Treatment Of Anxiety Attack Should Never Be Neglected

The terms “anxiety attack” and “panic attack” are often used interchangeably. However, the two terms denote two entirely different ailments and require two entirely different types of treatments.  Therefore one should be clear in mind whether he or she is a victim of anxiety attack or panic attack from the very beginning.

Anxiety is an uncomfortable feeling of fear, uneasiness or concern that something bad may happen. Anxiety attacks may cause physical symptoms such as:
    Trembling
    Shaking
    Muscle aches
    Restlessness
    Insomnia
    Rapid heartbeat
    Sweating
    Clammy hands
Panic attacks too show such symptoms. They are in fact; sudden, discrete period of intense anxiety. The main differences between the two are as follows:
    While anxiety attack comes in reaction to a stressor, panic attack may start without any apparent cause. That is there is no stressor involved in panic attack. It comes unprovoked, out of blue and all of a sudden.
    Anxiety attacks take place because you are worried about something in your life. Panic attacks take place because you are worried about your body or your mind.
     Anxiety attacks go away as soon as the stressor vanishes.
    The panic attacks may last for longer period of time. It builds up within ten minutes and may last for half an hour. Some attacks may however last for about fifteen seconds only, During the attack, the victim is seized with terror and feels that he or she is going to die or may have heart attack or become mad. The victim also experiences a host of other physical symptoms, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness and nausea. More over he or she is perpetually afraid of another such attack taking place.

Anxiety attack treatment is more or less same as panic attack treatment. Yet there is significant difference in approach. In both the cases the treatment involves medication along with cognitive-behavioral-therapy, which tries to change certain thoughts and behavior of the victim through counseling. It identifies and challenges the negative irrational belief that triggers the anxiety or panic attacks. Researches have also shown how alternative treatments such as yoga, muscle relaxing treatments and life style changes help.

However it is  essential to see a doctor if symptoms mentioned above appear frequently as only a qualified medical practitioner can make acute diagnosis and can prescribe medicines. We often do not want to see a doctor in such cases; sometimes out of embarrassment and sometimes out of superstitions. But this type of attitude should not be encouraged by the family or friends because only a correct and scientific treatment can restore normal life to the patient.

Treatment of anxiety attack is very complicated as diagnosis of the disease itself is very difficult. The symptoms of anxiety attack and of panic disorder are very similar to the symptoms of many physical and psychological diseases. So in order to make correct diagnosis, other physical ailments must be ruled out first. For that the patient has to under go a thorough medical check up. If no physical ailment is found, the patient should go to see a psychoanalyst, who should now rule out any other psychological ailment. Once all other ailments, physical or psychological, are ruled out, the patient should be referred to a psychiatrist with acronym MD or DO. Only such doctors are allowed to prescribe medicines, if they are required. Counseling and therapy are of course indispensable part of the treatment.

Panic disorder medications including benzodiazepines and antidepressants are used in the anxiety attack treatments as the two disorders are closely related. One does not have to be depressed to take antidepressant. These medicines do wonder on patients of anxiety or panic disorder.  But if somebody has panic attacks then antidepressants should be introduced at very low doses initially, as otherwise they can increase the rate of panic attacks. This is because the patients of panic attack are very sensitive to their bodies. In contrast the patients of anxiety attacks can be given the normal dose of antidepressant right away. Benzodiazepines are good for both the disorders. But the patients of anxiety attack are more likely to get habituated to the medicine as the anxiety attacks are more frequent.

But it has been seen that medications are more effective when combined with behavioral therapy as such patients who are treated with medications along with therapies are less likely to suffer relapses. Here too there is a difference. When it comes to cognitive behavioral therapy, the most effective technique in case of panic attack will be interoceptive (body) exposure and agoraphobia exposure.  In case of anxiety treatment the effecting technique will be relaxation training and thought restructuring.