Before seeking panic attack treatment, please evaluate yourself first by taking a short panic disorder test. If you experience a number of the symptoms mentioned, you may need the help and intervention of a panic disorder therapist to help restore normalcy in your life. With panic disorder counseling, you can take control of your life again and improve your way of living and relating to others.
Do you suffer from any of the following?
- Sweating
- Rapid Heartbeat
- Nausea, Stomach Cramps
- Shortness of Breath, Feeling of Smothering
- Chest Pain
- Numbness
- Feelings of Disconnection or Unreality
- Hot or Cold Flashes
- Fear of Dying, Losing Control or Going Crazy
- Trembling or Shaking
- Feeling of Choking
- Dizziness or Light Headedness
- Feeling Detached from Oneself (Depersonalization)
If you have experienced four or more of these symptoms during a relatively brief time (less than 10 minutes), you may have had a panic attack. If such attacks recur, especially if accompanied by a dread of situations which may trigger another episode, you may be suffering from a panic disorder.
Panic is a particularly disruptive form of anxiety. Many individuals suffer from “panic attacks,” which are relatively brief episodes of compressed anxiety that seem to arise out of nowhere, or may seem linked to a particular circumstance. For example, many individuals suffer from “agorophobia,” which means “fear of the market place.” Such an individual might feel uncomfortable in crowded places, such as when watching a film in a movie theater. They might feel that they are stuck or trapped in this situation, yet still feel that it would be socially awkward to exit the theater suddenly.
Similarly, many individuals suffer panic while flying, driving, riding an elevator, attending a business meeting, or any other circumstances where full control is not possible. Other individuals may feel panic that seems to come and go for no clear reason whatsoever. Panic disorder psychology is vast and varied. As such, panic attacks are unique to each person’s personality, background, and life experiences.
Untreated, panic attacks tend to worsen over time, further limiting the individual’s enjoyment of his life. As with other forms of anxiety, such as social phobia, panic is often treated with a combination of anti-anxiety medication and psychotherapy. Whereas the medication addresses the most immediately disruptive symptoms of a panic disorder, therapy goes deeper to address core issues that are likely affecting one’s life in other, seemingly unrelated areas. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and psychodynamic approaches are very effective in treating panic disorder, as both are commonly used methods of therapy for panic disorder.
Don’t let panic disorders upset the quality of your life. With panic disorder treatment facilitated by our panic disorder specialists, you’ll be prepared when a panic attack suddenly strikes.
Contact us to schedule a panic attack treatment today.