Treatment aims to help you overcome irrational fears and live more independently. Goals include:
- Reducing the number and severity of panic attacks
- Learning to manage panic attacks that do occur
Treatments may include:
This therapy combines:
- Cognitive therapy to change troublesome thought patterns
- Behavioral therapy to help learn how you can alter your actions
This therapy helps you learn to:
- Identify and change anxious thoughts
- Use relaxation techniques to decrease feelings of anxiety
- Control breathing by taking slower, deeper breaths
- Cope with physical changes associated with anxiety
- Confront feared situations
Commonly used drugs include:
- Antidepressants
-
Benzodiazepines or other anti-anxiety medicines
- Benzodiazepines may cause dependence. This means that withdrawal symptoms occur once the medication is stopped.