Professional help from JUVENIS in Vienna

Treatment of a panic disorder (panic attack)

The history of those affected usually shows a high level of stress due to private and/or professional difficulties, accompanied by physical symptoms (exhaustion, tiredness, sleep disorders...) and negative thoughts such as "I can't take it anymore", "how am I supposed to manage this".

A panic attack occurs suddenly, unexpectedly and regardless of the situation - it is therefore also referred to as "fear out of the blue". There are various physical symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, heavy sweating, shortness of breath, rapid and shallow breathing, hyperventilation, tightness in the chest, etc. accompanied by catastrophic thoughts such as "I'm going to die" or "I'm having a heart attack".

Panic disorders are usually interpreted by those affected as symptoms of a physical illness. In order to rule out physical causes (e.g. hyperthyroidism, heart defects) for a panic attack, a medical examination must be carried out before psychotherapy.

Psychotherapy at JUVENIS: Consultation room

Treatments & therapies

At the JUVENIS Medical Center, competent psychotherapists are on hand to help you treat a panic disorder. Our range of therapies covers the following areas:

How do panic disorder and panic attacks develop?

Vicious circle of fear

After the first panic attack, many sufferers tend to observe their body closely in order to recognize signs of another attack in good time (selective attention). Even minor physical changes (e.g. increased pulse rate) are interpreted as danger. The affected person now feels fear of a possible attack ("fear of fear" or anticipatory anxiety) - the body prepares to flee (pulse continues to rise, blood flow increases, respiratory rate increases).

These perceived physical changes are now interpreted all the more as danger and the thoughts of catastrophe ("I'm going crazy", "I have to die") intensify, the anxiety builds up to the point of a panic attack.

Please contact JUVENIS by phone at +43 1 236 3020by e-mail to empfang@juvenismed.at or via the contact formto make an appointment for a consultation or treatment.

Safety behavior

Those affected fear a catastrophe (heart attack, stroke, a particularly severe or very long-lasting panic attack) and try to avoid it by adopting safety behaviors (taking a sedative, constant presence of a partner, social withdrawal).

Safety behaviors actually lead to short-term relief - the anxiety subsides. For this reason, they are also retained by those affected. In the long term, this maintains the anxiety disorder or can even lead to a worsening - the patient never experiences that the anxiety - after it has reached its maximum severity - subsides again a few minutes later without her doing anything and the feared catastrophe does not occur.

Treatment methods of behavioral therapy

Treatment methods in behavioral therapy (VT) - Hilde Winkler and Dorothea Bertram

Each treatment is preceded by a comprehensive diagnosis. In addition, an individual explanatory model is created, which provides insight into the development of the disorder. This includes pre-existing risk factors (e.g. increased anxiety) as well as triggers (traumatic events, high stress levels) and maintaining factors (social withdrawal, alcohol consumption, tranquilizers) of the illness, which are given special consideration during treatment.

  • Therapeutic relationship: The relationship between client and psychotherapist is an important factor in treatment. The therapist provides support in coping and tries to maintain a balance between change and stabilization.

  • Psychoeducation: The patient receives information about the course of anxiety, the development of the panic attack, triggering and maintaining factors, the significance of fears of expectation and safety behaviors, etc. In addition, an individualized vicious circle of anxiety is created with the patient. The aim is for the patient to gain insight and a better understanding of the illness.

  • Learning a relaxation method (e.g. abdominal breathing, progressive muscle relaxation or autogenic training) is particularly important as part of any anxiety treatment.

Hilde Winkler at JUVENIS
Dorothea Bertram at JUVENIS

  • Cognitive therapy: The patient's inner self-talk ("my heart is beating really fast, I must be ill", "something is wrong with me") is subjected to a critical review and transformed into objective, constructive and reality-based self-talk (e.g: "what I'm feeling is panic, it's normal when I'm excited, it's unpleasant but harmless, it'll go away by itself, it's just a panic attack and not a heart attack, I can't die from it").

  • Behavioral experiments: Body reactions are quickly interpreted as danger by those affected and trigger fear. In behavioral experiments, the patient should deal precisely with these bodily reactions, e.g: Walking quickly, climbing steps or doing squats, then placing a hand on the heart or pulse artery and observing the physical reactions closely until the symptoms subside again.

