Panic Attacks Therapy for Chronic Sufferers: Questions Your Doctor Will Ask
Panic attacks therapy can be a Pandora's box of surprises and dissappointments. Have you tried a variety of treatments, tips, and tricks for stopping your panic attacks, with little or no results? If so, it may be time to see a professional, but to ward off any anxiety you may have about doing so, you can arm yourself with knowledge of what to expect during your first visit to the doctor.
If you have kept a journal related to your attacks, definitely take that with you, it will help you to fill out forms that ask for specific information about your symptoms. Be prepared to answer a lot of questions for your doctor, and try to provide an accurate history for him or her. Some of the questions you can expect to have to answer and information you will need to provide are listed below.
What sorts of surgeries and illnesses have you had in the past? Try to be
as accurate as you can on the dates, even if it is hard to remember.
Have you ever experienced a traumatic event
that stands out in your mind, and that still makes you uncomfortable to
think about? Traumatic events
can be anything from a divorce or breakup, a loved one dying, a natural
disaster that you either lived through or felt particularly sad about or
even things like your children moving out or going away to college.
Be prepared to provide a list of medications
and their dosages that you are currently taking, or have taken within the
last six months or so.
Your doctor will ask you whether anyone else
in your family has, or had in the past, anxiety or panic attacks.
Click here
to learn more about the EasyCalm Anxiety Video Series
You will be asked how much alcohol you
consume in a day, a week, or a month, and be honest because alcohol is often
a trigger for panic attacks.
Your doctor will want to know about any
recreational drug use in which you have engaged. Again, it is important to be honest, as your panic attacks may be
triggered by drug use and it is important for your doctor to either know
that, or to rule it out as a cause of your attacks.
How much coffee, or caffeinated soda or other
beverages do you drink on a daily basis? What happens if you don’t get your morning cup of coffee; for
example, do you get a headache, or are you too tired to function without it?
You should be ready to tell your doctor how
often you feel anxious or stressed and what signs tell you that a panic
attack may be approaching. This
is where a journal can be especially helpful.
Click here
to learn more about the EasyCalm Anxiety Video Series
Your doctor will also most likely want to
know about your triggers, if you know them. For instance, if your heart starts palpitating every time you get
behind the wheel of a car, or ride the elevator past a certain floor at the
office, it is important to tell your provider.
Just remember to be as thorough and honest as possible, and if you remember things later that you did not share, write them down so that you can let your doctor know during your next visit.
