Expect Your Doctor to Ask These Questions When Starting Panic Attack Therapy
Maybe you have tried, unsuccessfully to stop your panics by experimenting with various treatments, tip or tricks. 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.
When filling out forms, you will be better prepared to answer some of the more specific questions related to your attacks if you take with you any journal you may be keeping to track their occurrences. 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 of the questions you can expect to have to answer and information you will need to provide are listed below.
What sorts of surgeries and illnesses have you had in the past? Try to be as accurate as you can on the dates, even if it is hard to remember.
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.
You will need to provide a list of all the medications you are taking, or have been on within the last six months, and what dosage levels you were on.
Information on whether anyone in your family has panic or anxiety attacks (or whether they suffered from them in the past) is something your doctor will also need to know.
Because alcohol is a known trigger for attacks, you should be prepared to answer honestly any questions your doctor asks about how much you consume on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
As with the questions related to alcohol consumption, be prepared to provide honest answers regarding whether you use recreational drugs, because, again, some of these may actually trigger attacks.
Your doctor is going to want to know how much caffeine you have on a daily basis (coffee, tea or caffeinated soda), and what happens if you don’t have it; in other words, do you get a headache or are you too tired to function without it?
You should be ready to tell your doctor how often you feel anxious or stressed and what signs tell you that a panic attack may be approaching. This is where a journal can be especially helpful.
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 Ending Panic Attacks and find plenty of informative content ranging from general information about anxiety help to very specific “how to” info on panic attacks.
