Treating Anxiety Disorder- Continued
Cognitive Behavior Treatment
Unlike the packaged programs discussed above, Cognitive
Behavior Treatment (or “CBT”) is a psychotherapeutic approach that employs
cognitive psychology. It is a
general term for a form of mental health treatment that is only available by
seeing a psychiatrist or psychologist.
This type of therapy is used in both group and individual settings,
and has the support of the psychology community as being one of the most
effective ways of treating anxiety disorder. Your insurance may
cover this treatment, and the cost can vary greatly depending on your
provider, but an average session can run about $150.00.
Exposure Therapy
Exposure Therapy is based on CBT (described above) and has been reported by the Archives of General Psychiatry (in the June 2008 issue) to help prevent acute stress disorder from turning into post-traumatic stress syndrome. This therapy, too, must be administered by a licensed professional, and introduces the patient to his or her fears in small doses so that they can overcome them. For example, if someone is afraid of heights, this therapy will have them climb to the top of a tall building, a couple of floors at a time until the patient is able to reach the top. This therapy may also be covered by your insurance, and one session generally costs an average of $150.00.
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Hypnotism
Hypnotism is by no means a new form of therapy, and has, in fact, been in use since ancient times. What it boils down to is a guided meditation, forcing the patient into a trance of sorts, where suggestions can be introduced to the patient that will stay in the subconscious after the session is over. Hypnosis has had a bad rap, however, from many “showmen” who use it in Vegas acts to get people to do silly things while in a trance-like state, and while that may make it a little hard to take seriously, many people have benefitted by using hypnosis as a treatment for panic attacks. A hypnosis session can cost anywhere from $100.00 on up, and can sometimes be billed to a patient’s insurance company.
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Drug Therapy
There are four main categories of prescription drugs that are regularly prescribed for panic disorder. Tricyclic Antidepressants include drugs such as Tofranil, Anafranil, Pamelor, and Norpramin. This category of medications can take up to a month to start working, and the patient is usually kept on them for about six months. The second category includes medications known as SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), and include medications with the brand names Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, and Luvox. How well they work will depend a lot on the patient’s genetics. Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors, or MAOIs, include Nardil and Parnate. They are prescribed less frequently than SSRIs, because they interact badly with many other medications and some foods. The last category contains drugs such as Xanax, Ativan, and Klonopin, and is known as Benzodiazepines, and these are most often used for short-term treatment of anxiety.
While this article lays out the basics of some of today’s treatments for panic attacks, you should be aware that a complete treatment plan can include one or more of these methods. Further, a comprehensive plan of therapy should be made up from one or more of the above treatments, alongside self-help therapies as found elsewhere on this site. Reducing your level of stress and anxiety by all methods available to you can be advantageous in your efforts to find the perfect treatment for panic attacks.
