What is the Best Panic Disorder Treatment for You?
Panic disorders are one of the most common types of mental health condition, and most people who suffer from them typically have no other issues than that. They can be a serious impediment to everyday life, however, and the secret is to find the right panic disorder treatment for you.
The most important thing is to understand what a panic disorder actually is. It is basically a sudden and inexplicable fear associated with something like flying or being in a large group of people that causes the sufferer to have a panic attack. The person with such a disorder will do whatever they can to avoid situations that cause panic attacks, often becoming reclusive or finding that the disorder hinders their ability to function in everyday life.
The good news is that they are treatable, and a panic disorder treatment can usually be personalized to your own unique set of circumstances. The hardest part is acknowledging that there is a problem and making yourself go and ask for help from a mental health expert.
The two major forms of panic disorder treatment are cognitive behavioral therapy and medication. It really depends on whether the disorder is chemical or a learned behavior as to which type of treatment is used, but a psychologist or psychiatrist will make that determination.
One of the more interesting cases was of a man who suffered horrible panic attacks at the thought of getting onto an elevator. He would literally tremble, start to sweat, and eventually have to get off of the elevator, and it took him a long while to recover. This was at work, and when he would leave, he would take the stairs down several stories to avoid the elevator.
He finally gathered the courage to go and see a therapist, and she took a cognitive behavioral approach by talking to him about his disorder and explaining to him that his panic attacks were brought on by the perception of danger associated with the elevator. She told him that his fear was very real, but that there was no threat of harm.
She then brought him to an elevator to gradually desensitize him by taking up a few floors at a time, and asking him to rate his level on a scale of 1 to 10. At first, it was around a nine, but as time went by, the therapist taught him breathing and relaxation techniques, and he saw that he was safe, he was able to overcome his problem and even said that he no longer suffered from panic attacks.
There is help out there for people who have these problems, and psychiatrists and psychologists deal with these type of issues on a regular basis. It is really a matter of finding the right panic disorder treatment for you and following through on the treatment.
Author: Shilpa
This author has published 103 articles so far. More info about the author is coming soon.