Let me describe to you some important issues related to 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. It is unsurprising, therefore, that the first plan action often involves seeing your physician. This can happen even more so if you already suffer from real physical problems like lung or heart issues. However, visiting your physician just to receive a “quick-fix” recipe of panic pills or panic tablets may not be the best idea. Let me describe to you what I feel are the main pros and cons of using panic medication.
So how to stop panic attacks then? What is essential in learning about how to stop panic attacks is the notion that the core problem is not physical at all but is in your mind. No, you are not crazy, but it is well-known and well-documented that panic symptoms themselves are not dangerous. Yes they are nasty, upsetting, a pain in the neck, but still not dangerous. Therefore, discovering ways how to get rid of panic attacks needs to relate to what you believe your panic symptoms to mean. Having said that, the panic can be so bad that you might feel you have no choice, you simply need to go see a doctor and get medication. So when are panic tablets a good idea?
Here’s when I feel you perhaps should take panic medication:
1. If your life is so disrupted by your panic symptoms that you feel it is impossible to function normally. For example, you just cannot go to, or function at work, or the quality of your relationships is going down, or you just seem to be avoiding situations or places for fear of panic, and where this avoidance makes your life a lot harder.
2. If quite some time has passed you did not yet overcome panic attacks with other help, such as from controlled breathing techniques, distraction, counselling 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 you don’t feel too much disrupted by your panic symptoms, and this is, in your opinion, very unlikely to get worse.
2. If what you want is immediate help every time, yet, you are also aware that panic attacks can only truly be overcome through a psychological approach.
3. If you can confirm to yourself that in fairness, you suffer from a high level of dependency on, or addiction to, tablets or medication.
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.
In general though, it really is important to be aware that your first resort solution to get rid of panic attacks shouldn’t always be panic pills, as overcoming panic attacks long term is not likely to be achieved by medication alone. 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.


