Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Knowing the Signs of a Disorder
• Method 2 of 4: How to Treat Panic Disorder
• Method 3 of 4: Dealing with Symptoms and Managing Your Health
• Method 4 of 4: How to Get Help
• Tips
• Warnings

Panic disorder is a disorder characterized by extreme anxiety due to a possible panic attack. In addition, a person often has to simultaneously deal with anxiety, which provokes panic attacks. The disorder can be managed with the help of a psychologist or psychotherapist. Do not try to heal yourself. It is important to seek help as soon as possible, as anxiety and panic disorder can affect relationships, work, school, and can even lead to agoraphobia.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Knowing the Signs of a Disorder

1. 1 Know the symptoms of panic disorder. Panic disorder affects millions of people around the world, but it is more common in women. Typically, attacks of panic disorder last for minutes, but they can recur from time to time for several hours. Symptoms of panic disorder include:
   • sudden recurring attacks of fear;
   • feeling helpless during an attack;
   • paralyzing fear;
   • fear or anxiety about the possibility of a repetition of attacks;
   • feeling that the person is going crazy or is about to die.
   • Physical symptoms include rapid heartbeat, increased sweating, difficulty breathing, weakness or dizziness, fever or chills, tingling or numbness in the hands, chest pain, shortness of breath, and abdominal pain.
2. 2 Know what are the hallmarks of panic disorder. General anxiety or 1–2 panic attacks frighten a person, but they are not always signs of a disorder. The defining feature of panic disorder is persistent fear of recurrence of panic attacks... If you have had four or more panic attacks and are afraid of the next, see a specialist who treats panic or anxiety disorders.
   • People with panic disorder are more worried about the next attacks, rather than about some event or thing.
   • Remember that anxiety is common in all people, as this is a normal response to stress. If you are feeling anxious, it does not mean that you have a disorder. A healthy anxiety is felt before something specific - for example, before an important presentation or a match. An anxiety disorder person experiences anxiety all the time. Often he cannot identify the cause of the anxiety.
3. 3 Know what the side effects of panic disorder can be. If left untreated, panic disorder can have a significant impact on a person's life. One of the most unpleasant consequences of panic disorder is the development of phobias. For example, if you have a panic attack while riding an elevator, you may develop a fear of elevators. You can start avoiding them and you may develop a phobia. You may decide to give up a good apartment or job because of the need to use the elevator, or you may not go to the hospital, shopping mall, or movie for fear of using the elevator. People with panic disorder may also develop agoraphobia - a fear of space outside the home, as they fear that a panic attack will happen when they are out. Other side effects are possible:
   • increased risk of alcohol and drug abuse;
   • increased risk of suicide;
   • depression;
   • refusal from hobbies, sports and other pleasant activities;
   • fear of moving more than a few kilometers from home;
   • economic effects (rejection of a good job related to relocation; job loss; financial dependence on others).

