Panic Attack Treatment Through Exposure Therapy

Attacks of anxiety are far from pleasant, so of course anyone suffering from them is going to want to seek out panic attack treatment. Many people afflicted by this condition actually try to avoid situations where they think attacks might occur, usually situations that could result in stress. For example, if someone is fearful of heights, they might do something most of us would think crazy, like drive two hours out of their way in order to avoid going over a tall bridge. Similarly, people who get all knotted up at the thought of speaking in public may decide to skip the wedding of their best friend! But there is a problem with doing these kinds of things, and I'm not just talking about the inconvenience it causes in one's life. The avoidance of fearful or stressful situations only makes that fear stronger.

One of the more successful panic attack treatment methods is exposure therapy, where patients attempt to confront their fears and overcome them. The thinking behind exposure therapy as a panic attack treatment is that if someone is repeatedly exposed to the source of their fear, they will eventually be able to come to terms with it. Panic sufferers can gain control over themselves and the situation over time, and with it their anxiety will be diminished. Exposure therapy can be applied in a couple of different ways, either real life confrontation or by merely imagining the situation.

The process of systematic desensitization

Instead of immediately traumatizing someone by immediately thrusting them into a face-to-face encounter with their greatest fear, exposure therapy has to build up slowly, beginning with something that is just mildly worrying. We call this process systematic desensitization. This panic attack treatment allows sufferers to challenge their fears slowly, giving them a chance to master the situation and the necessary skills for controlling panic.

There are three parts to systematic desensitization:

Relaxing - The first part of the process involves learning how to relax properly, which is a technique taught by exposure therapists. This can include deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation. Anxiety sufferers will be able to practice both in therapy sessions and at home as well. These techniques can be applied to lessen the response to physical anxiety, getting people ready to confront their fears.

Step-by-Step planning - The next thing patients must to do is create a list of steps that need to be taken on the way to confronting their ultimate fear. For example, someone who is terrified of flying will begin with looking at pictures of airplanes, before ending up actually getting on a plane and flying somewhere.

Taking one step at a time - Once the steps have been identified, panic attack treatment really begins. Sufferers work their way through their list, one step at a time. The idea is that they will remain in each scary situation (exposure) until a point when they are no longer scared of it. At this time, the patient is ready and moves onto the next step. This enables people to realize that the situation is not actually threatening, and they can slowly put things into perspective.

The exposure method is known to be one of the most effective panic attack treatment methods there are. For anyone struggling to get to grips with their fears, this treatment comes highly recommended.

By: Oliver Tambo

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