When a panic attack happens, it can feel very scary and overwhelming and often can occur out of the blue. Panic attacks typically include physical sensations (shortness of breath, heart palpitations, sweating, nausea, muscle tension, and more) alongside intense fear and worry thoughts. Sometimes people can become afraid of the panic attack itself, which could be panic disorder.

Panic attacks are very common, with about 11% of the people reporting having a panic attack each year. It’s normal to want to find treatment quickly because panic attacks can feel uncomfortable and distressing for many people. Panic attacks are very treatable. In this article, we’ll review the best and most effective treatments for getting you relief.

Learning about panic attacks helps

Panic attacks aren’t dangerous, but they can be very scary and overwhelming, often triggering fear and worry thoughts alongside the physical sensations. Therefore, the best treatment for panic attacks includes learning more about anxiety, panic, fear, and what is happening in your brain and body when a panic attack is occurring.

The American Psychological Association reports that many people are helped by understanding what panic is and how many people experience panic. Learn more about Panic Disorder therapy and get help today.

CBT is the best treatment for panic attacks

Many people who have panic attacks will search out a therapist to help them understand what is happening to get relief. However, not all types of therapy are equally as effective in treating panic attacks. Research has long supported that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the best form of therapy for panic, and these findings hold up in recent research as well.

CBT is an approach to treating panic attacks that includes multiple components. It’s based on the idea that the ways you react to having a panic attack (what you think and what you do) can either increase or decrease the intensity of the experience. In CBT the focus is on changing your thinking and changing your actions to reduce the intensity, frequency, and duration of the panic attacks. If you’re interested in a CBT approach to treating your panic attacks, find a licensed mental health provider who is an expert in CBT for panic and anxiety.

Medication for panic attacks

CBT is the best type of therapy for treating panic attacks, but sometimes people can benefit from medications in addition to therapy for their panic attacks. Medications can help decrease your overall levels of anxiety and therefore support you in being able to engage in CBT effectively.

Many types of medications can be beneficial when experiencing panic including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are antidepressant medications. Some examples of medications for panic include Zoloft, Prozac, Celexa, and Lexapro.

Research findings have shown that the combination of CBT plus SSRI medications is effective in treating panic, so if you think medications might be beneficial, talk to your primary care physician or find a psychiatrist to discuss your options.

Strategies you can use on your own for panic attacks

Cognitive behavioral therapy is the best treatment for panic attacks. If you aren’t sure if therapy is right for you, try some of these strategies to help with your panic attacks first.

Anxiety is a natural part of life, so many different things can trigger panic attacks, but generally triggers fall into a few categories:

Genes and biology
Substances and chemicals
External stress and self-talk
Past experiences.

Reduce your chemical intake

Substances and chemicals can have an impact on our levels of anxiety. If you’re having panic attacks it may be helpful to reduce your intake of common chemicals. Some of these that trigger anxiety in some people include:

Caffeine
Alcohol
Nicotine
Cannabis
Other recreational drugs

Other chemicals that can impact anxiety include hormones. For women in particular, changes in hormones around PMS, perimenopause, menopause, and during and after pregnancy could all cause an increase in anxiety.

Try cutting back on caffeine or switching to decaf, skip the glass of wine after work, and try a mocktail instead. Pay attention to what your body feels like and see if you notice any changes in your anxiety levels when you decrease your chemicals.

Reduce your stress

Everyone experiences stressors regularly, whether that means a demanding job, dealing with traffic, financial stress and worry about money, parenting, and relationships, or work and school deadlines. It’s important to find ways to effectively cope with stress, especially if your stress is triggering uncomfortable panic attacks.

Stress management can look different for everyone, but some strategies include:

Deep breathing, meditation and mindfulness, and relaxation exercises
Regular exercise like walking, yoga, swimming, playing a sport, lifting weights
Writing down your thoughts and feelings in a journal
Talking to a supportive friend, partner, or family member

These strategies can help to decrease stress and good stress-management is an important part of living a balanced life, but if you’ve tried these strategies and are still having panic attacks, it may be time to consider therapy.

Reduce the impact of other triggers

While we can make changes in our lives to decrease chemicals and substances or work on better stress management, some anxiety triggers are best addressed in therapy. If you want to work on changing your self-talk or decreasing the impact of past experiences, then a licensed mental health provider who is an expert in CBT for anxiety and panic can help.

Summary

The best treatment for panic attacks in 2024 is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Working with a high-quality CBT therapist will include learning about anxiety and panic and what is happening in your brain and body, as well as learning how to change thoughts and behaviors to decrease the intensity, frequency, and duration of panic attacks.

Your CBT therapist might recommend medications, like SSRIs, to help with your panic attacks. But panic attacks are very treatable and you can start reducing your chemical triggers and stressors today.

To learn more about CBT for panic and anxiety, check out my Panic Disorder therapy page or schedule a free 15-minute consultation today.

The Best Treatments for Panic Attacks in 2024