The main aim of any treatment is to reduce the severity and the amount of attacks a patient may suffer. Nowadays, there are two main methods of treatment: therapy and medication. Your doctor may prescribe either of these, or a combination of both, so it’s worth finding out what both entail.

Therapy

Therapies are becoming more and more popular as results are proving extremely good. The most productive therapy for panic attacks seems to be cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) where about 80-85% of patients report an improvement within eight sessions.

In each weekly session, the patient talks to the therapist about how they react during an attack and what they actually think about. Once all negative thoughts and beliefs have been identified, then you both try and replace them with more positive and balanced reactions. That’s the cognitive bit of the therapy; the next part teaches you how to change your behavior so you can cope with any panic attacks in the future. As well as breathing techniques and ways of calming yourself down, it also exposes you to your main fears and shows you they can be overcome. In this way, it’s very like the therapy someone may go to for fear of flying – they are exposed to the sensation of flying and are made to feel it’s not so bad after all.

Medication

There are several types of medicine which may be prescribed for panic attack treatment. The main ones are benzodiazepines, antidepressants and a new type of drug called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). All of these try to block the panic attacks so patients no longer anticipate the arrival of an attack and therefore can more easily overcome their fears.

It may seem strange that antidepressants are used to treat panic attacks as, from their very name, they are associated with patients who suffer from depression but research has shown that they can help prevent panic attacks in almost half of all cases. It must be remembered though, that all this medication is not a long term cure for panic attacks and the side effects as well as the withdrawal symptoms can be quite overwhelming. Take the SSRI’s for example, which incidentally are another type of antidepressant – Prozac probably being the most famous. These have a very good success rate with around 75-80% of patients improving as the level of serotonin is increased in their bodies but the side effects such as nausea, low sex drive, blurred vision etc can be quite grueling and demoralizing. And again these should not be taken for a long period of time, in fact you have to be closely monitored by your doctor to check that everything is O.K. the whole time you take them.

Overall, medication may seem the easier and quicker way out of experiencing panic attacks but it is always worth considering all the options open to you. Therapy could prove to the better long term treatment as it tries to change a patient’s basic approach to panic and it doesn’t have any of the side effects.

Anxiety Disorders

There are five main anxiety disorders and panic plays quite a significant part. Sufferers can experience more than one disorder at the same time:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder is, as the name implies, a constant, generalized anxiety or worry brought on by raised levels of anxiety in a certain part of the brain called the Amygdala which is meant to help the body process and remember emotional reactions. The disorder is usually brought on when life circumstances prove to be constantly stressful, such as divorce or bereavement.

Social Anxiety and Phobias – this is probably the most common category of anxiety disorder. Many people suffer from a fear of interaction with others and experience panic attacks when such a situation occurs.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) happens when a person finds themselves or someone near to them in a potentially life-threatening position e.g. a soldier returning from the theater of war. Again panic attacks play a major part and sometimes a sufferer can become depressed.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is probably the only anxiety disorder that doesn’t usually involve panic yet it is still disrupts a person’s way of life. A sufferer develops an obsession over a person, object or activity (e.g. washing their hands) and they are driven to repeat their behavior even though they know it is not appropriate.

The fifth type is, of course, panic disorder which in itself may be categorized into three types of panic attack: Spontaneous attacks which are random and come about quickly, specific attacks which are habitual, and situational attacks which occur in specific situations.

Some may only experience one attack in their lives. Something that happens out of the blue and has all the terror and anxiety usually associated with panic attacks but then never undergo another one again. Others, however, have repeated episodes and this may then be diagnosed as panic disorder.

Panic disorder is the most treatable of the anxiety disorders but many people go years before they are diagnosed. If not treated it can lead to other serious conditions such as depression, alcoholism or drug abuse as the sufferer feels they are on a downward spiral. About a third of sufferers develop other phobias such as agoraphobia and their quality of life is dramatically reduced. Therefore, it is far better to seek and receive treatment before the problem exponentially escalates out of control.

It is good to remember that if you do experience any of the above, you are not alone and help is readily to hand. Ask for professional help and then start the road to recovery.

Relaxation

A panic attack is an explosion of extreme fear and panic leaving you feeling anxious and tense. Once you have attacks it is quite likely you’ll start to fear the next one coming. This will just start a terrible cycle as tension will build in anticipation of an attack which will possibly cause the next episode. More control can be gained if you practice relaxation methods such as yoga or meditation. Breathing techniques can also help. By using a constant and steady breathing, you can make your breathing rhythm return to normal and thereby, hopefully, help your feeling of panic subside.

