Therapy for anxiety/panic attacks usually involves medication and/or psychotherapy. Because each persons symptoms are different and can occur with varying severity, anxiety treatments must be individualized for optimal results.
Medications, though not cures, can be an effective treatment. Doctors typically begin with a low dosage and gradually increase to full dosage. If side effects become a problem, a different drug may be used. Anti-depressant medications have been used to successfully treat anxiety disorders as well.
Behavioral therapy is designed to help a patient change specific actions and use certain techniques to decrease or stop unwanted behavior. Diaphragmatic (deep) breathing exercises teaches one to take slow, deliberate, deep breaths to reduce anxious feelings. Exposure therapy exposes the patient gradually to what is causing their anxiety and helps them to cope with their fears or stress indicators.
Cognitive therapy teaches the patient that their thinking patterns contribute to their symptoms and how to change their thoughts so that symptoms are less likely to occur.
A combination of all three delivers the best results for the patient.
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