People who suffer from anxiety or panic attacks often seek treatment through medication and psychotherapy. However, therapists will tell them successful treatment also depends on learning to change their behaviors and to practice techniques on their own to respond rationally to their fears. Exercises taught to patients become a daily part of their natural treatment and can eventually make them symptom-free.
Confront
During cognitive-behavior therapy, which helps change thinking patterns and the way people with panic disorder react to situations that cause anxiety, patients are told how to approach their fears. Therapists encourage them not to avoid situations that cause their panic attacks. Many people with panic disorder might stay away from crowded places or locations that trigger their attacks. Instead, they need to confront their fears and recognize that their fears are unfounded, according to Merck Manuals Online Medical Library.
Relaxation
Slow, controlled breathing techniques promote relaxation and relief for people who feel dizzy or faint as a panic attack develops. Patients can practice procedures by spinning in a chair in the therapist’s office and breathing quickly until they feel faint. They realize they will not actually faint and that using slow, shallow breathing keeps breathing under control and avoids hyperventilation that could occur during an anxiety attack.
Exposure
Breathing techniques help patients during exposure therapy. In the beginning, therapists can accompany patients while exposing them to situations that trigger fears, the National Institute of Mental Health explains. The exercise involves gradually exposing the patient to an anxiety-provoking situation until the fears diminish. When patients become more comfortable with the situation, they can perform the exercise on their own while using breathing and other techniques to help if anxiety begins to develop.
Visual Effects
Visual techniques also help patients who experience anxiety attacks. When feelings of an attack begin to rise, people look for a quiet place to sit and relax, using slow, controlled breathing. While sitting, they imagine a calm location, such as a beach or lake, and visualize being there. Visualization also involves hearing the sounds and sensing the smells of the calm location to help relieve their anxiety.
Benefits
The natural exercises teach patients coping strategies for their daily activities. Psychotherapy plays an important role in starting patients off with education and support, Psych Central notes. A patient’s time with a therapist might last less than 12 sessions. Group therapy with other panic disorder patients works effectively to teach relaxation techniques. The valuable lessons learned help patients use methods to cope with any anxiety-provoking situations with the hope of ending anxiety attacks successfully.