Exercise

A little bit of exercise can do you no end of good. Exercise, especially aerobic, releases both endorphins which give you a sense of well-being and serotonin, which is a neurochemical found to be of lower levels in people who suffer from panic attacks – this aids physical and emotional responses.

Avoid Stimulants

Another way to help yourself is to cut out stimulants in your life in general. That means reducing or even cutting out completely things like coffee, alcohol and drugs. You may think that imbibing these helps your symptoms but they don’t – they merely aggravate them. It’s hard to stop using these stimulants especially if you have become addicted to them but the effort will be well rewarded.

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is a way for the body to rejuvenate itself and disruption of this is bound to upset the body’s natural cycle and rhythm. Everyone’s heard about ‘burning the candle at both ends’ and no matter how you look at it, your mind and body both need the rest and relaxation that sleep can bring. Therefore, getting a good night’s sleep by going to bed not too late and getting up at a regular time will give yourself time to balance out and heal.

Positive Focus

People who suffer from panic attacks often have a very good imagination but during an attack this may not be beneficial especially when your imagination magnifies and concentrates on negative thoughts. If you can train your imagination, though, you can turn these negative thoughts and visions to a more positive direction. You can practice thinking about situations which encourage relaxed feelings of well-being such as lying on a beach by a crystal blue sea or drifting lazily along a river with the sun gently warming your face. After a time you will get used to thinking in a more positive way and this can only have a good effect when you have to overcome the effect of a panic attack.

These methods are not a quick or easy way to overcome panic attacks but, with a little practice and perseverance, you’ll find that they really do have an effect.

Is There a Cure?

Everyone who suffers from panic attacks is an individual case and therefore needs individual treatment. A cure which works for one person may not work for someone else. Your first port of call should always be to seek professional help as an expert’s advice will generally show you the way forward. However, learning as much as possible about the illness will give you background knowledge and will show you the possible options open to you.

A professional will prescribe either medication or some sort of therapy.

The most probable types of medication range from benzodiazepines, various types of antidepressants and a new type of drug called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) all of which try to block the panic attacks so patients no longer anticipate the arrival of an attack and therefore can more easily overcome their fears. It must be remembered that these medications, as with most drugs of these kind, are not a long term answer and do have side effects and withdrawal symptoms. So you may feel that you would rather go down the therapy route.

The more prevalent method today (and the one which people are most happy with) is called ‘talking therapy’ which entails, as the name suggests, talking to your therapist about your feelings concerning yourself, other people and the world in general, thus exposing your fears and anxieties. This is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) which can help you change how you think (cognitive) and what you do (behavior). Making these changes can help you feel better as it concentrates on the present rather than on past events. This therapy looks for ways to improve your present state of mind. It addresses problems that the sufferer has most trouble dealing with and breaks them down into smaller, more manageable parts.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the most effective treatments in curing panic attacks with a very high percentage of people reporting that their condition was greatly improved following their sessions. The only downside to this method of treatment is that it is not a quick cure, and you do have to work at it, but this seems to be a small price to pay for a successful method of treatment.

Where Can I Find It?

Your local doctor may be able to refer you to a CBT expert such as a nurse or psychologist and there are organizations that keep a list of accredited therapists e.g. The British or American Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapies. There are also many self-help programs that may be followed on the web and in books – it may, however, be better to follow it with a professional who can motivate and help you during the more difficult parts.

Whatever method of panic cure you choose to follow, you should take comfort in the fact that this illness can be cured and when you seek advice, you’ll soon be on the road to recovery.

It is hard enough when an adult first experiences one, they cannot explain what is happening to them even though they may have thought that they knew about everything life had to throw at them. Now imagine that you have just started High School (or are maybe even younger), you have no prior knowledge or information about the possibility of something called a panic attack and then… BAM…one hits you out of the blue with no prior warning.

What would you do?

Many children who experience such an episode keep quiet thinking they are somehow intrinsically abnormal. Embarrassed, they gradually regress inside themselves, fearing another attack or resort to, and then become addicted to, alcohol or drugs to waylay some of their fears. If left untreated, their whole lives could enter a downward spiral – something which could be avoided if the problem had been identified at the beginning

Identifying Attacks in Children

Children can seem to be absolutely normal on the surface and parents may never even suspect that, in reality, there is an undercurrent of constant anxiety in their lives. It only takes one stressful or traumatic event to make this feeling explode into a panic attack.

