Living with chronic anxiety and panic attacks is extremely difficult; these conditions can make it nearly impossible to live an ordinary life. Many people who suffer from these issues find themselves isolated, no longer feeling comfortable around others or doing the things which they used to enjoy. Thankfully, there are some ways to fight back against panic and anxiety disorders.

For many people, panic attack medication and therapy can be the answer, helping them to get their symptoms under control and in many cases, eventually becoming entirely free of panic attacks. One of the most effective therapies for panic disorders is behavioral therapy. This type of treatment is aimed at changing the patient's behavioral patterns, especially their behavior in response to the stimuli which tend to trigger their attacks. Using medication to treat these attacks is often helpful in reducing the frequency and severity of attacks, allowing the patient to derive more benefit from therapy.

While panic attack medication is seldom enough by itself to completely cure the problem, antidepressants have proven to be effective in many cases. The most commonly prescribed of these medications are Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft, all of which are SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) drugs. SSRIs help to treat anxiety and panic by allowing the brain to use more of the serotonin it produces, which helps this mood regulating neurotransmitter to be more effective.

Serotonin is widely believed to relieve emotional imbalance and help produce a sense of well being, making it a medication that can be effective not only for depression, but also for chronic anxiety and panic disorders.

Before SSRIs became commonly used for attacks, the most commonly prescribed types of panic attack medication were TCS (tricyclic anti-depressant) drugs such as Norpramin, Tofranil and Anafranil. While these drugs were effective in treating the disorder, they have largely fallen out of favor in most cases, due to the risk of side effects that come along with these medications. There may be exceptions of course.

The TCA family of drugs should only be used under careful medical supervision; but the same word of caution applies to any type medication to a greater or lesser degree. Any physician you choose to see in the interests of treating your panic disorder should be well versed in panic attack medications and how they work alongside therapy to provide relief to the patient. This is probably not a job for your general practitioner.

The benzodiazepine family of drugs is also used to treat anxiety disorders and panic attacks. This family includes Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin and Valium; these panic attack medications have the advantage of producing almost immediate relief for the sufferer and may be taken as needed. By contrast, SSRI and TCA medications typically take a few weeks to have a significant effect on the patient's depression , panic or anxiety.

Whenever panic attack medication is used to treat panic and anxiety, you should notice a definite improvement within the first couple of weeks after beginning the course of treatment. If there is no change, then a different medication or a different dosage may be necessary. The majority of patients who take medication to treat these disorders continue to take them for a year or longer.

Eventually, a physician will decide to try taking the patient off of the medication, generally by gradually reducing the dosage. In the event that panic attacks or other symptoms recur, the patient may have to resume taking medication for another several months before attempting to reduce the dosage again. Some patients have to continue taking medication to keep their symptoms under control for the rest of their life, though this is less commonly the case.

Along with therapy, panic attack medication is generally very effective in relieving panic attacks and generalized anxiety disorders as long as the patient's condition has been accurately diagnosed and therapy administered properly. Unfortunately, the causes of these disorders are not always apparent and there is often a process of trial and error that is necessary to go through before an effective treatment is found. Any patient dealing with these conditions should seek out a physician with expertise in treating anxiety and panic disorders to help them resolve their problem.