Panic disorder has been found to be treated by means of psychotherapy or medications.
Psychotherapy
Research has indicated the importance of psychotherapy in the treatment of panic disorder. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a suggested form of psychotherapy by American Psychiatric Association for panic disorder in particular. CBT reveals the significance of both the behavioral and the thought processes to understand and control anxiety or panic attacks. The treatment is especially meant for the insufficient, obstructive, damaging behaviors and unreasonable thought processes which enable the symptoms to continue.
Further research has indicated the effectiveness of panic-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy for the treatment of panic disorder. This has been based on Freud’s psychoanalytic theories. Here the focus of the treatment is to enable the clients better understand their unconscious conflicts within and their fantasies. This helps the clients to recognize the defense mechanisms which take part in continuing the symptoms.
Psychotherapy is normally done by a social worker, psychologist, psychiatrist, or an experienced counselor.
Medications
The drugs may be prescribed either by a physician or a psychiatrist. The duration for the drug treatment may vary among individuals. For some people, it becomes essential to continue the medication for their entire life, whereas for some it may not be needed.
The drugs generally used for the treatment of panic disorder are anti-anxiety drugs and antidepressants. The anti-anxiety drugs are mostly benzodiazepines. They include Ativan, Klonopin or Xanax. Since the patients are likely to get addicted to these drugs, they are prescribed sparingly or in very low amounts.
Antidepressants are prescribed though there is no clinical depression, since antidepressants prevent panic attacks. Antidepressants perform their action by changing the levels of the neurotransmitters (brain chemicals). Those neurotransmitters which are affected are
· Serotonin – modulates mood, anxiety, sleep, sexuality and appetite.
· Dopamine – manipulates body movements and is believed since a long time to have involved in motivating, rewarding, reinforcing, and other addictive behaviors. There are many psychosis theories suggesting the role of dopamine in psychotic symptoms.
· Norepinephrine – monitors alertness and sleep and is also supposed to be linked to fight and flight stress response of the body.
The antidepressants used in the treatment of panic disorder symptoms are
· Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) – Paxil, Zoloft and Prozac – increase the serotonin levels of brain to perform its action.
· Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) – Effexor and Cymbalta – alter the levels of both norepinephrine and serotonin.
· Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) – Anafranil and Elavil – alter norepinephrine and serotonin to a larger extent and dopamine to a smaller extent.
· Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) – Nardil and Parnate – similar to TCAs.
The most commonly used ones among the antidepressants are SSRIs. MAOIs are normally the last option since these drugs are likely to interact dangerously with beverages, foods and other drugs and so the patients must stick to a strict diet to avoid any after-effects.

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