Having experienced one episode, it is possible that these attacks could become reoccurring and the repercussions on both the child and the family are, consequently, devastating.

To stop this situation happening, it is important to be sensitive to how your child is feeling.

Common signs of high anxiety in children could manifest themselves as a tendency to cry for no reason or a high recurrence of sleepless nights and nightmares. Obviously, any symptoms normally associated with a panic attack should be noted, such as nausea, trembling, pins and needles in their extremities, a shortness of breath or a fear of going mad.

These physical traits can easily be spotted but behavioral changes can be trickier.

If your child’s behavioral patterns change, there may be some serious underlying problem. Perhaps their grades take a dip at school or you notice that they no longer want to socialize with previous friends. Maybe they are becoming withdrawn from everyone including their own family and have a sudden weight loss through lack of appetite. The underlying common denominators are anxiety, fear, and depression.

One parent I know of had no idea her child was displaying these very symptoms until one day she happened to walk into her son’s bedroom as he was actually suffering a panic attack. With hindsight, it is easy to pinpoint telltale signs but hindsight is too late – it is important to keep alert to your child’s moods and emotions.

How to Treat Panic Attacks in Children

It is always important to keep an open line of communication with your children. This may seem to be stating the obvious but knowing what is happening in their lives can stop problems before they even start to happen. Of course, worry is a part of anyone’s life and it is impossible to keep them wrapped up in cotton wool forever. Therefore, if you suspect or know your child is experiencing panic attacks then it is vital you seek professional help and advice. It may have been a random attack which never happens again and which the child thankfully grows out of or it may develop in panic disorder.

Whatever the situation, an expert can give you advice on your individual case. It is possible they will prescribe medication, therapy or a combination of both. In any case, it is a good idea to learn whatever information you can as background knowledge so you know what options are open to you and you can then make better informed decisions.

Anxiety Attacks Symptoms

An anxiety attack really is one of the most terrifying, confusing and uncontrollable episodes someone can suffer. One second everything is seemingly fine and the next, for no apparent reason, your whole world is falling apart. There are numerous symptoms which can occur during an attack. Physically, you may feel a tightening in the throat and feel unable to breathe properly; your chest may start to hurt as your heart beat races, you may become dizzy as if you are about to faint, you could experience sudden chronic fatigue and have a ‘falling’ sensation as if you are about to drop to the floor even though you aren’t.

While mentally, you experience heightened fears and anxieties – you may feel like you’re dying and are losing control with an impending sense of doom or perhaps you have a constant feeling of being overwhelmed and develop a fear of being seen in public. The list seems practically endless as each person who suffers these attacks will have their own take on their own personal situation.

This is where, perhaps, you can take some control back and help yourself on the road to recovery.

How They Can Lead You To Recovery

An anxiety attack can happen anytime and any place yet once it has happened your body subconsciously remembers it. The next time you’re in the same situation e.g. returning to the same place, maybe a restaurant or an elevator, it is possible you will start to feel anxious and panicky, fearing the same thing will happen again.

Remember knowledge is power. Knowing this is a symptom that happens to you, it is possible to work on this and change your own way of thinking. If you visualize that you cannot cope in this situation then your body will react in the only way it knows how and the fear and anxiety will return. If, however, you train your mind to change those visualizations and think in a positive way instead, it will stop your body responding to the alarms that your mind used to send. If you can waylay anticipatory anxiety fears then you’ve almost won the battle!

Take another example. If you know that you hyperventilate on the run up or during an attack then it is worthwhile practicing some breathing and relaxation techniques. Hyperventilation caused by anxiety makes you change the rate and pattern of breathing which in turn alerts the body to react and again you enter the never ending panic cycle. If you can slow this down, by trying to breathe in a calm and relaxed manner, the resulting excruciating symptoms will be reduced. You may even stop the attack altogether.

So examine the symptoms that happen to you and work out a positive approach to them. It’s not easy by any manner of means but it is something that is worthwhile trying.

