Summarize the following:
You might be tempted to cope with your panic episodes through self-medication with drugs or alcohol. This is always a bad idea. For one thing, it fails to address the underlying problem. You are merely masking it by temporarily altering your brain chemistry and putting yourself at risk for alcoholism, drug dependency, and a host of other health problems. For another thing, it is counter-productive. Once the sedating effects of the drugs or alcohol wear off, the panic often comes back more strongly because you have lowered your defenses. There are safe medications that you can use to temporarily control or reduce symptoms of panic disorder. This will not "cure" the problem or resolve it entirely, but it may prove helpful. Talk to your doctor about this option. Most often, meds will work best when paired with other treatments like therapy and changes to lifestyle that get at the root causes. One possible option is to take a serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant, like fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), or sertraline (Zoloft). These work by changing the levels of the hormone serotonin in your brain, boosting your mood, relieving mild to severe depression, and decreasing the frequency of panic attacks. Antidepressants are generally safe and cause fewer side effects than other types of antidepressants. Keep in mind that antidepressants can take several weeks before they begin to work properly. You have to take them continuously, not just during an isolated attack. Benzodiazepines are central nervous system depressants that are useful in treating anxiety, insomnia, seizures, and other problems. Generally they act quickly, usually within 30 minutes to an hour, and give rapid relief of symptoms of anxiety or panic. Benzos are habit-forming when taken long-term or in high dosages. You can develop a serious physical or psychological dependence on them and experience withdrawal symptoms. They should usually only be used for a short period.
Don't self-medicate. Talk to your doctor. Ask your physician about antidepressants. Ask your doctor about benzodiazepine.