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Psychotherapy for panic attacks successful in 90% of patients |
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Written by Dr. H. P. Bustami
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Sunday, 11 January 2009 |
The heart beats fast, the head is swimming and the the cold sweat of fear stands in the face: a panic attack occurs and you cannot control it. Around 3% of a population suffers from panic disorders making it often difficult to live a normal life for the patients concerned. Now a study of german medical doctors revealed that in 90% of the cases a certain behaviour therapy can cure the panic disorders which are characterized by regular panic attacs.
The persons usually avoid situations in which their disorder can break
out and cause fear and panic: heights, public places, driving by bus
and other kinds of phobias. Depressions, alcohol dependency and
numerous forms of phobias are disorders which persons with panic
disorders also suffer from. In average not until seven years the
patients get a therapy.
In the study in which 360 patients from all over Germany participated
90% showed a clear improvement in their symptoms already after six
weeks of treatment. With this new findings it could be done much more for people who suffer
from extrem restrictions in their daily life by simply treating them in
a six weeks period. Confronting the anxiety
Briefly: in the therapy the patients learn an
implementable way to deal with their anxiety. In a first step they are
confronted with the physiological symptoms (heart beat, swindle, sweating) and in a second step they
confront the situation which usually cause the symptoms during the
panic attack. Meanwhile the patient learns that the rise in panic is not endless
but that it decrease after a while. With the time being the panic
attacs are getting less fierce and the patients may overcome the
anxiety they fear.
This confrontation therapy is applied to different types of phobias and
panic disorders. It should be spread fast to allow the cure of as many
patients as possible one day.
Source: http://www.uni-greifswald.de/informieren/pressestelle.html
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