5 CBT Panic Disorder Interventions

by Vlasta Kuster

There are 5 CBT panic disorder interventions (CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioral Treatment) with which the cognitive behavioral treatment for panic disorder is usually combined.

CBT Panic Disorder Intervention no.1: Relaxation Training

Relaxation training involves relaxation breathing or progressive muscle relaxation in order to decrease physiological anxious arousal.

This kind of relaxation is very useful and helpful during the first steps of the treatment.

People usually become very anxious over time and their bodies can become overwrought with muscle tension which makes them even more susceptible to any additional anxiety.

CBT Panic Disorder Intervention no. 2: Cognitive Restructuring

Cognitive restructuring is method that helps people become more aware of anxiety-provoking thought patterns. It helps them to replace the bad thought patterns with more balanced and less anxious thinking.

3. Mindfulness

Mindfulness: is a meditative technique taken from eastern traditions of meditation. Mindfulness is becoming a tool for overcoming anxiety.

As a treatment for a panic disorder it helps to teach the people to experience unpleasant physical sensations without having a negative reaction to them.

4. Exposure Treatment

After relaxation training, mindfulness, and cognitive restructuring people often feel less anxious about experiencing a future panic attack.

They are ready for the next step which is them being exposed to a situation or place that they would normally avoid. In that way they start to defuse a fear connected to them.

As a result, they will not feel fear in situations or environments in the future anymore.

5. Stress Reduction

Stress reduction: is an important part of the treatment.

Learning to react to stressful situations more calmly and to be able to reduce unnecessary stress is a useful way in reducing overall anxiety.

One of the goals of the CBT is to help people to overcome negative thinking patterns  in order to be able to make better choices in the future actions and behaviors.

It also helps people with a panic disorder to develop ways to manage panic attack symptoms.

That means that a person, even if he or she is not able to control when an attack is going to happen, can learn how to cope with the symptoms and as a consequence can start to live a better life in the future.

Sources:
https://www.verywellmind.com/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-2584290
http://cogbtherapy.com/cbt-for-panic-attacks
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2755166/
http://www.abct.org/Information/?m=mInformation&fa=fs_PANIC

Vlasta Kuster, holds an MA degree in Basic Medical Sciences and uses her 3-month EFT therapy in her work to help people to do away with panic attacks and anxiety for good. She has more than 10-year experiences in EFT therapy and achieves at least 90% success in permanently eliminating anxiety and panic attacks. You may contact her through her website freeofpanic.com