It is estimated that people who suffer from daytime attacks are as likely as 50% to also suffer from sleep panic attacks at some point in time. However, in total, less than 10% of panic attacks occur at night. For those that do suffer from them, it can be very difficult to overcome. Not surprisingly they tend to cause a great deal of fear and anguish to sufferers who then dread the whole sleep experience. People will even develop a fear that they might die during the night since they felt symptoms that seemed like a potential heart attack when they had an attack. This fear just continues the cycle of stress and anxiety that is hard to break. Insomnia, sleep apnea, and other sleep-related disorders are often not far away.

Despite what some people might think, there is actually no link between dreams and sleep panic attacks. Problems of this type normally occur during the earlier stages of the sleep cycle, when you are in a deep sleep, rather than the REM stage when dreams naturally happen.

Defining the causes of sleep panic attacks is not straight forward. Several different theories and explanations exist but there is not scientific proof to clearly explain why and when they happen. One possible explanation lies with the potential increase of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream that leads to the body reacting with an increased heart rate and increased breathing levels. This situation is referred to as “false suffocation alarm”.

There are many different factors that could lead to sleep panic attacks. Some of these are relatively obvious such as stress from the previous day or even alcohol/drug issues. There may also be some underlying or less obvious factors involved such as untreated depression or some type of undiagnosed disorder. Generally there will be a “trigger” that induces the attack although it won’t always be clear as to what it was.

Panic attacks and sleep problems are often linked. They form part of a vicious cycle of cause and effect whereby the anxiety caused from one problem will tend to lead straight to the other. People that suffer from sleep disorders are good candidates to suffer from panic attacks. Likewise, panic attack sufferers are also prime candidates for sleep-related problems. The anxiety from one can cause the other. It is hard to break this cycle and clear the mind of all stress and anxiety. It is possible though if you are prepared to investigate and take appropriate action.

Treatment of sleep panic attacks is normally the same as for other anxiety problems. There are relevant medications available as well as various therapy options. Proper treatment should reduce the impact of any symptoms and work towards solving any other issues that have lead to this problem occurring.

A panic attack can be defined as an intense fear or anxiety which quickly builds into a multitude of physical symptoms (including breathing difficulties, sweating, tingling in the hands, heart palpitations, hot flushes etc.). The problem for most people is that it isn’t easy to define what actually caused the attack. This then leads to the problem of how to solve something that you can’t readily define.

There are obviously several different factors that come into play when it comes to assessing panic attacks and anxiety disorder. There can be environmental and biological factors that combine to cause the actual attack but many other elements may also be behind the issues that lead to anxiety problems.

Genetic issues have regularly been researched as a potential cause for panic disorders. A link has now been established that indicates that a person is more likely to suffer panic attacks if their parents had suffered from some type of panic or anxiety disorder. It does not make it certain to happen, it just means that it is statistically more likely to occur.

Brain abnormalities have also been researched as a possible explanation for predisposition to panic attacks. This research focuses on how changes in some brain functions can potentially lead to anxiety issues. The research indicated that panic attacks are more likely to happen when the sufferer is also affected by various types of psychotic conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder or schizophrenia. Research has also indicated that in some cases panic attacks can be linked to psychotic episodes. These types of problems will often trigger or indicate the potential for certain types of panic attacks or anxiety issues.

Studies also confirm that panic attacks are directly linked to everybody’s in-built “fight-or-flight” response. This is basically the way that our bodies and minds react to what it considers to be extremely dangerous situations. It explains changes in our physical state such as the rapid increase in heart rate and the altered breathing pattern. These changes happen without a true cause during an attack, as there is no real danger present, which makes them difficult to explain or solve.

Sometimes panic attacks can be traced back to stress caused from a significant life event although this event need not have occurred in the recent past. An example would be the death of a loved one or major change in life circumstances.

It has been shown that panic issues can be caused by both environmental and biological factors and often it is a combination of both. In most circumstances, panic attacks are completely unexpected for the first time sufferer. Problems arise however as this first attack then creates a situation that automatically creates a major stress component that will predispose someone to another attack. In other words, fear of an attack is the exact type of thing that will cause another attack to occur. It is hard to break this destructive cycle and get back to a life free of anxiety problems. It is certainly possible though and there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel. There are various types of treatments and therapies available to help you overcome panic attacks and live a healthy life going forward.

The information contained herein is not intended as a substitute for obtaining your own medical advice. Remember to always seek help and advice from a medical practitioner. The details contained herein about panic disorder medication are meant to act as a guide so that you will better understand the treatment options and the specific types of medications that are available. Everyone’s individual circumstances and problems are different so make sure that you seek appropriate and personalized treatment.