  • Confrontation: If a panic attack occurs, the patient should continue to focus her attention on the physical changes; escape and other safety behaviors (taking medication, calling for help) must be avoided. In this way, the patient learns that the anxiety - once it has reached its maximum - will subside on its own (without any action on the part of the patient) and the feared catastrophe will not occur. The patient recognizes that the fears are unpleasant but not dangerous. These corrective experiences play an important role in the treatment of panic attacks. The therapist's task is to accompany, support and motivate the patient.

  • Depending on the individual problem, other psychotherapeutic methods may be used in specific cases.

Please contact JUVENIS by phone at +43 1 236 3020by e-mail to empfang@juvenismed.at or via the contact formto make an appointment for a consultation or treatment.

Treatment methods of behavioral therapy

Treatment methods in behavioral therapy (VT) - Hilde Winkler and Dorothea Bertram

Each treatment is preceded by a comprehensive diagnosis. In addition, an individual explanatory model is created, which provides insight into the development of the disorder. This includes pre-existing risk factors (e.g. increased anxiety) as well as triggers (traumatic events, high stress levels) and maintaining factors (social withdrawal, alcohol consumption, tranquilizers) of the illness, which are given special consideration during treatment.

Hilde Winkler at JUVENIS
Dorothea Bertram at JUVENIS

  • Therapeutic relationship: The relationship between client and psychotherapist is an important factor in treatment. The therapist provides support in coping and tries to maintain a balance between change and stabilization.

  • Psychoeducation: The patient receives information about the course of anxiety, the development of the panic attack, triggering and maintaining factors, the significance of fears of expectation and safety behaviors, etc. In addition, an individualized vicious circle of anxiety is created with the patient. The aim is for the patient to gain insight and a better understanding of the illness.

  • Learning a relaxation method (e.g. abdominal breathing, progressive muscle relaxation or autogenic training) is particularly important as part of any anxiety treatment.

  • Cognitive therapy: The patient's inner self-talk ("my heart is beating really fast, I must be ill", "something is wrong with me") is subjected to a critical review and transformed into objective, constructive and reality-based self-talk (e.g: "what I'm feeling is panic, it's normal when I'm excited, it's unpleasant but harmless, it'll go away by itself, it's just a panic attack and not a heart attack, I can't die from it").

  • Behavioral experiments: Body reactions are quickly interpreted as danger by those affected and trigger fear. In behavioral experiments, the patient should deal precisely with these bodily reactions, e.g: Walking quickly, climbing steps or doing squats, then placing a hand on the heart or pulse artery and observing the physical reactions closely until the symptoms subside again.

  • Confrontation: If a panic attack occurs, the patient should continue to focus her attention on the physical changes; escape and other safety behaviors (taking medication, calling for help) must be avoided. In this way, the patient learns that the anxiety - once it has reached its maximum - will subside on its own (without any action on the part of the patient) and the feared catastrophe will not occur. The patient recognizes that the fears are unpleasant but not dangerous. These corrective experiences play an important role in the treatment of panic attacks. The therapist's task is to accompany, support and motivate the patient.

  • Depending on the individual problem, other psychotherapeutic methods may be used in specific cases.

Please contact JUVENIS by phone at +43 1 236 3020by e-mail to empfang@juvenismed.at or via the contact formto make an appointment for a consultation or treatment.

Costs

Treatment Price
1 therapy session (50 minutes) for the treatment of a panic disorder / panic attack € 110

In behavioral therapy and person-centered psychotherapy, a frequency of 1 session per week is common.

The costs of "clinical-psychological treatment" are not reimbursed by the health insurance company. Some private supplementary insurances often cover part of the costs - however, patients should ask their supplementary insurer about this.

It is also possible to deduct clinical-psychological treatment from tax as an extraordinary burden.

Team

Hilde Winkler

Hilde Winkler

Psychotherapist (behavioral therapy), clinical and health psychologist, occupational psychologist
Curriculum vitae

Dorothea Bertram

Clinical and health psychologist, psychotherapist (behavioral therapy)
Curriculum vitae

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Responsible for the content of this page: Hilde Winkler & Dorothea Bertram