There has been a great deal of research performed on the treatment of panic attacks. Panic attacks can be severe and may completely dominate a person’s life. They can affect their ability to drive a car, go to public places, be with friends and family and in some cases even can prevent people from leaving their homes. They also have physical and mental effects that can help to create other negative conditions and should be treated to allow the patient to resume a normal life.

Most experts agree that psychotherapy is the best option for treating people with panic disorders and attacks. Psychiatrists and psychologists use specific techniques to treat patients with these conditions and are specially trained to help people understand their conditions. Cognitive behavior modification therapy is one of the most successful tools doctors can use. It teaches the patient to focus on the specific things that trigger their attacks, and to learn how to modify their behavior and responses to these triggers. These types of treatments can also be used with medications to achieve the desired results.

Anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications are often used to alter how the person’s brain chemicals work. They work by changing how the brain’s neurons absorb certain normal brain chemicals and chemicals released by the body due to stress. They achieve better results when they are used in conjunction with psychotherapy treatments. Medications may have side effects and should be fully discussed with a doctor before they are taken. The two most useful types of medications used to treat panic attacks are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), and selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRI). Examples of these are Zoloft, Prozac, Xanax, Effector, Cymbalta and Paxil.

Living a healthy lifestyle is also important to treating panic attacks. A balanced diet, limiting caffeine intake, getting proper sleep and routine exercise is a good way to keep your mind healthy. Some herbal supplements such as Kava may also help relieve some of the symptoms of panic attacks, but always be careful with supplements that may have drug interactions or poor regulation

Based on my own research and experience over the years I have found that there are 2 very different approaches to effectively dealing with panic attacks and anxiety disorders, both of which has a very good success rate.

1. Facing the Fear
   The first approach is to learn to not be afraid of your anxiety or panic by facing the fear head on. If you are not afraid of a panic attack or the symptoms of one, the attacks will go away altogether, it’s as simple as that. This technique is very simple, effective and has fast results, but it also requires some courage and is probably not suited for everyone.  Joe Barry has perfected this approach with the popular “One Move Technique” that he teaches in his Panic Away program. This is also my recommend method for dealing with panic attacks.
   >> Read Full Panic Away Review
   
2. Diversion
   The second approach is all about diverting the attention of your subconscious mind to focus on other things than that which causes panic attacks and anxiety. The concept is simple - using specific diversion techniques you can effectively focus the attention of your subconscious mind on something other than the thoughts that cause panic attacks and in doing so eliminate the attacks completely. This approach requires much less courage to implement, but it takes slightly longer to achieve results and also requires more patience. The Linden Method is by far the most popular program that uses this technique.
   >> Read Full Linden Method Review

It is important to understand the difference in these approaches in order to make an informed decision that best suits your own needs. Both approaches work very well, but the approach you choose will all depend on your personality and specific circumstances.

Panic attacks can be so overwhelming and life changing, it’s easy to think that you will never overcome them. However, the fact of the matter is that hundreds of people who feel the exact same way are cured of their panic attacks every day, so don’t despair. With the proper guidance and a step-by-step plan of action provided by programs like Panic Away, you can eliminate panic attacks from your life for good.

Today I would like to share some quick tips that can bring immediate relief:

1. Breath Deeply and Slowly
   One of the first things that happen with most people during a panic attack is that they breath faster and shallower, which causes an imbalance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body. This brings on various other physical sensations that just makes you even more anxious. You will be amazed at what a difference it makes when you just focus on taking slow, deep breaths during a panic attack or when you feel that an attack is eminent.
2. Exercise to Get Rid of Excess Adrenaline
   One of the effects of a panic attacks is a general anxiety disorder that is always present, because your body produces excess amounts of adrenaline in order to continuously prepare for the “fight of flight” response. Physical exercise helps a lot to reduce the excess adrenaline and remove anxiety sensations and it also helps you to focus your thoughts on something positive. Just playing a sport or going out for a walk can really make a big difference when you feel some of those anxiety sensations coming on.
3. Don’t Fight The Sensations
   One of the key steps in getting rid of panic attacks is to learn to not be afraid of the sensations you experience. A panic attack normally starts with a negative thought, followed by one or more physical sensations. These sensations scare you, because you are worried that a panic attack is on its way. This just causes the sensations to intensify and before you know it you experience a full blown panic attack. In order to get rid of panic attacks you need to learn to stop fighting the sensations and break this cycle of fear by not allowing yourself to be afraid of them. The One Move Technique from the Panic Away program is one very effective way of achieving this and I definitely recommend that you try it out yourself.

In addition to the above points it is also very important to educate yourself and learn more about how panic attacks work, what the reasons are for the common sensations you experience during a panic attack and what the common methods are for treating panic attacks. See my Top 5 Panic Attack Programs page for more information.