Method 2 of 4: How to Treat Panic Disorder

1. 1 Find an anxiety specialist. The most important thing in treating anxiety associated with panic disorder is professional help. Fortunately, the disorder responds well to treatment, but people are often misdiagnosed. Tell the therapist what is happening to you so that he or she can rule out any health problems that could trigger seizures, and then ask for a referral to a therapist who treats anxiety and panic disorders. In this case, the following psychotherapy methods can be applied:
   • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It helps in the treatment of panic disorder and is the treatment of choice in this case. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) seeks to identify hidden causes and behavioral patterns that influence anxiety and to develop new behavioral skills and methods of dealing with stress.
   • Exposure therapy. Your doctor can help you find the root of your fears and develop a plan to gradually increase your exposure to them.
   • A therapy of acceptance and responsibility. This type of therapy uses acceptance and self-awareness techniques to overcome anxiety and cope with stress.
   • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. This method of therapy is based on the principles of oriental medicine. Through a combination of self-awareness, emotion management, and stress management strategies, as well as developing interpersonal skills, people are more successful in dealing with anxiety.
   • Note: unfortunately, compulsory health insurance in Russia and most of the CIS countries does not cover the services of a psychotherapist. However, in some cities of Russia there are centers for free psychological assistance to the population, where highly qualified specialists are employed. If your employer or yourself pays for voluntary health insurance (VHI) with the fullest coverage, it probably includes psychotherapy as well. Find out from your insurance company whether your policy covers such services, to what extent and what specialists working on VHI can advise.
2. 2 Talk to your doctor about medications. In some cases, medications are needed, especially if the person develops side effects (such as depression). Most commonly, antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications are prescribed for panic disorder.
   • Side effects of antidepressants include headache, nausea, and trouble sleeping. Talk to your doctor if you develop side effects.
   • As a rule, patients are immediately prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, or venflaxine.
   • Antidepressants rarely cause suicidal thoughts or even attempted suicide, especially in children and adolescents. It is important to constantly monitor the person taking antidepressants, especially at the beginning of treatment.
   • A doctor may also prescribe beta blockers, which can help relieve symptoms, although they are rarely prescribed in such cases.
   • Whatever drugs the doctor prescribes, he will in any case recommend a combination of drugs and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy.
3. 3 Determine what triggers the reaction. Panic attacks often start suddenly - they are possible even during sleep. Recurrent panic attacks can lead to the development of panic disorder, when a person begins to fear attacks more than the reasons for these attacks. The reasons are called triggers.It is important to identify triggers for panic attacks and understand that triggers and panic disorder are not related. Thanks to this, the fear will begin to recede. Your doctor can help you identify triggers.
   • Anxiety attacks can be triggered by the following triggers:
     • financial difficulties;
     • Job;
     • health problems;
     • relationship problems;
     • important decisions;
     • the bad news;
     • restless thoughts or memories;
     • loneliness;
     • places and people associated with traumatic events.
   • Triggers for an anxiety disorder associated with panic disorder include:
     • chronic stress;
     • separation or loss of a loved one;
     • places where panic attacks happened;
     • heart palpitations or other physical symptoms that are reminiscent of what happens to the body during a panic attack.
4. 4 Face yourself with your fears. With the help of a therapist, you can begin to overcome triggers, including physical ones. There are several types of exposure therapy.
   • With introceptive therapy, your doctor can help you deal with panic attack symptoms in a safe, controlled environment. You will understand that all these symptoms (heart palpitations, sweating, etc.) do not mean that a panic attack is inevitable. For example, your doctor may ask you to run in place to speed up your heartbeat. So you will see that this is a harmless physical phenomenon that can be observed not only during a panic attack.
   • Physiological exposure breaks down fearful situations into small steps that are easy to handle. The person is confronted with situations one at a time, starting with the least hazardous scenario.
5. 5 Recognize and resist cognitive biases. Your way of thinking can be the cause of your anxiety. Your doctor can help you recognize cognitive biases in your way of thinking. Consider what factors would be for and against this line of thought. As you learn to highlight these thoughts, try replacing them with more useful and realistic ones. The following cognitive biases are commonly associated with anxiety:
   • Definitive thinking (all or black or white; all or nothing): "If my child does not get good grades in school, it will mean that I am a bad mother."
   • Exaggerated generalizations: “Vanya is angry with me because I didn’t call. He will never want to talk to me again. "
   • Dramatization: “I am again seized with anxiety. Everyone will look at me! I will be so embarrassed! I will never be able to come here again. "
   • Hasty conclusions: “Sasha did not greet me. She probably hates me. "
   • Emotional Inference: "I feel like a failure because I don't have a job and I am a failure."
6. 6 Repeat your mantra throughout the day. Mantra in Sanskrit is sounds or phrases that create positive vibrations in the human spirit. The mantra is chanted loudly into the universe. It is important to fully focus on the words being spoken. To get rid of negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones, you first need to redirect the negative attitude in a different direction and identify your triggers. If you give up negative thoughts, you will have fewer negative attitudes, which will give you room to feel positive about yourself.
   • You can repeat the mantra after waking up, looking at yourself in the mirror to tune in to the new day. When stress approaches, repeat the mantra and help yourself to gather and calm down.
   • The mantra can be the following phrase: “Anxiety is not dangerous. She's just unpleasant. "

