Treatment Of Panic

Posts Tagged ‘antidepressants’

Mental disorders are collections of symptoms that cause an individual stress, disability and an increased risk of suffering and pain. There are several kinds of mental disorders including anxiety disorders. Panic disorder is one of the anxiety disorders in which a person experiences panic attacks and has persistent concerns about having another. There are several treatment options available for patients with panic disorder and with proper diagnosis it is possible to improve their overall quality of life.

Panic disorder is a disabling condition in which the panic attacks usually occur without a trigger though predisposed attacks, triggered and situation bound attacks can also occur. It is one of the most common forms of anxiety disorders found in as many as 3% of the general population. There are two forms of the disorder, panic disorder with agoraphobia and panic disorder without agoraphobia.

The actual panic attacks are short episodes in which the individual feels intense alarm accompanied by a number of physical and other symptoms. These symptoms start swiftly and peak rapidly. During such an attack four or additional of the stated symptoms can take place. Chest discomfort, chills or hot flashes, choking feelings, de-realization or depersonalization, lightheadedness, fear of dying, fear of loss of control, heart racing, nausea, numbness or tingling sensations, sweating, smothering sensations and or trembling.

The treatment for panic disorder comprises of either medication or therapy or a combination of both. But determining the exact treatment which is the most suitable for the patient is decided between the patient and his clinician. However, in the case of a pregnant woman being diagnosed with panic disorder, psychotherapy should be the first treatment tried in order to avoid any risks to the fetus.

Antidepressants lessen the severity of the attacks and even do away with them on the whole. Some antidepressants such as Sertraline (Zoloft) and Paroxetine (Paxil) are common medicines prescribed for panic disorder. Clonazepam (Klonopin) from the benzodiazepine family of medications are also Food and Drug Administration accepted medications for the management of panic disorder.

However, while research shows that benzodiazepines are as effective as the antidepressants (the SSRIs) in reducing panic symptoms and the frequency of attacks, they may cause depression and are associated with unpleasant effects during use and even after discontinuation.

According to researchers, the psychotherapy component of treatment for panic disorders is at least as or even more important than the medication treatment with the most commonly used therapy being Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). CBT focuses on the negative patterns and distortions in the way people perceive themselves and the world around them. The basic principle of cognitive behavioral therapy is that peoples’ thoughts and not external events affect the way they feel and hence how they react. CBT examines how negative thoughts contribute to anxiety and how people behave and react in situations that trigger anxiety. CBT treatment addresses panic disorder though several techniques such as cognitive restructuring, applied relaxation, breath retaining, panic management even exposure through imagery and exposure in vivo.

Even though panic disorder is a disabling state, it is not considered as a hopeless one. With the correct form of treatment, it enables a patient’s life to be restored to a generally good condition.