by Dr. Blumberg on May 31, 2010
Anti-Panic Medication Can Interfere With the Effectiveness of CBT A variety of pharmacological treatments (anti-depressants and minor tranquilizers) have been shown to be effective in regulating panic attacks. However, Anthony and Swinson (2000) reviewed research which show that the addition of anti-panic medications to Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT) for panic disorder can diminish the effectiveness […]
by Dr. Blumberg on May 23, 2010
Panic patients are suddenly hit with a barrage of physical symptoms, “Out of the Blueâ€. When dizziness, heart pounding, shortness of breath, weakness, numbness in the hands and feet, and hot cold spells strike without apparent cause, panic sufferers frequently seek medical evaluations (emergency rooms, family doctors) to determine the cause. Ballenger (1987) states that […]
by Dr. Blumberg on May 20, 2010
Early Treatment Studies The first psychological treatment studies for agoraphobia centered on graduated invivo exposure alone to the feared situation (Hand, LaMontagne and Marks, 1974). That is, the agoraphobic patients were instructed to reenter the situations they had been avoiding. Agoraphobia is a secondary complication of panic attacks. The agoraphobic patient utilizes escape and avoidance […]
by Dr. Blumberg on May 16, 2010
Cognitive Models of Panic Disorder David Clark (1986) and Aaron Beck (1989) view panic attacks as a catastrophic misinterpretation of harmless bodily sensations. For example, a patient notices an increase in his heart rate and thinks the increased heart race is a sign of a heart attack. The alarming thought, “I am having a heart […]
by Dr. Blumberg on May 9, 2010
In 2007, 591 American Psychological Association members were randomly surveyed about their theoretical orientation to treatment. Almost 50% indicated a theoretical orientation toward cognitive behavior therapy. Almost one-half of psychologists indicated they were cognitive behavioral specialists! The Psychodynamic orientation ranked second, with approximately 22% of those surveyed. However, Craske (2010) refers to research that suggests […]