Have you had few results with a variety of treatments, tips and tricks for stopping your panic attacks? 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.
This is a time when your journal, if you’ve kept one, can be very helpful in answering questions on forms that pertain specifically to your attacks. This process is going to start off with you answering a great many questions, so be prepared to provide information as accurately as you can. Some representative questions you will be expected to answer, and information you will be required to provide are provided below.
List the types of illnesses and surgeries you have had in the past. It may be hard to remember the dates, but be as accurate as you can.
Provide information on any traumatic events that you have lived through, and that continue to make you uneasy when you think about them. Traumatic events can include divorce or a breakup, the passing of a loved one, living through a natural disaster, or even going away to college or your children moving out on their own.
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.
A completely honest answer is going to be required related to any questions your doctor asks you about your alcohol consumption on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, as alcohol is a proven trigger for 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.
You will need to provide information on your daily caffeine intake from coffee, tea or soda, as well as to describe issues you may experience when you don’t get your caffeine, such as sluggishness or headaches.
Another set of questions that your journal will be able to help you answer are those about how often you feel anxious or stressed, and what signs let you know that an attack is imminent.
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.
Being as thorough and honest as you can be when answering your doctor’s questions can only help you, so if you forget something the first time you see him or her, let them know during the next visit.
Want more information? Visit EndingPanicAttacks.com and find plenty of informative content ranging from general information about anxiety to very specific “how to” info on panic attacks.
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