Panic attacks can happen to just about anybody and since there is no way of knowing exactly when these attacks are going to occur, the best defense is knowing effective methods of treatment.
If you are new to this particular condition, you should know that not every panic attacks treatment works, so it is necessary to explore a number of options.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy This particular approach is considered by many psychologists and patients alike as the most effective in combating panic attacks as well as their effects on a person's life as a whole.
This type of therapy focuses on individual triggers and stimuli that cause and/or sustain the attack.
The therapist would walk the patient through different scenarios and guide them in getting through the situation by pointing out possible results which are not at all scary or threatening.
A very simple example of a given scenario is going to a grocery store.
Some patients with slight or severe agoraphobia are at a high risk of feeling threatened around other people, especially since there is constant movement around them.
The therapist then portrays a scenario in which the patient will successfully finish their grocery run without any incident.
Each session does not necessarily promise a breakthrough but it does teach the patient how to adjust to different situations.
Exposure Therapy This panic attacks treatment is one that uses actual stimuli in order to elicit the feeling of dread and fear from the patient.
What this approach intends to accomplish is to increase the patient's control over less than desirable situations in order that they can overcome panic even at its worst.
Some of the most common exercises used are holding your breath, hyperventilating, and staying in an enclosed space for a few minutes.
Using a safe and controlled environment allows the therapist to show the patient that there are many ways of overcoming panic regardless of the situation at hand.
Pharmacological Aid While it is not considered an actual panic attacks treatment, the use of prescription medication is often part of the treatment.
The use of medications such as antidepressants as well as anti-anxiety pills is determined by a psychologist who is familiar with the patient's history and progress.
It is important to remember that taking drugs is only a supplementary part of the treatment.
It is not advisable to keep taking medication without going to therapy since it is not enough to just take drugs without dealing with the root cause of the attacks.
The best way to approach panic disorders is by teaching the patient how to cope with unique situations to make them less threatening.