Everyone who suffers from panic attacks knows how frightening they can be, and you never know when one is going to happen. Some people even go so far as to avoid activities they like to avoid an attack. Doctors are researching ways to cure panic attacks to give these people their freedom back.

Typical signs of a panic attack include increased heart rate, dizziness, sweating and shallow breathing. These symptoms are often accompanied by an overwhelming sense of disaster, or a feeling that you are going to die. These signs often lead a person to believe that something is physically wrong - it is common for people experiencing a panic attack to mistake the symptoms for a heart attack.

Panic attacks can be cyclical and, once started, the cycle is not easy to stop. Panic attacks can be triggered when a person experiences a usual panic symptom, which leads to anxiety. For example, a person exercising may notice their heart rate increasing, which makes them anxious, which can lead to them experiencing more symptoms. This will lead to more anxiety, which can cause the symptoms to reoccur more frequently. The cyclical nature means it can be hard to prevent panic attacks, and to stop panic attacks once they start.

There is now a treatment available that can help to cure panic attacks. It is called Interoceptive Exposure and it involves exposing someone to the various physical symptoms they experience during a panic attack in a controlled environment. The person will induce these symptoms on themselves a number of times. This willing and constant exposure to the physical symptoms that accompany panic attacks will help to prevent the person from experiencing panic attacks in the future.

The first thing that will happen as you force yourself to come into contact with these sensations over and over again is that your anxiety regarding them will decrease. As you experience the symptoms you fear in a controlled manner, you will begin to learn that they are not dangerous. Eventually, the cycle of anxiety will be broken, as the fear associated with the symptoms is reduced.

As you progress through the Interoceptive Exposure treatment, your panic attacks will occur less frequently and be less intense. You will learn that the symptoms related to panic attacks are not dangerous and are in fact manageable. This treatment is often successfully used to cure panic attacks, and will put you well on your way to taking control and stopping panic attacks.