What Are Different Drug Treatments for Panic Disorder?
Panic attacks can be a terrifying experience, seemingly coming out of nowhere and making people feel intense dread, fear, or even like they’re dying. While panic attacks can’t kill you, they can become debilitating and greatly affect a person — especially if they happen frequently and the person is constantly afraid of another attack. In cases like this, people are at risk of developing a panic disorder, a specific type of anxiety disorder that can make them suffer unexpected and frequent panic attacks. This intense and distressing condition can be scary and make people miserable, and that’s why it’s important to know about options for getting help with addressing panic attacks and subsequent mental health struggles. At WhiteSands Treatment’s network of facilities across Florida, our experts help people overcome drug and alcohol addiction but also can offer treatment for co-occurring mental health disorders, including anxiety disorders, that often go hand in hand with substance abuse problems. Let’s explore treatment options for these conditions, including drug treatment for panic disorders.
What Is the Root Cause of Panic Attacks?
There isn’t just one cause of panic attacks, and the exact thing or things that prompt people to experience them remain unknown. However, according to WebMD, some factors seem to play a role in panic attacks. This involves genetics and family history, stress, changes to brain function, and having a temperament sensitive to stress or disposed to negative thoughts and feelings. While the attacks seem to come out of nowhere, especially early on, WebMD says they’re more likely to be triggered by certain situations or events as time goes on. Another peculiarity of panic attacks is people who are experiencing them will kick into the fight-or-flight response that their body would normally do in response to danger or fear — even if there’s no actual danger at the moment. When someone has a panic attack, their respiratory rate and heart rate spike just like they would when facing an actually dangerous situation.
What Happens if Panic Disorder Goes Untreated?
Mental health disorders and addiction can fuel and worsen each other, and that’s also a potential risk of untreated panic disorder. The strong feelings and constant fear at the heart of panic disorder can make people afraid of just about everything, and they might be tempted to turn to drugs or alcohol in an attempt to numb or forget about these distressing feelings. That’s why WhiteSands Treatment offers a dual-diagnosis treatment program that not only helps people overcome addiction but also treats and manages mental health disorders like depression, anxiety disorders, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If left untreated, people are much more likely to relapse or struggle in early recovery, and our experts can help people address both mental health disorders and addiction at the same time.
What Medications Are Good for Panic Disorder?
Panic disorder usually requires a comprehensive approach of therapy and prescription medications. According to a 2022 analysis of 87 previous studies by the American Academy of Family Physicians, 11 different drug classes are currently used as drug treatment for panic disorders. Among these 11 classes, the analysis found that benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) led to the highest rates of remission from panic disorder. Patients taking benzodiazepines were the least likely to drop out of treatment, but they also were at the highest risk of adverse events or side effects. SSRIs, a type of antidepressant, were found to be especially beneficial in treatment while having a low risk of adverse effects. Specifically, sertraline (Zoloft) and escitalopram (Lexapro) were the most effective among SSRIs.
What Is the Best Treatment Plan for Panic Disorder?
The best treatment plan for panic disorder is what works best for each individual patient, as every person is unique. However, some treatment offerings are fairly standard for this mental health condition, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety that helps patients identify flawed or unproductive thought and behavior patterns and learn how to replace them with better ways of viewing and responding to the world.
Drug treatment for panic disorders is common as part of the way of addressing this distressing mental health condition. A 2023 review published in the Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews looked at 70 trials, finding substantial evidence that most medications are much more effective than placebos when it comes to treating panic disorders. The strongest effect was noticed particularly from benzodiazepines, including diazepam, alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), and adinazolam. Strong benefits were also observed in patients who were prescribed particular antidepressants, including SSRIs paroxetine (Paxil) and fluoxetine (Prozac), as well as the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) venlafaxine (Effexor) and tricyclic antidepressant clomipramine. Among all of these medications, diazepam, alprazolam, and clonazepam were ranked the most effective.
WhiteSands Treatment Can Help You Overcome Addiction and Panic Disorders
While WhiteSands Treatment is known as a top place to get help with overcoming drug and alcohol addiction, our expert staff of therapists and medical professionals can also help patients receive effective mental health services in Florida to address addiction and mental health struggles at the same time. We know that patients need to learn the skills and coping mechanisms they’ll need to manage mental health struggles to have the best recovery from addiction possible. At WhiteSands’ network of treatment facilities across the state, we can help you receive therapy, drug treatment for panic disorders, and support for overcoming addiction while also leaving panic attacks in the past. Learn more about how we can help by calling us at 877-855-3470 today.
External Sources
- Mayo Clinic — Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder: Symptoms & Causes
- National Library of Medicine — Pharmacological Treatments in Panic Disorder in Adults
- American Academy of Family Physicians — What Are the Best Medications for Panic Disorder?
If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.
About the Author
Jackie has been involved in the substance abuse and addiction treatment sector for over five years and this is something that she is truly eager about. She has a passion for writing and continuously works to create informative pieces that not only educate and inform the public about the disease of addiction but also provide solutions for those who struggle with drug and alcohol abuse.
