Panic Attack Therapy and Questions to Expect from Your Doctor
Maybe you have tried, unsuccessfully to stop your panics by experimenting with various treatments, tip or tricks. Maybe, then, it is time to see a professional, and if you plan to do so, arm yourself with some knowledge about what you can expect during those first few visits.
Take any journal or diary that you have kept related to your attacks with you – it will help you a lot when filling out forms. Be prepared to answer a lot of questions for your doctor, and try to provide an accurate history for him or her. Some of the questions you can expect to have to answer and information you will need to provide are listed below.
While it may be difficult to remember exact dates, you will be expected to provide a history of illnesses and surgeries you have had before.
Have you ever experienced a traumatic event that stands out in your mind, and that still makes you uncomfortable to think about? Traumatic events can be anything from a divorce or breakup, a loved one dying, a natural disaster that you either lived through or felt particularly sad about or even things like your children moving out or going away to college.
Providing an accurate list of medications (and the dosage for each) that you are taking, or have taken over the last six months or so is going to be very important.
Be prepared to provide information on whether anyone in your family has or used to have panic or anxiety attacks.
Your doctor is going to ask you about the amount of alcohol you consume either daily, weekly or monthly, and you should answer this one honestly, even if it is uncomfortable to do so, because alcohol triggers attacks.
Your doctor will want to know about any recreational drug use in which you have engaged. Again, it is important to be honest, as your panic attacks may be triggered by drug use and it is important for your doctor to either know that, or to rule it out as a cause of your attacks.
There will be questions about how much caffeine you consume daily, whether through coffee, tea, or other beverages, and if you get headaches or suffer from sluggishness if you don’t have that caffeine.
Your journal can also help you answer questions about how often you feel anxious or stressed, and how you know that you are about to have an attack.
Your doctor will also most likely want to know about your triggers, if you know them. For instance, if your heart starts palpitating every time you get behind the wheel of a car, or ride the elevator past a certain floor at the office, it is important to tell your provider.
Just remember to be as thorough and honest as possible, and if you remember things later that you did not share, write them down so that you can let your doctor know during your next visit.
Want more information? Visit our Panic Relief site and find plenty of informative content ranging from general information about anxiety symptoms to very specific “how to” info on panic attacks.