Medications for panic related disorders can be broken into 3 main categories as follows:

Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRI)
SSRI are basically antidepressants that are often prescribed as a treatment for depression. They include medications such as Zoloft, Paxil, and Prozac. They work by affecting chemicals called neurotransmitters which are really just brain nerves that send messages to each other. Neurotransmitters are released by one nerve and then get taken up by other nerves. Nerves that released them will then “re-uptake” the neurotransmitters which do not get taken up by the other nerves. The SSRI’s work by stopping the re-uptake of serotonin – this then permits more serotonin to be free for uptake by other nerves.

Tricyclic Anti-Depressants (TCA)
This class of treatment was available before SSRI became available and were widely used to treat conditions associated with panic disorders. They include medications such as Norpramin, Tofranil, and Anafranil. Despite being effective as an option to treat panic attacks, the usage of TCA’s has been reduced as SSRI’s have generally shown to be more effective and safe. TCA’s are still a viable treatment option for specific people although they need to be carefully reviewed and monitored.

Benzodiazepine
Another medication used to treat panic disorders is known as the benzodiazepine drug group. This group of medications include  Ativan, Xanax, Klonopin and Valium. This type of drug has proven to be effective in lowering anxiety levels and associated issues. They may be prescribed more as a one-off solution for direct symptom relief rather than SSRI’s that are likely to be taken on a regular basis.

It is important to remember that nearly all medications have the potential to produce side effects. In most cases these side effects are likely to be very minor although occasionally they can be extremely serious in certain situations or with certain medications. As such, it is vital that you are aware of any risks that might apply to you so make sure that you discuss this with your doctor to ensure that you receive the right treatment for your specific circumstances. Also make sure that you take any medication in the manner prescribed by your doctor.

Also keep in mind that medications are not necessarily an immediate solution. You should expect that it may take at least a few weeks before you notice any significant changes and that you may need to take the medication for a prolonged period of at least a year. Stay in touch with your doctor on a regular basis so that you can monitor and adjust things if needed.

Panic disorder medications are a legitimate treatment option for people looking to cure or alleviate  panic attacks. Make an effort to understand the different medications and how they might relate to your circumstances. Think of them as a tool that can help but not necessarily solve your panic related issues.

There does not always need to be a clear or obvious reason for the sudden onset of panic attacks symptoms. Everyone is likely to have a slightly different experience but it is common for people to suffer from some of the following:

• Pain in the chest region
• Heart that feels like it is racing or pounding
• Intense feeling of fear and loss of control
• Shortness of breath or related chest problems
• Tingling or numbness (particularly in the hands)
• Chills or hot flashes
• General feeling of being in a dream state

One of the biggest problems for people that have had a panic attack is that they are then scared of having another one. It is certainly likely that someone who has suffered an episode is likely to have another one at some time. This fear alone is enough to help create a situation where another attack could occur. It can also lead to people being worried about certain situations or specific locations and making sure that they avoid them at all costs.

Unlike other forms of anxiety, panic attacks can occur very quickly and unpredictably. On most occasions it will even seem like there is no real reason or cause that started them. After suffering an initial episode, sufferers will often find that the problems are really a symptom of an anxiety disorder. This can certainly apply once episodes start to reoccur. Treatment is required to ensure that a person is not completely disabled by the disorder. This is a serious medical condition and needs to be treated accordingly. Keep in mind that nearly 2% of adult Americans are likely to suffer some type of panic attack issue at some stage of their life. So you are certainly not alone.

Unfortunately, some people also suffer from a problem normally referred to as sleep or nocturnal panic attacks. Obviously this condition relates to people suffering an episode during the night or,  more particularly, whilst asleep. People can sometimes find themselves suddenly awake and in a panicked state for no obvious reason. These types of attacks don’t normally last as long as other types of panic attacks although it still brings with it the same trauma and distress.

Suffering a panic attack is a very stressful and difficult time. It is often made worse by not understanding what has happened and how it happened. Initial reactions are often based around fear of heart problems since the symptoms seem so similar at the time. People will exhibit slightly different symptoms or have different responses after they have suffered an attack. However, the base emotion always comes back to fear. Fear of the unknown and fear of suffering another attack. Acknowledge the problem and then move forward with trying to address it.