What are some of the steps in the treatment package for panic disorder?
The treatment of panic is organized around several goals: first, educating the patient about the nature of agoraphobia, anxiety and panic; second, determining the range of situations that you avoid or fear; third, evaluating the nature of your symptoms, their severity, frequency and the situations that elicit your anxiety; and, fourth, evaluation for other problems that may co-exist with panic–for example, depression, other anxieties, substance abuse, overeating, loneliness, and marital problems. Your therapist may include the following treatments: relaxation training, rebreathing training (especially if you hyperventilate), gradual exposure to situations that elicit panic, identification of your interpretation of your panic or arousal, stress reduction, training in general cognitive therapy principles ( challenging your negative beliefs, your concern about losing control, your fears of negative evaluation, and your demands for certainty), assertion training (when needed), and trainin
