| Are you struggling to deal with anxiety and panic | | | | perspective, and teach you more helpful and realistic |
| attacks in your life? No matter how overwhelming | | | | ways to think. |
| your problem may seem, there are effective | | | | Using cognitive-behavioral therapy, you can learn how |
| treatments for it. Medication can provide some relief | | | | to stop a panic attack before it develops. For |
| from your symptoms, but some people are reluctant | | | | example, there is a cycle you may get caught up in. |
| to take drugs or would prefer to limit the duration. | | | | It goes like this. You feel a little anxious. You become |
| Another option that is often recommended for panic | | | | hypersensitive to the internal bodily sensations you |
| attack sufferers is cognitive-behavioral therapy. | | | | associate with a panic attack. You start worrying |
| Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on | | | | that a panic episode is imminent, which adds another |
| altering your thoughts and behaviours. It deals | | | | level of anxiety. Thinking and worrying can escalate |
| primarily with solving problems in the here and now. | | | | those mildly anxious feelings into a full-blown panic |
| Unlike some types of therapy, you don't have to | | | | attack. However, if you can interrupt this cycle, you |
| analyze every little event from your childhood or | | | | can prevent an attack from occurring. |
| spend many hours in the psychologist's office. People | | | | One CBT technique that can give you relief from |
| who have a great deal of anxiety usually think and | | | | panic attack symptoms is proper breathing. Breathing |
| behave in ways that are counterproductive. In | | | | patterns can affect how you feel and how much |
| therapy, you will learn ways to change your thoughts | | | | anxiety you experience. If you tend to hyperventilate |
| and actions so that you feel better and are less | | | | (breathe rapidly and shallowly), you will increase your |
| prone to anxiety and panic. | | | | anxiety. Instead, you want to learn how to breathe |
| People may not realize how deeply their thoughts | | | | deeply and slowly. Practice is essential, so that it |
| influence their emotions. Those with high levels of | | | | becomes second nature even when you're feeling |
| anxiety often suffer from "wrong" thinking. While | | | | panicky. Your therapist can also teach you other |
| some individuals take an optimistic view of life, | | | | ways to reduce anxiety, such as relaxation exercises |
| chronically anxious persons may interpret events in | | | | or biofeedback. |
| the worst possible light. They distort and exaggerate | | | | Cognitive-behavioral therapy can produce very good |
| events in their mind to make them seem more | | | | results for panic attack sufferers. It will teach you |
| catastrophic than they truly are. They may fret | | | | more constructive and rational ways to think about |
| about problems that don't really exist or aren't | | | | situations and events, reducing your anxiety and |
| important. Negative and unrealistic thoughts like these | | | | worry. Instead of being held hostage by panic, you |
| contribute unnecessarily to anxiety, panic, and | | | | become empowered and capable of changing how |
| depression. The therapist can gently steer you away | | | | you feel. |
| from unproductive thoughts, put things into | | | | |