Coping with Panic Attacks is Within Your Reach

Coping with panic attacks is a process that does not happen overnight. It requires the victim to devise a treatment plan that comprises of behaviour modification, relaxation techniques, medications as well as psychotherapies. When the treatments are combined, the victim can then manage his stress well. There are factors that cause stress levels to fluctuate: work commitments, family responsibilities etc. With ever mounting pressure, one becomes prone to panic attacks. Here are a few tips you can heed when coping with panic attacks.

Medications

Benzodiazepines type medicine such as Valium, Xanax and Ativan are prescription drugs meant to help a patient deal with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). They are used as a mean to provide short term relief.

For long term treatment, the patient may be given Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI's) such as Prozac, Paxil or Zoloft. In severe cases, patients may be prescribed anti-seizure drugs. It is important that the patient use these forms of drugs occasionally and only when needed because they can impede the body's natural system of coping with panic attacks.

Therapy and Counselling

Therapy employs different techniques to maximize relaxation and change thinking process and lifestyle. Cognitive therapy focuses on changing the emotions that fuel the root cause of the disorder. It attempts to divert thinking patterns in a positive manner to rationalize and face the patient's base fears.

Psychotherapy helps the patient to understand the causes and the process of the illness so they can better deal with panic attacks. Yoga and meditation help in relaxation and can be good stress reducers Support groups are available to provide group reinforcement from those that have similar issues.

Natural Remedies

Over the centuries, there have been many medicinal herbs used to help one in coping with anxiety. Some of them are offered to the patient in the form of warm tea or tincture. They are known to induce sleep and help one to relax his senses.

* St. John's Wort
* Kava
* Valerian
* Skullcap
* Passionflower
* Ginkgo biloba
* Catnip - yes, catnip tea

Dietary supplements can be geared toward a healthy mental state. Bacopin taken daily helps to ease anxiety. Deficiencies of vitamin B-12 have are known to inhibit uptake of essential neurotransmitters to the brain. Chamomile is an all-star player in the world of stress relief, its properties make it a natural tranquilizer and a substance that blocks the release of stress causing chemicals.

Best of the Rest

There are several methods that have risen in eminence in recent years. These holistic methods help to improve overall health, which is more effective than isolating and treating a symptom at a time. A person under hypnosis is able to shift his attention away from his fears and onto positive and rational thoughts. Exercising helps to enhance one's mood. A person who exercises regularly is also able to sleep better. Exercising also allows one to let out all his pent up emotions.

One other effective technique is the stimulation of endorphins into one's brain. Endorphins are the body's mood enhancers that are released during exercise and sex. Acupuncture techniques focus on helping one to stimulate endorphins as well.