How to treat a panic attack

Panic attack is a sensation of fear and restlessness that usually happens suddenly and without any previous announcement. The described symptoms are dizziness, fatigue and short breaths. But, the most disturbing symptom is heavy pounding of the heart or any other disorder in its work.

Also, the people who suffer from heart-related diseases are more likely to develop this condition, although the main cause is not yet scientifically proven. But there are some triggers that can lead to panic attack, and those are hypoglycaemia, the prolapsed mitral valve, hyperthyroidism, the use of drugs, and the similar underlying conditions.

When it comes to the treatment, it can include the medications (such as antidepressants and the anti-anxiety drugs), but only as the following solution. However, the real help lies in the self-help treatment, or in the help of a doctor and the psychological therapy.

As far as the self-help treatment is concerned, it should be pointed out that it is not easy to deal with the attack of panic in the moment of happening. Certain substances that are prone to develop some kind of the response in the organism which leads to the feeling of panic are: caffeine, nicotine and the drugs which contain the stimulants.

Also, the feeling of knowing that the attack is happening will also disturb the affected person even more. Because of that, the most important thing is to realize that having a panic attack is simply one’s disorder and that it is going to end. Very beneficial in this moment is to achieve the technique of the proper breathing, because the most terrifying sensation is the one not having enough space in the chest for air. Those relaxation and deep breathing methods can be learned in the yoga trainings, for example.

The most successful therapy for this problem is the cognitive behavioural therapy, because it focuses on the realistic approach of the behaviour of the patients and forces them to learn that there wouldn’t be some severe consequences of the panic attack.

Another very popular therapy is the exposure therapy, which says name , actually imitates certain panic attack by provoking it with the same circumstances, but in some safe and peaceful environment. This is done so that the patient could associate its repetitive attacks with something safe and thus he or she would calm down more easily when they occur. It, in fact, gradually teaches the patient how to deal with the fear which is the essence of the panic attacks.