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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 good news, however. Treatments that are designed help stop the cycle and cure panic attacks are available. A method that requires a person to experience the physical symptoms of a panic attack, purposely in a controlled environment is known as Interoceptive Exposure. The patient will try to create the sensations, sometimes by breathing through a small straw for a little while. Many things will occur that help prevent panic attacks from causing a disturbance in your life when the issues are repeatedly and consciously confronted without hesitation.

As you find yourself experiencing these sensations repeatedly, your anxiety about them will lessen over time. Since you are living through these symptoms with some measure of control over them, you will also have control over your fear, and learn that the symptoms are not dangerous. Over time, the anxious cycle will end, due to the end of the fear.

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.

People who suffer from panic attacks experience many different physical symptoms and increased anxiety. They often look for a way to prevent panic attacks and the cycle that goes along with them. Interoceptive Exposure is one treatment that can be used to stop panic attacks. It involves controlled, repetitive exposure to the physical symptoms that usually accompany a panic attack. The anxiety that goes along with these symptoms should lessen over time due to the increased exposure. The patient will learn that these symptoms are not life threatening. This treatment can cure panic attacks and should help you eliminate the attacks altogether.