Panic Disorder Treatment
Panic Disorder Treatment
Panic disorder treatment consists of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), relaxation techniques, Interoceptive Exposure, and psychoeducation about the physiology of anxiety and panic attacks. This treatment teaches clients the interconnectedness among thinking, doing, and feeling. CBT focuses on clients’ cognition, especially thinking patterns before and during panic attacks, and trigger thoughts. Relaxation techniques retrain the body to relax and breathe deeply, while Interoceptive Exposure helps clients address avoidance and safety behaviors. Interoceptive Exposure involves exposing individuals to uncomfortable bodily sensations that trigger anxiety or panic attacks in a controlled and systematic way, desensitizing their bodies to these sensations and reducing their negative responses. By combining these three evidence- based modalities, clients learn that panic attacks result from the combination of fear of certain sensations and unexpected physical sensations.
