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Treatment For Panic Attack: The Basics
By: Davion Wong
People who suffer from panic attacks often experience moments of sudden fear or paranoia that something bad is likely to occur. Those who suffer from extreme panic attacks often require some treatment and support in order to help remove and alleviate these sudden surges of negative emotions. While psychotherapy is an important part of treatment for panic attack, other options exist to help complement it. Treatment for panic attack vary in effectiveness per person because often, panic attacks have no obvious triggers that are common to all those who suffer from it.
While the causes of panic attacks are unknown and are often seen as random, they nonetheless manifested by a general profile of symptoms. This makes it easy to identify and subsequently develop treatment for panic attack, which may include psychotherapy and other therapeutic practices. Some of the most common symptoms are numbness felt in the hands, difficulty in breathing, nausea, dizziness, and chest pains worsened by arrhythmia or palpitations. At times, chills or hot flushes can also be felt during the height of a panic attack.
One such therapeutic practice used as treatment for panic attack is cognitive-behavioral therapy. As implied by the name, it is designed to teach behavioral techniques to the person suffering from panic attacks. Moreover, these methods are used to condition the mind to recognize triggers for panic attacks and condition the thought process so as to minimize a small fear from morphing into a full-blown panic attack. Muscle relaxation and breathing techniques are taught, which will help counter bodily reactions to panic like muscle contractions and palpitations. Reassurance of the absence of tangible threat that justifies panic attacks is also given.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an effective treatment for panic attack and a lot of patients respond positively. Reassurance combined with relaxation methods enable patients to deviate their attention away from their fears and anxieties thereby minimizing and later on, eliminating incidences of panic attacks.
However, there are some patients whose panic attacks border on the extreme. This would require medical intervention in the form of antidepressant medications. These treatments for panic attack, like Tofranil, act to reduce anxiety and the overall feeling of panic. Patients have been responsive to treatment for panic attack in the form of medications because they feel that they are proactively doing something about their illness.
Popular medicines like Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, Celexa, and Paxil act as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, and are often prescribed by doctors. They act as primary medications for the treatment for panic attack not only because of how effective they are, but because their popularity makes them readily available in pharmacies.
Other medications like Ativan, Klonopin, and Xanax are usually prescribed at the beginning of therapy involving medications. Usually using the lowest dose available, treatment usually progresses dosage based on the perceived need and responsiveness of the patient to treatment.
Find out from my health blog how natural treatment for panic attacks can help you to stop your problems in a harmless and yet effective and instant way.
Article Source: http://www.ezarticles.info
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