September 6th, 2010
Do You Take Panic Pills? – 3 Reasons Why Panic Medication Is Perhaps Not The Right Choice
Let me explain to you some important issues about dealing with panic attacks. In previous articles I have talked about dealing with panic attacks and the awful experiences panic attacks can bring to people, and the worry that panic symptoms such as chest pains, breathing problems or dizziness can cause. Nobody will be surprised then that people often visit their doctor as soon as possible. This is certainly the case if you already have some physical ailment, such as heart or lung problems. But seeing a doctor in order to get ‘panic pills’ or ‘panic tablets’ might not always be your best strategy. Below I will outline some reasons for and against taking panic medication.
So how to stop panic attacks then? A very important thing to remember about how to stop panic attacks is that the main part of the problem lies in your mind. Of course I’m not saying you have an automatic mental illness, but it has been well described now that symptoms of panic attacks are actually not dangerous. Yes they are nasty, upsetting, a pain in the neck, but still not dangerous. Thus you need to learn to really start paying attention to what your personal beliefs are about your panic symptoms. But despite that, of course your panic attacks can feel so awful that you honestly think you’re left with no choice but to visit your doctor and get panic pills. Can panic tablets be a solutions?
Allow me to describe when I feel you might well need them:
1. If your current life is regular, if not totally disrupted because of panic symptoms, to the extent that you don’t function normally any longer. This might mean that you cannot work, your relationships might be affected, or all you can do is to avoid places or situations that you would normally go to, and where that avoidance is making your life very difficult.
2. If after a long time (you decide what is long) you have been unable to solve panic attacks in other ways (counselling, relaxation, controlled breathing, lifestyle changes, other methods etc.)
3. If your panic attacks are in fact linked to another condition you might have, and which needs medication.
Of course you could not just look at the situations I described above and if none of them are the case for you, then perhaps panic pills are not the solution. Yet, I want to add 3 extra and important reasons for avoiding panic tablets.
1. If the disturbance of by panic attacks symptoms is low and is also unlikely to get worse in your opinion (your opinion counts here!)
2. If you feel tempted by short-term improvement, but know in yourself that you really should try control panic with psychological means.
3. If you have a history of dependency on medication (if not addiction).
Now, if your decision is to use “panic pills”, you need to clarify somehow that they will not disrupt the effect of other medicaments you might be taking. In addition, you might need to realize that could be taking medication for a prolonged period of time.
Overall, it is important to keep in mind that “panic pills” are not automatically your first resort to get rid of panic attacks, as it will not actually solve your panic problem. It will help you get rid of panic attacks better perhaps, and also, in might make it more possible for you to use psychological treatment.