If you have been experiencing episodes of shortness of breath, fainting spells, and heart rushes that are uncontrollable and painful, then you might be a patient with a panic disorder.  A panic disorder is basically a kind of anxiety disorder that is characterized by a series of panic attacks that would normally occur when one feels anxious, worried, or panicky.  A panic attack is usually an episode that one feels physical and emotional symptoms such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, thoughts of going crazy, chest pains, and the like.  It is not only affecting the person’s emotional and mental state but also his or her entire lifestyle.  You know if you have a panic disorder if you experience these symptoms and signs:

·         You would experience panic attacks that normally have no relation to the situation or event that you are in right now. 

·         You tend to worry and be anxious so much that it would always trigger a panic attack.

·         You would even isolate yourself from places where you know you’ve experienced a panic attack in.  You also tend to act different around the people who have seen you have a panic attack.

So what are the best and most effective ways to cure or overcome a panic disorder?  In coping with anxiety, there are usually two kinds of therapy suggested by most specialists: exposure therapy and cognitive therapy.  One one hand, exposure therapy tackles the panic disorder by exposing the patient repeatedly to the source of his or her anxiety and panic and the physical sensations of the panic in a controlled environment until such time that he or she learns to overcome the disorder.  Cognitive therapy, on the other hand, concentrates on the thinking and behavioral patterns of the patient and allows the patient to look into these patterns and see how he or she will be able to cope through such realizations.  This kind of therapy has been proven to be the most effective type because it not only teaches the patient to accept his or her panic disorder entirely but it also helps in teaching them and guiding them in coping with anxiety.