Extra Help for Panic Disorder

 

Recovering from panic attacks may include talking with support groups,
family, friends, a therapist, or your doctor. In most cases of anxiety, heart
palpitations and chest pains have nothing to do with heart disease.
However, you may have difficulty completely eliminating this fear until you
have had appropriate diagnostic tests. Family and friends who are willing to
read information on panic disorder can help in many ways:

• Become thoroughly familiar with information about panic disorder and
  anxiety.

• Do not tell people their fears are silly, that it’s “all in their heads,” or
  that they’re “not trying hard enough.” Instead, help them understand
  how an adrenaline rush can make symptoms feel so awful.

• Discuss beliefs that will reduce concerns about symptoms of anxiety.
  Offer feedback that panic episodes are barely noticeable or
  information about other family members who have experienced
  problems with anxiety or depression. This can help people realize
  that an (inherited) sensitive temperament is a contributing factor.

• Help relabel and reattribute symptoms when a person is not thinking
  clearly during a panic attack—“You may not have realized how
  stressful that visit from your mother was.”

• Help people refocus on their breathing, something interesting in their
  surroundings, or silly trivia questions if sensations of panic start.

• Do not constantly try to divert people’s attention to prevent panic, but
  encourage them to find out if panic will come and offer reassurance
  that you will help them refocus if it does.

• Help people “flood out” anxiety by offering to “worry for them” in your
  silliest Mickey Mouse voice.

• Encourage people to expose themselves to difficult situations and
  offer to go with them to help them through any panic that occurs.

• Do not suddenly withdraw support, but find clever ways to gradually
  help people gain confidence in their independence after helping
  them refocus, float through, and face panic. Let them know you will
  be in another room, in the yard, at a neighbor’s house or following
  behind in your car in case you are needed.

FRIENDLY CAUTIONS

• Avoid asking for help from friends and relatives who are pushy,
  disinterested, inept, or rigid. Attempts to involve them in your
  recovery or make them change will hinder you.

• Do not argue with people who give you bad advice or try to make
  them understand. Let them know that you are glad they are
  concerned and just feedback what they are saying—”So you think it’s
  silly that I keep driving around the block and that by now I should be
  able manage downtown traffic. It must be frustrating for you to see
  me struggle and not be able to fix things for me.” Even if comments
  are cutting, respond to them as if they had been kind! Then find
  someone understanding with whom you can talk or write to yourself in
  a journal.

• Watch out for friends and family who discourage recovery because
  they benefit from the limitations that panic places on your life. They
  may be afraid of losing you or need you to be “weak” so they can be
  strong. As you start to recover, they may become suspicious,
  jealous, accusatory, irritable, or even start to develop panic
  themselves!

NATIONAL NETWORKS AND SUPPORT GROUPS

If you are fortunate, you will be able to find one or two people who will give
you assistance. However, this is not necessary. Many people do fine on
their own or working with a therapist. You may also be able to find a support
group in your community. There are national networks, web sites, and
books that can offer additional assistance:

• TERRAP (Territorial Apprehension) INC., 932 Evelyn Street, Menlo
  Park, CA 94025 (800-2-PHOBIA) offers a nationwide network for
  panic disorder and agoraphobia.

• Anxiety Disorder Association of America, 6000 Executive Blvd., Suite
  513, Rockville, MD 20852, Anxdis@aol.com (301-231-9350) has a
  newsletter and can provide information about therapists, research,
  and self-help groups.

• Anxiety-Panic Internet Resource is a self-help network dedicated to
  overcoming and curing overwhelming anxiety: www.algy.
  com/anxiety/menu.shtml.

• Treat Your Own Panic Disorder reviews self-treatment for panic
  disorder: http://e2.empirenet.com/~berta/.

• General Internet sites and links: www.athealth.com/, www.cmhc.com.

• Books: From Panic to Power by Lucinda Bassett (HarperCollins,
  1997).

MEDICATION

Both antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications are commonly used in
the treatment of panic disorder. Antidepressants such as Prozac, Zoloft,
and Paxil increase serotonin levels in your brain, which makes problems
less likely to happen without preventing them entirely. In mild cases, the
herb, Saint-John’s-Wort has been shown to relieve both depression and
anxiety. Anti-anxiety medication such as Xanax, Valium, and Ativan may
prevent panic attacks and keep you from learning how to refocus or float
through reactions. Refocusing and floating actually desensitize anxiety
triggers. However, medication can be an important part of treatment when:

• Depression is suggested by indecisiveness, withdrawal, and reduced
  concentration, energy, interest, and pleasure. Often, this is a
  physiological condition and with current medications, is more
  treatable than many other illnesses! An antidepressant may be
  necessary to “jump-start” your body’s chemistry so you can return to
  your usual level of functioning.

• Reassurance is needed that you can take a pill if you are not able to
  reduce symptoms on your own. Knowing that you can take anti-
  anxiety medications will ease your mind enough to get through the
  worst moments of panic. Taking this medication when you are not
  actually experiencing panic can cause drowsiness. If taken during an
  episode, anxiety will “absorb” the medication and sleepiness will not
  occur.

PROFESSIONAL HELP

If thoughts of panic or memories of some of your episodes are
overwhelming, a therapist can help you reexperience and “work through”
your anxiety in the office setting. This can give you the confidence to know
that you can diminish anxiety on your own. By exploring your first, worst,
and most recent panic attacks with a therapist, you may discover the origin
of your problem and make real strides in changing your reactions.
Therapists can also identify and treat any depression, obsession, or social
phobia that is contributing to your problems.