People who suffer from severe panic attacks are often afraid to go out into the world, afraid because they may suffer another attack in the midst of stranger who may view them as a hypochondriac or an attention-seeker.  People who suffer from panic attacks and stay inside all day and all night are known to suffer from another condition called agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is the fear of going out into the public and being in public places.

A good example of a person suffering from agoraphobia is from the movie Copycat starring Sigourney Weaver. Weaver is a psychiatrist who was attacked after making a speech at a university. She was housebound for 13 months, afraid to leave her home due to the traumatic experience.  The only person who understood her best was her assistant. He tried to get her to open up but fear gripped her as she struggled to overcome her fear and panic attacks.  Agoraphobia – the fear that can change a person’s life.

So how does a person treat panic attacks due to agoraphobia? There’s actually several ways. However, a person must be willing to follow through and treat panic attacks due to agoraphobia to have a profound effect.

Three Tips Treating Agoraphobic Panic Attacks

Treating Panic Attacks Tip 1 – Medications

One of the most surefire ways to treat panic attacks due to agoraphobia is to use medication. There are good and bad benefits to using medications to treat panic attacks due to agoraphobia. First, take a look at the most popular benefit to using medications. The anti-anxiety and anti depressant medicines that are prescribed will minimize panic attack symptoms for the majority of agoraphobic patients. Two popular drugs used for this purpose include Paxil and Prozac.

Now take a look at the reason medications are not good for treatment of panic attacks due to agoraphobia. Some people are unable to stop taking the medication even after they’ve gotten to the heart of the initial problem by talking with their psychologist. A couple of other good medications that are prescribed to treat panic attacks due to agoraphobia include Klonopin and Xanax.

Treating Panic Attacks Tip 2 – Changes in Lifestyle

A second way to treat panic attacks due to agoraphobia is to change the person’s lifestyle and go through psychotherapy. One thing to be aware of is that caffeine and alcohol have a tendency to have a negative effect on the person’s mind and body. Caffeine keeps the body from relaxing and alcohol keeps the mind from being able to process information clearly. Folks who consume these two things have a predisposition to panic attacks. If a patient is taking medication, using caffeine or alcohol is not a good idea anyway. After all, the majority of anti-anxiety and anti depressant medications have warnings about using alcohol.

Treating Panic Attacks Tip 3 – Psychotherapy

Patients don’t have to resort to medications or changing their lifestyle to treat panic attacks due to agoraphobia. Instead, they can get to the root of the entire attack. Therapists can help their patients by getting them to understand their fears and providing them with the tools necessary to face the social world once more.

After getting to the bottom of the problem, the therapist will offer relaxation techniques the patient can use in case of more panic attacks. By combining both the relaxation techniques and medication, the patient can overcome some symptoms, if not all of them… a clear way to treat panic attacks due to agoraphobia.