There is no such thing as the single best treatment for panic attacks. Most successful treatments are achieved by combining a selection of therapies and medications with alternative treatment options, effective self-help strategies and programs and system developed particularly to eliminate anxiety disorders. As of the moment, the following are considered the best options for relieving patients of their anxiety symptoms.
Psychotherapies
Mental health medicine has a spectrum of methods applicable for treatment of panic disorders and panic attacks. At the top of the list are:
CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
This therapy corrects anxious behaviors by first identifying and correcting cognitions or thoughts. As basic as this may sound, CBT actually takes a lot of time to accomplish its objective. Only after the negative cognitions and thinking patterns are identified can the principles of CBT be used. This therapy is often used in combination with exposure therapy.
Exposure Therapy
As the name suggests, this therapy exposes the patient to his object of fear by simulating actual events that cause his anxiety levels to rise. Such exposure can help the patient to confront his fears. The principle behind this therapy is quite simple – constant and repeated exposure can help patients become in control with his feared objects. This then causes the patient to become used to being with his object of fear until he eventually learns to be comfortable around it.
Prescription Medicine
A variety of prescription medications are used as standard options for treatment of panic attacks and other anxiety disorders; this include: SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), SNRIs (Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors), MAOIs (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors), and tricyclic antidepressants. By themselves, anti-anxiety medications work very well in symptom reduction and control, however, these work much better in combination with psychotherapies.
Options From Complementary Medicine
Interest on various complementary and alternative treatment options for anxiety disorders have produced some very promising methods which include the following:
Relaxation Techniques
Relaxation techniques have long been considered as possible treatment options for anxiety disorders. The top options are still those that have been around for, hundreds, if not thousands of years. These include such popular techniques like meditation and yoga. Guided imagery and breathing exercises are also among the relaxation techniques known for their efficiency in preventing symptoms of anxiety.
Exercise
Physical exercises have long been proven to be very effective at getting rid of stress. For as little as 30 minutes per day, exercising can help reduce panic attacks.
Use Of Herbs And Other Natural Anxiety-Eliminating Remedies
Ordinary kitchen items like baking soda, almonds, celery, onions, and orange juice, vegetable oils like sesame oil, corn oil, and flaxseed oil, and herbs like rosemary, lavender, St. John's wort, as well as other popular alternative medicine items like sandalwood, neroli, and bergamot can also be used in treatment of panic attacks and related anxiety disorders.
Any of the abovementioned options could be considered the best treatment for panic attacks. But then again, it takes a great deal of experimentation for the right combination of treatments to be formulation.
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