Other sufferers have reported losing their jobs and having to rely on public assistance or family members. None of this needs to happen. Panic disorder can be treated successfully, and sufferers can go on to lead full and satisfying lives. Most specialists agree that a combination of cognitive and behavioral therapies are the best treatment for panic disorder. Medication might also be appropriate in some cases.
Cognitive therapy can help the patient identify possible triggers for the attacks.
The trigger in an individual case could be something like a thought, a situation, or something as subtle as a slight change in heartbeat. Once the patient understands that the panic attack is separate and independent of the trigger, that trigger begins to lose some of its power to induce an attack. This is similar to the systematic desensitization used to cure phobias, but what it focuses on is exposure to he actual physical sensations that someone experiences during a panic attack. Others won't drink coffee or go to an overheated room because they're afraid that these might trigger the physical symptoms of a panic attack. Behavioral therapy is also used to deal with the situational avoidance associated with panic attacks.