Panic Disorder Treatment at Casa Recovery
Mental health concerns can be challenging enough, but for those struggling with panic disorder, it can be overwhelming and even debilitating. Panic disorder is a mental health disorder characterized by recurring and unexpected panic attacks.
While this condition can cause significant disruption to an individual’s life, the right approach to treatment can help them take back control over their lives.
We’re going to dig deep into panic disorder, what exactly it is, and why it’s so important to get the right type of treatment for it. Then we’ll talk about a few of the most common treatments, and what they mean for you. In the end, we’ll go over why Casa Recovery is uniquely qualified to help you work through all of your mental health challenges.
Understanding Panic Disorder
Before we can understand the treatment of panic disorder, it’s best if we better understand panic disorder itself. Panic disorder is, at its core, an anxiety disorder that is marked by unexpected, recurring panic attacks. A panic attack is an intense episode of discomfort or even fear, which generally lasts a few minutes, and includes a handful of symptoms. The most common symptoms include
- Heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat
- Sweating
- Shaking
- Shortness of breath
- Feelings of impending trouble or even doom
In some cases, individuals with panic disorders may avoid situations that can trigger a panic attack, such as work or other social situations. This leads to social isolation and results in additional stress.
The treatment of panic disorder is critical since panic disorder can have a significant and even debilitating effect on one’s quality of life and ability to perform tasks of daily life. Recognizing the signs of panic disorder and seeking professional help are cornerstones to managing the disorder. Early intervention can help boost the chances of successful treatment and lower the overall risk of the condition exacerbating into related or more severe conditions, like depression or agoraphobia.
The Importance of Seeking Help for Anxiety Panic Disorder Treatment
Just like with many mental health challenges, the biggest key to successful anxiety panic disorder treatment is just that: treatment. While there is often a stigma surrounding mental health and seeking professional help, there doesn’t need to be, and if you need help, asking for it is a sign of strength, not weakness.
A skilled mental health counselor or therapist can help individuals identify the underlying causes of their panic attacks and can help them develop the personalized treatment plans that will be needed to effectively address issues with panic disorder. Lacking proper treatment, individuals with panic disorder are likely to become progressively worse, eventually having a severe impact on both their personal and professional life.
Casa Recovery is a leader in the field of compassionate therapy services, and we offer a comfortable, supportive environment in which to discover, unpack, and process your deepest emotional and mental health challenges. Individuals with panic disorder can begin to overcome it with a combination of both evidence-based treatments and holistic healing programs. We don’t just address one single aspect of mental health, we offer an integrated, comprehensive approach that helps your body, mind, and spirit to begin healing.
Types of Treatments for Panic Disorder
Individuals that may be considering seeking treatment for panic disorder are likely wondering what treatments are going to be like, and we understand that. Here are some of the treatments most commonly seen implemented in successful panic disorder recovery cases.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is a type of counseling that is critical to the treatment of panic disorder. Talk therapy is where a trained mental health professional helps individuals to identify the triggers and problematic thought patterns that have contributed to their panic disorder, then helps them to develop more effective and overall healthier coping strategies to manage the anxiety that lies at the root of their disorder.
Two of the most common types of talk therapy used in anxiety disorder treatment are cognitive-behavioral therapy and exposure therapy. Take a look:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is a type of psychotherapy that helps individuals learn how to both identify and change the thought patterns that lead them to panic attacks. By working to modify these thoughts, individuals can begin to build a healthier response to situations that trigger their anxiety.
- Exposure Therapy: Exposure therapy is where an individual is gradually, and safely, allowed to confront their most deeply-feared situations or sensations. This allows individuals to gain confidence, as well as reduces the intensity of their fear response over time. This can help those with more severe panic disorder to regain a measurable degree of control over their lives.
Medication
Sometimes, there are neurochemical imbalances that need to be addressed in conjunction with the administration of other treatment methods. Medication is frequently used to help minimize or even eliminate the symptoms associated with panic disorder. The most common medications are SSRIs, and benzodiazepines, we’ve got more information on each, below.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
These popular antidepressant medications are also used to help reduce the frequency with which panic attacks occur, as well as their general severity. They are also used to help manage the general symptoms of both anxiety and depression.
Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines are a class of sedatives or tranquilizers that are often used to provide short-term relief from the symptoms of severe anxiety or panic, and from active panic attacks. Chemically, they promote a state of drastically-elevated relaxation and anxiety reduction, but they also have a high potential for abuse, so they are usually only prescribed short-term or when other treatments haven’t been effective.
Lifestyle Changes and Self-Help Strategies
While professional treatment and medication management can be a good startto maintaining improved mental health long-term, individuals should also look at making some positive lifestyle changes and growing their self-help tool kit. We’ve got 4 tips for healthy changes you can make in your life today, that will dramatically improve the effectiveness of any professional treatment, and help boost overall mental well-being.
- Stress Management: Learning to manage your stress effectively, through relaxation techniques is a great way to cope with stress more healthily. Learn techniques for deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation.
- Exercise Regularly: Getting regular physical activity is just incredibly important to mental health. The endorphins that are released during exercise help to improve mood and lower anxiety levels, while boosting blood flow to the brain.
- Get Enough Sleep: Sleep is the only chance for your body and mind to get serious repairs and maintenance done, and not getting enough sleep can be more damaging than many other outright negative health practices.
- Support Group Attendance: Participating in a support group, or attending group therapy sessions is a great way to gain valuable emotional support, and to find encouragement and a sense of community during recovery.