Initially people do not fully realise that they have a panic disorder, but instead become wary or fearful of a symptom they notice occurs in a particular situation. For example, suppose heart trouble runs in your family and when you notice that your heart is beating rapidly while sitting in the dentist's chair, you worry that you are developing the same problem.
Because the symptom seems to be linked to the situation, in the same way that touching a hot element will make you wary of elements in the future, many people find they avoid situations in order to stop the symptoms. In this case, visits to the dentist now become something that you no longer do unless it is absolutely necessary.
The trouble with avoidance as a way to stop the symptom / anxiety is that it is not only going to the dentist that speeds up your heart beat, but it might also be walking up a flight of stairs, or having sex with your partner. There comes a point when avoidance creates so many problems on it's own, that you really need to start working on the problem you have with the symptom instead.
People with panic disorder often mistakenly believe that they have faulty thinking, or that they are crazy because they rationalise that sitting in a dentist's chair is not a dangerous situation. But because they really do have the pounding heart and sweaty palms, they imagine that there is something wrong with their mind.
To help, they may begin to recite mantras (I am capable, healthy and sane) or prayers (Please God don't let it happen today!). Or they may find that they feel better when they carry a calming crystal, such as lapis lazuli or rose quartz, or a lucky rabbit's foot, or by doing some particular action that in the short term eases the symptom.
In extreme cases the using of rituals or actions can take over your life, creating far more problems for the anxious person than the pounding heart does.
For some people, having counselling, and especially Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy, can greatly improve the management of their panic disorder.
Therapy can teach you that it is not dangerous to sit in a dentist's chair, and with practise, thought patterns can be changed. Instead of running the same tape over and over in your head, you can re-programme the brain to run another, better tape. For example, with therapy it is often possible to overcome phobias of dentists, flying, or spiders, and to lead a more normal life.
Physiotherapy can also help with treating panic disorder by teaching the person to breathe “lower and slower” in an effort to avoid the rapid upper chest breathing that is often associated with the symptoms.
Physiotherapists have a wonderful understanding of the human body and so can also explain why the symptoms occur, providing the person with a far greater understanding of their condition.
Once you understand how powerful breathing can be, you are less likely to be afraid that your pounding heart, chest pain, or sweating is a heart attack. Instead you are more likely to recognise it as hyperventilation, and go into your low and slow breathing pattern.
The subconscious brain responds to a variety of stimulus to such a degree that emotions can be changed by physical actions. For instance, a study has showed that people who deliberately smiled for a certain length of time each day tended to have less depression than those who did not smile for the same length of time.
Even without smiling, people who repeated words that rhyme with ‘ee’ many, many times a day felt better than people who said words that rhymed with ‘oh’. When you say ‘see’ for example, you activate the same kind of muscles that are used to smile with.
Exercise reduces stress, and helps to allow you to think more clearly, so it is not surprising that many people find their daily walk or jog is imperative in improving panic disorder. Going for a walk with a friend is even better, making this is a useful way of reducing stress in your life.
Because the brain requires both oxygen and sugar to function properly, both hyperventilation and low blood sugar can bring on panic and disordered thinking as well as a wide variety of physical symptoms. Low blood sugar will stimulate the manufacture of adrenaline to enhance sugar production and unfortunately all the other actions of adrenaline, like increased heartbeat and sweating occur as well.
It is important therefore to maintain a reasonably constant level of sugar in the blood, which can be achieved by eating small meals several times a day and having some protein at each meal. This is because protein provides a slower and more sustained rise in blood sugar than that formed by carbohydrates.
Every drug has its good side that is therapeutic and also possible side effects, so it is important to learn about these before embarking on any long-term drug therapy, so that you can weigh up which type or brand is best for you.
Tranquilliser medications may be useful in the short term to take the edge off anxiety, and to mask the symptoms. In some cases they replace elements that are missing in a person's body, or they allow the body to use certain natural elements more effectively, and so are a perfect management of the condition.
In other people they can cause problems for the future because they are not addressing the cause but only masking the symptoms, and also because some of these drugs are addictive and become less effective when used repeatedly. As the problem worsens and more symptoms appear, either a stronger dose is needed or other forms of treatment may be necessary. Cutting out the drugs later on can cause withdrawal symptoms, making it difficult to come off them.
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