Medication, talk therapy may help with panic disorders
Dear Doctors: Can you please talk about panic attacks? Each time I have one, I can’t eat, sleep or socialize. The medication I was given has severe side effects. Are there other treatments or other things I can do? Sometimes just my thoughts trigger an attack, and I’m in it for a month with no relief.
Dear Reader: A panic attack is the sudden onset of a wave of anxiety or fear that is so powerful, it causes physical symptoms. Many people find the combination of emotional and physical distress to be so disturbing that it amplifies the attack. The fact that panic attacks occur out of the blue, without a discernible cause or trigger, makes them all the more upsetting.
These episodes often begin with an intense emotional sensation that jolts the person from the natural flow of daily life. For some, it can be a sense of impending doom or great danger. Others have described a profound sense of detachment or isolation.
These are often accompanied by physical symptoms that can include a racing or pounding heartbeat, difficulty breathing, cold sweat, chills, nausea, vertigo, abdominal distress, uncontrolled trembling or chest pain. Some people experiencing a panic attack fear it signals a permanent loss of control. For others, the symptoms are so intense, they believe they are having a heart attack.
Many of us will experience a panic attack once or twice over the course of our lifetimes. But when they occur repeatedly, they fall into a category known as panic disorder. As you described in your letter, living with a panic disorder can be extremely isolating. That makes it important to seek treatment. A physician or a mental health professional will understand the scope of what you are going through and can provide a source of support.
Unfortunately, there is no single treatment for panic disorder. For many people, a combination of medication and talk therapy can be helpful. Certain antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications have been shown to be effective. Some doctors will prescribe a class of drugs known as benzodiazepines, which can help blunt the force of a panic attack in progress.
There is also evidence that the old suggestion of breathing into a paper