“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” — Henry Ford
Picture a moment in your life when you felt true fear. Did it feel like your heart was being squeezed? Did your breathing get faster? Maybe you forgot to breathe entirely and black dots clouded your vision.
If you can think of a moment like this, you’re also able to think of what caused the fear in the first place. For some people, however, moments like this happen with little to no cause and regularly disrupt their day-to-day lives.
More than 1 in 3 Arizona adults reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression within the last year. Panic disorders fall under the category of anxiety disorders and can happen to all ages and genders. Our team at Wolf Creek Recovery is here to help. Let’s talk about our approach to treating panic disorders.
What We Treat: Panic Disorders
When people think of anxiety, they often think of generalized anxiety disorders, but anxiety envelopes a larger scope of conditions than that. One of those conditions is known as panic disorder.
Panic disorders do involve experiencing anxiety, but more frequently, they involve experiencing what is known as a panic attack. This condition can disrupt every area of someone’s life. It can make them avoid situations and places where they previously experienced a panic attack. Panic attacks can set in at any moment, making life feel uncertain and unsafe. Panic disorder doesn’t just come with general anxiety – it also comes with a persistent fear of experiencing a panic attack. People with panic disorders get stuck in a nightmarish loop of fear.
What Are Panic Attacks?
Panic attacks are a heightened form of anxiety. They’re moments of intense, gripping fear that involve both emotional and physical reactions. People don’t need to have a panic disorder to have a panic attack. They can also be linked with high stress, trauma, and more.
When someone experiences a panic attack they most commonly have symptoms such as a racing heart, quickened breathing, feeling extremely overwhelmed, fear, dread, and more. They often last a minute or two, but the exact amount of time varies for every panic attack.
Thankfully, panic disorders are treatable and manageable. You do not have to live a life where you’re constantly uncertain about when you might experience another panic attack or bout of anxiety. You can heal.
How We Treat: Wolf Creek’s Approach to Recovery
Our team is no stranger to addressing mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Not only have we treated them for a long time – we’ve experienced them ourselves. We’ll bring both our personal and professional experience to the table when we craft your treatment plan to address every aspect of your substance use disorder – mental health included. What you want matters, and we’ll work together to ensure it meets your unique needs, goals, and desires.
We offer everything from psychotherapy to medication options. We also provide housing for everyone attending programs at Wolf Creek Recovery, eliminating the anxiety-inducing nature of an inpatient setting, without sacrificing the quality of care.
Our beautiful location in Prescott, Arizona enables us to make the most of the great outdoors. It’s healing, and fresh air can make a world of difference for anxiety and panic disorders. We bond over team sports, camping, paddle boarding, and more. Recovery from substance use disorders isn’t easy – but it can still be fun, and we do our best to remind our clients of that every day. You might even pick up a new hobby or life-long friendship in the process.
Panic Disorders and Substance Use
Substance use disorders frequently overlap with mental health conditions and panic disorders are no exception. This happens due to untreated mental health, with people seeking substances as a way to manage or address the side effects they’re experiencing.
In other instances, substance use can worsen or cause panic disorders. Many substances, like stimulants, simulate feelings similar to anxiety by increasing heart rate and making your heart race, as two examples. For those with panic disorders, this can worsen symptoms or even cause the panic disorder to become more pronounced than it was prior.
In this instance, the best approach to treatment is through a dual diagnosis program. A dual diagnosis program addresses substance use and mental health together, leading to a well-rounded and strong recovery.
What Causes Panic Disorders?
While there isn’t currently a solidified cause of panic disorders, research has shown patterns in what can be at play for those who have the condition.
If you have a family member who has a panic disorder, there is a chance that you could have a genetic link to your panic disorder. In this instance, it would be a condition you’re born with or have pre-existing conditions to develop.
Other mental health conditions and life experiences can also play a role in the development of a panic disorder. Trauma is a high-risk factor, but not a guarantee. PTSD and panic disorder often overlap, but not always.
Brain damage and substances that impact your brain can also play a role in panic disorder development.
Spotting the Signs and Symptoms of Panic Disorders
As we mentioned earlier, the side effects of panic disorders are both emotional and physical. Many of these side effects aren’t exclusive to panic disorders, so it’s important to keep in mind other contexts when checking for these side effects.
The most common symptoms of panic disorders include:
- Constant or consistent worry about your next panic attack
- Avoidance of people or places where you previously had panic attacks
- Sudden and repeated panic attacks
- Feeling out of control
- Chest pain
- Racing heart
- Quickened breath
- Shakiness
- Nausea and stomach pain
- Numbness
- Tingling sensations across the body
- Feelings of dread
- Disassociation with the body
Some of these symptoms will most frequently occur during a panic attack, but some symptoms of a panic attack may linger for minutes or hours afterward.
How Are Panic Disorders Diagnosed?
Like most mental health conditions, panic disorders need to be diagnosed, and there’s a process to that.
Your doctor will ask you about your medical history and family history, both physical and mental health. They may run a physical or take tests to rule out other options. Blood and heart tests are conducted to rule out thyroid conditions, and more.
After other things are ruled out, an evaluation is often conducted to determine if you have a panic disorder and not another mental health condition, or to see if you have more than one mental health condition.
How Can You Treat and Manage Panic Disorders?
When you’re living with an untreated panic disorder, it may feel like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. We’re here to reassure you that there is. Many people with panic disorders find recovery and learn the tools needed to manage their panic disorders effectively.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), is a common approach to managing and addressing panic disorders. This approach helps locate and address negative thoughts, as well as unlearn patterns that can worsen your panic disorder and panic attacks.
During therapy, you’ll also learn skills on how to identify triggers and better approach them. It works to rework habits and lessen the strength of certain reactions.
Anti-Anxiety Medications
Medication is often an approach many people with panic disorders may consider. These medications are often utilized for panic attacks, to address them when they happen. There are multiple medications that may be beneficial for people seeking treatment.
Medication doesn’t negate the need for treatment, however. It’s a tool more than it is a permanent fix. Your medical team will talk with you and assess your needs and health to determine what medications, if any, would be beneficial for you.
Lifestyle Changes
Many times relationships, environment, jobs, and more can greatly influence panic disorders. The specifics vary from person to person, but lifestyle changes can make a world of difference for some. This can even include recognizing negative influences on your life that may have been overlooked or unknown previously.
Finding Healing for Panic Disorders in Arizona with Wolf Creek Recovery
Our team at Wolf Creek Recovery understands how important mental health care is. That’s why we never neglect to address it when helping people find recovery from substance use.
No matter your history with mental health or substance use, there’s always a path to healing available for you.
You can get started with your healing journey today by giving our Wolf Creek Recovery team a call at 833-732-8202. We’ll meet you where you are and ensure you reach your goals. There’s no reason to wait – take the first step now and build a life you love.
