Medicine For Panic Disorder – Meet Again Your Sang-Froid Self

The sudden eruption of acute distressful situation in which sufferers have palpitations in heart, tremble, and sweat excessively, feel dizziness, disassociation and a heart attack like situation is considered panic attack. Severity of such bouts are so chronic that panic attack victims feel as if they are victims of myocardial infarction.

Usually most of the panic disorder patients make up their mind that this disease is solely a mental problem and the attacks are not only severe but interestingly unexpected occurrences which occur without certain cause. As mental diseases are linked with a social taboo many panic attack sufferers keep concealing their conditions to avoid seer “embarrassment.” Effective panic attack cures are available today hence such misconceptions must be suppressed.

The first and foremost cure for this problem is to make friends with a trained, trustworthy psychotherapist. The psychotherapist is trained to listen to the patient and to alleviate his anxieties at the basic level. His duty is also to lead the patient on the path of self-medication. Panic attacks may well be treated by the patient’s strong will power. It is required on the patient’s part to analyze deeply the root of his panicky thoughts. He makes a positive effort to control his illogical thoughts. There are certain statements he is taught to use during his attacks, which he is supposed to chant. These statements serve to control his symptoms psychologically. This has been termed as Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy or CBT, as the patient takes cognizance of his inner self and modifies his behaviour accordingly.

Exposure therapy is another best option of panic attack cures. Some patients can be the victim of Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic incident in past keep haunting them through reoccurrence of such scary symptom that take the shape of panic attacks. Patients are deliberately exposed before those phobias which they consider the cause of their panic attacks. This all is done under certain vigilant atmosphere. This therapy is helpful for the patients to come out of that fear psychosis.

Another alternative medicine for panic disorder named biofeedback is wonderful option. The body of sufferer is connected to portable machines while this technique is applied in curing anxiety disorder. These tiny machines keep measuring proven aspects of body such as level of blood pressure, heartbeat, sweat gland activity and skin temperature to assess panic situation. Such parameters usually have drastic change once the panic attack turn severe and patient feels uneasy. Doctors correlate panicky thoughts and the physiological situations in such cases which have strong relationship and create more trouble for the patients. This unique technique is used to measure the cognizance that keeps the physiological aspects under control hence provide opportunity for better cure. This is primary reason that biofeedback is today considered wonderful technique used with Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy.

Chemicals considered as medicines for panic disorder are easily available in market. Benzodiazepine and Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) groups of drugs are most popular amongst them all. They are psychotropic medicines best used as sedatives and antidepressant categories.

Used in short-term treatments Benzodiazepines are though habit forming drugs that have quicker response too. There is a possibility of these drugs be misused. The medicines of Benzodiazepine group are as follows:
•    Diazepam (Valium)
•    Lorazepam (Ativan)
•    Alprazolam
•    Oxazepam
•    Temazepam
•    Nitrazepam
•    Flurazepam
•    Loprazolam
•    Lormetazepam
•    Clobazam
•    Clonazepam.
•    Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)

SSRIs typically take a long period of titration to adjust its pharmacological levels in the body and as such need an adaptation phase. They may also cause serious side effects such as reduction in sexual libido and gastrointestinal discomfiture. Some SSRIs used as medicines for panic disorder are:
•    Citalopram (Celexa, Cipramil)
•    Escitalopram (Lexapro, Cipralex, Esertia)
•    Fluoxetine (Prozac)
•    Fluvoxamine (Luvox, Fevarin, Faverin)

Apart from the panic attack cures mentioned above, several other alternative therapies are available. Relaxation and sleep are the best counteracting vehicles against anxiety. Deep breathing exercises, Yoga and Thai Chi help relax the mind and the body. Massages, spa treatments, acupressure and acupuncture also help in kneading the stress out of the body. Long hot baths help, too and so do laughter and music therapies which remove the negativity from the system.