Method 3 of 4: Dealing with Symptoms and Managing Your Health

1. 1 Learn to do deep breathing exercises. Deep diaphragmatic breathing can help relieve stress and anxiety. In addition, breathing deeply during a panic attack can help you calm down and cope with your symptoms faster. Hyperventilation, or quick short breaths in and out, is a common symptom of panic attacks.Deep breathing exercises can help fight the sensations until the attack subsides, and may even help prevent subsequent panic attacks.
   • Sit upright in a comfortable chair. Place your hand on your stomach. Take a deep, slow breath in through your nose in four counts. Feel your belly swell. Hold your breath for two counts. Then exhale through your mouth in four counts. Watch the belly deflate under your hand.
   • Do the exercise twice a day for 5-10 minutes.
2. 2 Try self-awareness techniques. Self-awareness is the ability to be here and now, in the present moment. Often, during anxiety attacks, a person is either in the past or in the future. Self-awareness allows you to deal with stress by returning a person to the present moment. You can meditate, breathe, or do other exercises to overcome your anxiety.
   • Self-awareness meditation involves being in a quiet room and breathing deeply. Concentrate your attention on the sensations in the body at the moment: visual, sound, olfactory, tactile, gustatory. If you find yourself thinking about the future or the past, return to the present.
   • Deep breathing involves clearing the mind of any thoughts and focusing only on breathing. Breathe deeply. When thoughts come to you, acknowledge them, but push them away and return to focusing on the breath.
3. 3 Lead an active lifestyle. Exercise isn't just good for your overall health and well-being. They also help combat stress. Because stress makes a person more prone to panic attacks, reducing stress and understanding how to deal with it can help you reduce your risk of having another panic attack. Sport improves mood and stimulates the production of natural pain relievers - endorphins. Physical activity can also help boost self-esteem and improve sleep quality.
   • Try different sports to find what you like. Remember that you are unlikely to be able to play for a long time in sports that exhaust you or seem too difficult. Find a workout that's right for you and try to exercise with other people to better manage stress.
   • However, it is important to remember that sweating and heart palpitations are triggers for some people, as these physical manifestations are also present during a panic attack. If these triggers are provoking for you, talk to your doctor before starting to exercise.
4. 4 Sleep regularly. Sleep and anxiety are related. Lack of sleep leads to an increased stress response, and stress makes it impossible for a person to sleep. People who are chronically anxious sleep very poorly. Scientists have found that in people with anxiety and panic disorder, symptoms become less intense as the quality of sleep improves.
   • Aim to get 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Consider an evening bedtime ritual to help you relax: read, do a crossword puzzle, drink decaffeinated tea.
   • Try to go to bed and get up at the same time so that the regime becomes permanent.
   • Don't drink alcohol or caffeine. People often drink alcohol to sleep. Although alcohol can cause drowsiness, it makes sleep more disturbing in later phases. You may fall asleep faster, but the quality of your sleep will be worse. Caffeine can make your anxiety symptoms worse. When consumed in the evening, caffeine can interfere with sleep.
5. 5 Review your diet. It is important to maintain a balanced diet and eat foods high in vitamins and nutrients. Try to eat fresh, unprocessed foods: lean meats, other proteins, complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, whole grains), and low-fat or low-fat dairy products.Find out if you have hypersensitivity to gluten or dairy products and avoid those foods to avoid a reaction that can worsen anxiety.
   • Eat complex carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits, vegetables). These foods can stimulate the production of serotonin, a stress-reducing substance.
   • Also try to eat foods high in vitamin C (such as citrus fruits) and foods rich in magnesium (leafy green vegetables, soybeans). Among other things, vitamin C can help lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
   • Drink eight or more glasses of water a day to stay hydrated.

Method 4 of 4: How to Get Help

1. 1 Refer a friend. Even a simple conversation about your worries and problems can be enough to feel relief and joy. Disturbing thoughts often run over and over again, and we begin to mistake them for facts. Talking to a close friend or relative who can give you objective advice can help you. If you voice your concerns out loud, you can see that they are ridiculous or unlikely. Perhaps your interlocutor will explain to you that all these fears are unfounded.
2. 2 Join a support group for people with anxiety. You can find a face-to-face support group through a therapist or religious organization. You can also chat with the online support team. Interacting with people in support groups will save you the trouble of dealing with your disorder on your own. You will be able to learn useful strategies for dealing with symptoms from the people who were in your place. In addition, support and friends can be found in some groups.
   • Scientists have found that people with anxiety disorders get better in a group and with the support of others. Your friends and family may not understand what is happening to you, and people who are faced with the same problem as you will show empathy and give you hope for a change for the better.

Tips

• Build skills and techniques for dealing with anxiety. Over time, you will find it easier to manage your symptoms.
• There are a number of well-established medications that can help reduce the frequency and / or severity of anxiety and panic attacks. At some point, these drugs gained a reputation as drugs with a lot of side effects, but this is not the case now. In the modern world, the most common and effective drugs of this type have minimal or no side effects. If side effects do develop, they are mild. Such drugs are not suitable for everyone, so the doctor must select the drug.

Warnings

• The advice given in this article cannot replace the advice of a therapist or psychotherapist. If you are prescribed treatment, follow the directions.
• Don't try to overcome your panic disorder on your own. Treatment should be thought out and prescribed by a psychologist or psychotherapist.