What is the Best Treatment for Panic Attacks

Many people are looking for a solution to panic attacks. In some cases, they believe they have tried everything and wonder if a cure exists. They feel let down by the medical profession who prescribe symptom masking drugs, or useless psychiatric therapies. A different approach is needed.

What is the cause of panic attacks? A chemical imbalance, say those who have drug treatments to sell. There is no recognized way to test for this imbalance, so it remains no more than a theory.

Other experts like to blame it on repressed emotions but we probably all have some of those. We don’t all suffer from debilitating panic attacks though.

It could be mental, physical or emotional exhaustion leading to a general state of anxiety, leaving us more sensitive to triggers to could start a panic attack. Then, just a dark thought or odd physical sensation could start the downward ward spiral.

Then the medical profession start to talk about an ‘Anxiety Disorder’, adding the belief that there is something wrong with you that you need to worry about.

Finally, your ‘fight or flight’ response kicks in. This is designed to protect you, preparing you to fight or escape. It gets your adrenaline pumping and primes your blood with oxygen, which leads to some of the strange feelings that precede panic attacks. But this is a perfectly normal response.

It is out of your control, but why do you need to control it? You are able to breathe without having to think about it. Everything is fine but it doesn’t feel like that. You have the urge to fight this feeling, but fighting it only makes it seem worse.

In trying to end your panic attacks by fighting them, you are trying to control what can’t be controlled and giving energy to it. But there is no need to control it. As terrible as it feels, it can’t hurt you, any more than your blood pumping in your veins can hurt you. In normal circumstances, once the perceived danger is past, a second automatic system kicks in to restore everything to normal. It is just a question of waiting for that to happen.

Preventing panic attacks requires a new attitude to the onset of these feelings. Then you must take steps to reduce your general anxiety level. Lastly, the change must be made permanent. Setbacks are normal and part of the healing process. You can end your panic attacks by following some simple techniques.

Part one of this plan is very surprising. It requires you to embrace your panic attacks and explore them with interest. It is surprising how quickly your fear of them drops away. There is work to do but it is not difficult. Anyone can end their panic attacks.

Tags: Psychology