Remedy:The Benefit Of Panic Attack Medication

While there is a leaning towards getting to the root cause
of a person's constant fear of panic attacks medications
have proven to be an effective relief mechanism for chronic
sufferers.

Are medications the answer? Not long term but as a safety
net, they often become relied upon by sufferers. This then
leads to the question of..."do panic disorder sufferers
become dependent or addicted to medications?

In the case of Benzodiazepines, there is a risk of
dependency and they are not really recommended for long
term use. But there effectiveness for immediate relief is
strong.

For long term relief, Tricyclic antidepressants are normally
used but if their effectiveness is retarded in any way, then Benzodiazepines may be the next alternative or used in
conjunction with antidepressants.

Tricyclic antidepressants are effective in reducing the
incidence of re occurring attacks.As with any drugs of the
nature of antidepressants, when weaning off them it should
be done in a gradual manner.

Are there side effects associated with panic attack
medication? This is something you will need to discuss with
your doctor. In the case of Benzodiazepines, side effects
such as fatigue, drowsiness, slurred speech and memory loss
are possible.

So are there alternatives to medications.

Did You Know?

Having an isolated panic attack doesn't mean a person will
develop a panic attack disorder. However, the latter is a
factor when a person suffers constant attacks and the best
course of action is to seek professional help.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Medications are considered a fix for the symptoms of panic
disorder however, getting to the cause of the underlying
problem is best achieved through counselling.

A popular form of counselling is Cognitive-behavioural
therapy and it's aim is to modify certain thoughts and
behavior patterns to control the symptoms.

An example of this type of treatment involves working with a
therapist and basically predicting when a panic attack is
going to occur.

How does this help you? The idea is you will learn of ways
to deal or respond to a panic attack which will help
eliminate the fear of having another attack.

Your therapist will introduce you to effective exercises
designed to identify your destructive or fearful thought
patterns and alter them.

The process can usually be a long and involved one and
eventually, when a patient is confident of controlling
their attacks, they are introduced to controlled situations
or areas where they have experienced or had cause to
experience panic attacks in the past.

What Will You Do Next?

The debate rages on about the effectiveness of medications,
not as a fix for symptoms but as a long tern solution.

The idea that panic attack may be better tackled by looking
for the root cause makes a lot of sense with on going
research in this area.

The fact is, if you currently suffer from chronic panic
disorder then doing nothing is not your best option