Finding the right panic attack treatment is vital if you want to put a stop to it. There are various options available so it helps to know what your options are. Having a panic attack can be a totally overwhelming experience that can drive terror into our hearts. When the attack strikes, it is inevitable that the first impulse it to do anything to get rid of the awful sensation.
I know for myself, and am sure that most of us, in the event of a distressing “ailment” would like to take a miracle pill and heal ourselves. For a headache, take a painkiller and it will soon pass. You know this! But with panic there is no tried and true drug or cure for panic attacks. It is not black and white, just shades of grey.
There are various options for panic attacks treatment so it helps to know what your options are and exactly what to do.
Panic Attack Medication
Doctors prescribe a few different drugs to reduce the impact of the level of anxiety endured during a panic attack. Benzodiazepines are prescribed as anti anxiety treatments. While they are quick acting reducing the intensity of the incident, the down side is they can be addictive in nature and hence have serious consequences.
Beta blockers and anti-depressants are part of the range of possible medications used which in effect mask the real issues and defer the problem. They too have side effects.
Panic Attack Professional Therapy
In the arena of psychology, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is commonly used and looks at how negative thinking, behavior and our responses to various experiences can develop into anxiety or panic attacks.
The premise of CBT is that thoughts and not events determine feelings. Exposure Therapy is the process of exposing us to small amounts of the panic inducing state which has the effect of desensitizing our neurological system to some extent. It acts similarly to a homeopathic remedy.
Panic Attack Food and Supplements
Vitamin B, thiamine, Vitamin B12, and Niacin have a significant role calming us by positively affecting our nervous system.
Appropriate combinations of food groups make a real difference; good combinations: 40% to 45% whole grain, cereal, pasta, wheat, oatmeal, bread (not white), and nutritious brown rice. 30% to 35% greens including asparagus, broccoli, baked potato, peanuts, legumes, oranges and watermelons, and 20% proteins.
Avoid smoking, alcohol, caffeine, and excessive sugar in your diet.
Lifestyle and Exercise
Yoga has the effect of relaxing our bodies by releasing hormones that have a calming effect. Lifestyle choices including walks in nature, fresh air, breathing exercises, sufficient sleep and eating moderate quantities of food serve to reduce the incidence of our panic attacks.
Activities such as writing and recording our history while looking for links that might help us to identify some of the causes of the panic attacks give us new perspectives as we map our journey. From greater understanding of who we are and what impacts us, comes the ability to manage our emotional worlds better and hence reduce the incidence of panic attacks.
Taking time out to play and have fun and laugh brings us into better relationship to ourselves and hence the propensity for balance and self care which induces a more calming state.
In the end you need a tried and tested panic attack treatment program that has been reviewed by doctors and psychologists who have credibility to review a program of this nature.