Only A Psychiatrist Can Prescribe Medication For Panic Disorder

Anxiety is a normal experience; it is even a beneficial experience under certain circumstances. It gives rise to fight or flight response, so essential for our survival, under dangerous situation.  Sometimes, this very anxiety gives us the necessary push we need to get things done. Therefore, we can safely say that anxiety is not only beneficial under certain conditions, it is also essential for the survival of the human species.

This very anxiety becomes a killer under different circumstances. Sometimes, anxiety becomes so intense that it disables us from leading a normal life. If such disabling anxiety keeps recurring repeatedly, it is termed anxiety attack. Therefore, it can be said that while anxiety is beneficial to most, to some it can become a problem.

. Before we discuss how to treat an anxiety attack, we should know its various types:

1.    Panic disorder

2.    General anxiety disorder

3.    Agoraphobia

4.    Specific phobia

5.    Social phobia

6.    Obsessive-compulsive disorder

7.    Post traumatic disorder

Of all the anxiety attacks, the panic disorder is most prevalent. A National Institute of Mental Health survey reveals that panic disorder affects about 6 million American adults, who are above the age of 18 in any given year. This means that 2.7% of American population needs treatment for panic disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder is another type of anxiety attack that is quite common. Its symptoms are quite similar to that of panic disorder, and need almost the same type of treatment.

The symptoms of anxiety attack can be frightening as well as potentially disabling. If you treat an anxiety attack on the very onset of the attack, you can achieve the symptom reduction and elimination very quickly. There are varieties of professions who can treat an anxiety attack. Some of them are:-

1.    Ideally, a psychiatrist, who is either a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), is the one who can treat an anxiety attack. They are the one who are qualified to prescribe medicines and provide a variety of psychological therapies to anxiety attack patients.

2.    Strictly speaking, psychologists are not doctors. Generally, they are not allowed to prescribe medicines. They can however, give therapies. They are trained to do a variety of psychological testing.

3.    Licensed counselors, therapists and social workers who have at least a master degree in mental health related field can give therapies. They are trained to treat a variety of psychological illness. However, they are not allowed to practice everywhere.

4.    There are non-licensed professional with a masters degree who can treat an anxiety attack patient. However, the insurance companies probably will not pay for unlicensed professional.

However, it is most important to feel comfortable with your therapist because treatment for anxiety attacks or panic disorders mostly consists of therapies. That is not to say that medication has no place in the treatment.

While taking therapies ask yourself:

1.    Do I trust my therapist (or doctor)?

2.    Do I believe that my therapist have enough knowledge about panic disorder (or other anxiety attack)?

3.    Do I feel like I am being heard and understood?

4.    Do I feel that I can easily talk to my therapist him?

5.    Can I contact my therapist if I have an after hour emergency?

If answers to all the questions are yes, you can carry on with your treatment. If the answer is no, even to one such question, it is time that you change your treatment provider.

Most of the time panic disorder needs medication along with therapy. Medication for panic attack can enhance the patient’s motivation and accelerate towards facing panic and all of its repercussions. Panic disorder manifests itself in two stages. The first stage is anticipatory anxiety stage, when all the uncomfortable thoughts and feelings are being built up. The benzodiazepines group of medicines work wonder in this stage. The benzodiazepines are more when-is-necessary type of medicine. It acts quickly and blocks the panic attack in the very beginning.

If taken regularly the benzodiazepines group of medicines show result in one or two weeks. However, these medicines have a short span of actions and symptoms can relapse almost as soon as you stop the medicine. Doctors do not prescribe it for long term because it has the potency to grow drug dependence in the patients.

Another group of medication for panic disorder is anti depressants. Though these medicines are called antidepressants, they have anti anxiety properties as well. Of course, not all antidepressants work well for panic disorder. Antidepressant should be taken regularly to be effective. Doctors often prescribe both antidepressants and benzodiazepines together. However, the benzodiazepines are tapered off after 4 to 8 weeks as longer use may lead to drug abuse.