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A quick solution for anxiety and panic attacks is to take medications that are guaranteed to reduce their symptoms. It is very important to know that taking medications to treat anxiety and panic attacks involves a certain amount of risk. However, it is good to know that for sufferers of this condition, the benefits usually outweigh the negative side effects.
Side Effects of Anxiety Disorder Medications
Panic attack medication may pose the risk of side effects. These include the following:
1. Dryness of the mouth
2. Dizziness and headaches
3. Extreme fatigue
4. Confusion
5. Memory loss
6. Irregular heartbeat
7. Uncontrolled physical movements
Anxiety and panic attacks are connected to unfounded fears and irrational thinking so there is no medication that is guaranteed to be 100 percent effective.
Benzodiazepines
These are for combating insomnia and anxiety disorders. Such medication poses a risk of addiction. Studies have been conducted to measure the efficacy of benzodiazepines and it has been found that they have successfully treated as many as 70 percent of patients with symptoms of panic attack. Side effects of benzodiazepines include slurred speech, sedation, mood swings, decreased sex drive, and clumsiness.
Beta Blockers
Beta blockers aid in controlling some symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks like blushing, shaking, and increased heart rate. Unlike other treatments for panic attacks, beta blockers don't pose as many side effects. Their effects are not as risky and include insomnia, sedation, nightmares, and short-term memory loss.
Tricyclic Antidepressants
Aside from anxiety and panic attacks, these can also treat Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and depression. Their side effects are difficulty in urination, constipation, decreased libido, blurred vision, weight gain, sedation, mood swings, and insomnia. Such medications are used merely as short-term treatments for anxiety and panic attacks.
If you are having episodes of panic attacks, taking medications can prove to be helpful. However, bear in mind that these will not cure your condition; they will only alleviate its symptoms. If you want a supplemental treatment for your anxiety disorder, you may try the Panic Away Program by Joe Barry. It is an e-book that you can get from the website that teaches you some techniques to free you from panic attack caused by your fear of having it.
Contents at a Glance
Read about this condition on Wikipedia
Panic attack has been described as an episode of intense fear or apprehension that is of sudden onset.http://m-w.com/dictionary/panic%20attack
The DSM-IV describes a panic attack as a discrete period of intense fear or discomfort in which (at least 4 of 13) symptoms developed abruptly and reached a peak within 10 minutes.
According to the American Psychological Association, the symptoms of a panic attack commonly last approximately thirty minutes. However, panic attacks can be as short as 15 seconds, while sometimes panic attacks may form a cyclic series of episodes, lasting for an extended period, sometimes hours. Often those afflicted will experience significant anticipatory anxiety and limited symptom attacks in between attacks, in situations where attacks have previously occurred.
The effects of a panic attack vary from person to person. Some, notably first-time sufferers, may call for emergency services. Many who experience a panic attack, mostly for the first time, fear they are having a heart attack or a nervous breakdown. Experiencing a panic attack
has been said to be one of the most intensely frightening, upsetting and uncomfortable experiences of a person's
life.
