The primary care physician will determine if you have Health Anxiety Disorder, panic disorder or other disorder, such as heart or thyroid problems, with symptoms that look like panic attacks.
To determine a diagnosis, you may need to do the following:
- A complete physical examination
- Blood tests to check the thyroid and other possible diseases and heart tests, such as an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
- A psychological evaluation to talk about your symptoms, fears or worries, stressful situations, problems in your relationships, situations you may be avoiding and family history
You can fill out a self-assessment or a psychological questionnaire. You may be asked about the use of alcohol or other substances.
Criteria for the diagnosis of panic disorder
Not all people who suffer from panic attacks have a panic disorder. For the diagnosis of panic disorder and for the Panic Disorder Treatment one needs to get in touch with doctor. :
- You have unexpected frequent panic attacks.
- After at least one of the attacks, there was a period of one month or more of continuing concern about the possibility of another attack; you felt constant fear of the consequences of an attack, such as losing control, suffering a heart attack or "going crazy", or changed your behaviour significantly, for example, avoiding situations that you think may trigger a panic attack.
- Your panic attacks are not due to the use of medications or other substances, an illness or other mental health related disorder, such as social phobia or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
If you suffer from panic attacks, but have not been diagnosed with panic disorder, you can still benefit from a Separation Anxiety Disorder Treatment. If the panic attacks are not treated, they can get worse and turn into a panic disorder or phobias.
How to Treat Anxiety Disorder
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treatment Louisiana can help reduce the intensity and frequency of panic attacks and improve your activities in daily life. The main Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treatment options are psychotherapy and medications. They can recommend a treatment or both, depending on your preference, your medical history, the severity of the panic disorder and access to therapists specialized in the treatment of panic disorders.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy, also called conversation therapy, is considered a first choice of effective treatment for Different Anxiety Disorders. Psychotherapy can help you understand panic attacks and panic disorders, and can help you learn to control them.
Cognitive behavioural therapy is a form of psychotherapy that can help you understand, through your own experience, that panic symptoms are not dangerous. Your therapist will help you slowly recreate the symptoms of a panic attack in a repetitive and safe way. Once the physical sensations of panic are no longer perceived as threatening, the attacks begin to resolve. A successful treatment can also help you overcome fears of situations that you have avoided due to panic attacks.
Noticing the results of the treatment can take time and effort. You may begin to see that the symptoms of panic attacks subside after a few weeks, and the symptoms generally shrink markedly or disappear after several months. You can schedule occasional maintenance consultations to ensure that your panic attacks are still under control or to deal with the reappearance of these.
