Guest Author - Ryan Rivera
This week, Ryan Rivera is a guest author. In his previous article, Ryan discussed panic attacks - what they feel like and what causes them. This article outlines some of the steps that can be taken to deal with Panic Attacks. Thank you, Ryan!
Treating Panic Attacks With a Cause
Because these panic attacks do have a cause, treating panic disorder does become a bit more difficult. Rather than start with therapy or alternative treatments (which are very useful for panic disorder), you should always start by treating the health problem. Panic disorder is fueled by concerns over your health, and thus alleviating those concerns by having them fully addressed by your doctor is a crucial part of ensuring your worries don't become too pronounced.
The second part is learning to tell the difference between a health issue and a panic attack. While it's not true of every panic disorder sufferer, most people with panic disorder generally experience common triggers that tend to occur at very specific places or points in the day. You may want to consider purposely subjecting yourself to a panic attack (meaning, purposely create the trigger) so that even while you're panicking you can keep an eye out for differences that you can note and keep track of over time. Differentiating between the two problems is valuable for controlling the extent of the panic attack.
Finally, consider exposure therapy and treatment options that teach you how to deal with these symptoms that cause anxiety. In many ways, you'll be teaching yourself how to deal with your physical health symptoms as well, which can be helpful for improving your quality of life.
Although it's extremely uncommon for panic attacks to have a physical trigger for most of the population that suffers from panic attacks, there is a subset of panic attack sufferers that do experience physical disorders that can trigger panic attack symptoms. When that does occur, it's important to note that treatment is still possible. You may have to change how you address your panic attacks, but eventually you can control them once and for all.
About the Author: Ryan Rivera was a panic attack laden agoraphobic whose attacks often convinced him that he had a serious physical health problem. He eventually learned to control his panic attacks, and shares this type of information at http://www.calmclinic.com/
