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What You need to know to Manage your Anxiety Panic Disorder
Anxiety panic disorders affect about 2.4 million Americans. For most, the symptoms of this disorder begin in adolescence or the early years of adulthood. Women suffer from this problem twice as often as men do. Anxiety and panic disorders can become quite debilitating, but with proper treatment as many as 90% of the people who are diagnosed with these issues can see relief from symptoms. Unfortunately, there is also a large number who never seek treatment for their disorder, even though the symptoms can get in the way of their daily lives. Because of this, it is important to know how to recognize an anxiety panic disorder, and understand the many effective treatment options for those suffering with this problem.
Symptoms to Watch for
To understand the symptoms of an anxiety panic disorder, you must first learn to recognize the signs of a panic attack. These include a pounding heart or chest pain, and difficulty breathing. You might also feel as though you are choking on something, or feel like you are going to faint. You might sweat, shake or feel chills, which often accompany an intense fear. It may feel as though you are losing control or even that you are going to die. These alarming symptoms will generally only last for about ten minutes before easing.
If you begin to feel anxiety about having another panic attack to the point that it begins to affect your life, you may be suffering from an anxiety panic disorder. People who become intensely concerned about subsequent panic attacks may purposely avoid situations or settings that they think might bring on another attack. This disorder may be the result of a family history, intense stress, substance abuse or an abnormality in the brain. It will often occur in tandem with other conditions like depression, drug abuse or alcoholism.
Treatment Options
There are a few different treatment options for an anxiety panic disorder, and these different avenues are often explored at the same time for maximum benefit. Psychotherapy is a type of counseling that will offer strategies for understanding and coping with the disorder. One particularly effective method of psychotherapy is cognitive-behavioral therapy. With this treatment, patients will learn ways to change their thought processes to decrease the incidence of the negative thoughts that lead to attacks. Medications are often given to patients with anxiety panic disorders as well, and these might include antidepressants as well as anti-anxiety medications.
With the proper treatment, most people suffering from anxiety and panic disorders can see a reduction in their symptoms and an improvement in their quality of life.
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