Are There Any Cures for Panic Attack and Depression?

Panic attack and depression are two common psychological disorders that many people around the world are suffering from. Many known and unknown companies are commercializing their products, claiming for its success for cures for panic attack and depression. But how far all these claims are true? Are there any real cures for panic attack and depression? Let's investigate.

Panic Attack and Depression

Although panic attacks bring recurrent frightening experience, typically these are not linked up with any physically harmful conditions. People suffering from panic attacks may experience fear that they are going to die. They experience suffocation, even in its worst, they may experience heart attack as well.

Usually the term 'clinical depression' is used to refer true depression from the experience of blues. In practice, there is a wide array of depressive symptoms such as major depression, dysthymia, bipolar disorder and seasonal depression. Additionally, adjustment disorder can also pose a threat of developing depression due to its inevitable distress response.

Critical Appraisal of Medication

For panic attack, people mostly depend on benzodiazepines group of medications like Xanax, Klonopin and Valium which consist of strong addictive property. It means if these medications are used for prolonged period of time, they certainly bring physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms to people. The common withdrawal symptoms may include agitation, insomnia and recurrence symptoms of panic disorder itself.

On the other hand, antidepressant medications are used to treat depression. These medications include selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tri-cyclic antidepressants (TCA), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and atypical antidepressants. They also bring side effects like withdrawal symptoms and other related complications like insomnia, restlessness, anxiety.

These medications are helpful in managing some overt symptoms. So, none of them can be considered as effective cures for panic attack and depression.

Alternative Solution

Many people realize that these medications are not permanent solutions, so these are not cures for panic attack and depression. These people usually turn their attention over searching for an alternative solution. Doctors recommend following healthy lifestyle and good diet rich in natural nutritional supplements especially to the individuals suffering from anxiety, depression or panic attacks. In fact, following a healthy lifestyle and diet along with adequate sleep and breathing technique practice can offer effective cures for panic attacks and depression.

For depression, self-care and positive thinking practice are mandatory and are found to be more effective cures for depression and for panic attacks the practice of relaxation technique and slow breathing process can offer great help. However, for both the disorders, people need to undergo different psychotherapeutic intervention such as exposure therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, rational-emotive behavior therapy, and panic-centered psychodynamic psychotherapy, so on.