functions too.

A patient of panic disorder needs therapy along with medicines. In fact it has been seen that such disorder often go away only through talk therapy and some panic disorder self help techniques. A special mention can be made of cognitive-behavioral-therapy, which focuses on modifying certain thought and behavioral pattern to control the symptoms of a disorder. Besides yoga, exercises and some lifestyle changes help to combat panic disorder.

Many experienced sufferers treat panic attack with the following techniques:-
    It is important to accept that one has panic attack and this can be controlled if one wishes to do so.
    Breathing slowly through the nose using the diaphragm or the abdomen is a good technique. Do not breathe through mouth. Focus on breathing out slowly. This will correct the imbalance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood stream.
    One should consciously try to stay in the present. Rather than asking oneself what if, he should try to concentrate on what is happening now and how to cope with it.
    One should also learn to float with the symptoms rather than fight with them. Your goal should be to manage panic, not eliminate it altogether.
    You can do some exercises on the onslaught of the attack. These exercises will definitely help you to control the sudden panic, which is being built inside you:-
    You can run on the spot for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
    You can run up or down the stairs for the same period of time.
    Moving head from side to side or in a circle for half a minute.
    You should not hesitate to ask for help. There is nothing shameful about it.

The main idea is not to be cowered by the attacks; to learn to face them rationally with the help of those who are knowledgeable about this particular disorder and to lead a normal healthy life. Cheers…