Overcoming anxiety disorder and panic attacks
Friday, January 15th, 2010Panic attacks are a symptom of Panic Disorder, which is a form of anxiety disorder. It is distinct from other forms such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder. However, the people who experience them often have other anxiety disorders as well, and the experience of panic attacks may even lead to generalized anxiety that manifests in other ways. Therefore, the best treatment for panic attacks may not be very different from the treatment of other anxiety disorders.
A panic attack is a sudden, unexpected experience of strong fear that occurs when there’s no objective reason to be afraid. In addition to the sense of terror, people often feel heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath or other physical symptoms. This sometimes leads patients having their first panic attack to believe that they are suffering from some other serious illness, such as a heart attack.
There are many effective treatments for anxiety disorders and panic attacks, and a health professional can help choose the one that is best for each patient. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has been shown to cure panic attacks in some patients. There are also those who benefit from medication. Additionally, support groups and stress relief techniques such as meditations can be helpful in the process of learning how to cope with panic attacks.
