The panic attacks are serious conditions which are affecting more and more people. Palpitations, sweating, breathing difficulties, intensive heart beating, shivering, various fears, dizziness, smothering sensations and choking problems are just some of the symptoms which unexpectedly and unjustifiably appear in case of a panic attack. The main reason of the increasing number of patients who suffer from panic attacks is based on the stressful life conditions that describe today’s world – furthermore, these conditions imply several effects upon the human psychological and emotional life, such as the panic attacks. But the panic attacks are not limited to these causes. In fact, in many cases, these affections are part of more complex disorders that are connected with affections like anxiety, depression or phobias.

The treatment of the panic attacks is a multidimensional one and it differs from patient to patient. This is based on the fact that this affection is a result of a variety of factors, which regard the social, affective and psychological life of the patient. The basic panic attack treatment can be divided into drug treatment and various forms of psychotherapy.

The medication mainly focuses on reducing the patient’s unjustified anxiety. The drugs include both antidepressants and benzodiazepines, which have different roles. Regarding their effectiveness, the difference between them is that while the antidepressants show results after some weeks of treatment, the benzodiazepines provide immediate relief.

Psychotherapy is a complex process which is focused on establishing various improvements. First of all, the patient is taught how to identify his or her emotions, fears and anxiety feelings. Then, the patient is helped to develop different thinking habits regarding various situations which cause the panic attacks, to identify the tendency to exaggerate and scare in certain situations. The sensations control (a technique which is focused on establishing the different sensations, especially the ones which resemble the fear ones) is also part of this behavioral therapy. Further treatment methods are focused on anti-stress procedures (meditation, yoga) and breathing techniques (breathing difficulties are one of the main symptoms of panic attacks), group therapy and family therapy. The main purpose of the panic attacks treatment is to make the patient understand that there are no actual threatening factors that should cause such anxiety and panic problems. When the patient is self-conscious about his or her problem, then the healing process can be considered half successful.

When trying to heal from panic attacks, patience is a key element, as the treatment does not show results in the first weeks. In many cases, the panic attacks do not appear as individual problems, as they are connected with more serious psychological conditions, ranging from neurosis to severe forms of depression. Moreover, these affections also appear in many cases of substance abuse, such as alcohol and drug dependency. In these cases, a much more complex treatment is required – this treatment is mainly focused on treating the abusive problem (when pain attacks might even increase) and then, if still necessary, on the specific treatment of the panic disorder.

There are some cases which reveal the fact that panic attacks can lead to tragically results – in case the panic attacks occur when people are facing complex activities, such as driving, swimming, climbing, they can easily loose control of the situation and lead to dramatic situations. Sadly, most people who are occasionally suffering from panic attacks are not in search of an efficient treatment that can prevent the further occurrence of this disorder, as they don’t realize the real danger that this condition implies. Furthermore, it is mandatory to find and apply a suitable treatment for these attacks, as in case they are not treated, they can continue and amplify during moths or years.