Stop Panic Attacks

You Can Stop Panic Attacks

Do you suffer from panic attacks from time to time? If you have ever experienced a panic attack, you definitely aren't alone. Over four million people living in the United States today have suffered from at least one panic attack at some stage in their lives.
A panic attack should not be confused with the general feeling of anxiety or stress that most people experience on a regular basis. A panic attack feels infinitely worse than a general feeling of anxiety.

When a person experiences a panic attack they are overwhelmed by a sense of fear and terror. Symptoms of a panic attack can include feeling as though you are unable to breathe, an accelerated heart beat, sweating, trembling, giddiness and nausea. During a severe panic attack you may even fear that you are about to die.

Anybody who has experienced a panic attack knows that it is a truly horrendous experience. The good news is that with medication and therapy you can stop panic attacks.

Getting The Right Medication

If you would like to know how to stop having panic attacks you should first consult your doctor. He or she will start by prescribing medication to help you deal with the physical symptoms of your panic attacks. Beta blockers, for example, can help with the heart palpitations and you could also ask about medication that will reduce the anxiety you feel during an attack. Although medication can reduce many of the unpleasant symptoms you feel, it cannot stop panic attacks altogether. To stop panic attacks once and for all you need to address the root cause of your problem, and that requires psychotherapy sessions. Therefore your doctor will probably refer you to a psychotherapist.

Overcoming Your Fear

Psychotherapists rely on one of two types of therapy in order to help their patients stop having panic attacks. Some psychotherapists use cognitive therapy in order to help sufferers identify what causes the panic attacks. The second step with cognitive therapy is for patients to learn how to change their reaction to the things that generally trigger the panic attacks.

psychotherapists rely on behavioral therapy to stop panic attacks in their patients. With the behavioral approach patients learn how to take specific actions during an attack in the endeavor to stop it. For example, breathing into a paper bag can stop a panic attack sufferer from hyperventilating.

Unfortunately there is no magical cure that can stop panic attacks overnight. As with most things, stopping panic attacks requires time and effort.