Such patients who don’t want to go to doctors or medical professionals rely on alternative anxiety attack treatments or over-the-counter medications. Most medications that are available in the market today show good results and are very effective in controlling the symptoms of panic or anxiety attacks. Some of the symptoms of panic attacks are as follows:
o Chills
o Tingling sensations
o Trembling
o Palpitations
o Shortness of breath
o Chest pain
o Dizziness
o Sweating
Most of the above mentioned symptoms of panic attacks overlap with the symptoms of other health problems such as heart illnesses or asthma. Due to these reasons, patients get totally confused and start with the wrong over-the-counter medications. For example, if a person feels shortness of breath during a panic attack, he or she may wrongly assume that he or she has asthma problems and take over-the-counter medications for asthma. The panic attack condition of such patients goes unnoticed and they never get relief because they are taking the wrong medications.
Never experiment with your body with over-the-counter medications because you never know which medications may be harmful for you. Doctors who prescribe medication for panic disorder are well trained in the science of medicines and they know what is best for you and your body. You must learn to trust your doctor, but also never accept any medication blindly. Try and probe on the type, benefits, and side effects of the medications that are being prescribed for you by the doctor.
Most doctors will disperse the medication information to you and tell you the good and bad effects of the medications. Most medications for panic disorder are long term medications and need to be taken on a daily basis. This can be a little too much for patients who are very forgetful and not diligent. Most medications for panic disorder will give you total relief from the symptoms of the anxiety or panic attack. However, with the advantages of these medications, you will have to live with the darker side of the medications—the side effects.
If the side effects of the medications are giving you sleepless nights, then you need to look for other therapies and treatments. Some of alternative treatments are exposure therapy, cognitive- behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques, hypnosis, and exercises. Among these, cognitive-behavioral therapy is very popular and gives good results in a short period of time. Cognitive-behavioral therapy gets to the root of the panic or anxiety disorder and gives you the confident to fight the mental condition. So, if you’ve decided to go in for the cognitive-behavioral therapy, then you will have to select a good therapist for the cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Before you select the therapist for the cognitive-behavioral therapy, there are few things that you need to keep in mind. First, you must select a therapist who has the experience and the expertise to treat anxiety and panic disorders. Second, check the address of the clinic and make sure that the clinic is either close to your house or office. If you select a therapist who has his or her clinic very from your house or office, then you will have to spend a lot of time traveling to the clinic.
The therapist may call you for multiple sessions either once or twice a week. The frequency of the sessions depends on the severity of the anxiety or panic disorder. Most anxiety attacks treatments are very expensive and will surely burn a big hole in your pocket. Remember the age old saying ‘Health is wealth’; if you are in good health, you will surely make up for the money lost in the treatments. In addition to the money, you will also have to spend a lot of time at the therapists.