online conference transcript

Dr. Granoff is an expert in the treatment of anxiety, panic and phobias. Author of the book "Help, I think I'm Dying. Panic Attacks, Anxiety and Phobias", and the video "Panic Attacks and Phobias Conquered".

Dr. Abbot Lee Granoff: Guest speaker

David: HealthyPlace.com moderator.

The people in blue are audience members.

David: Good Evening. I'm David Roberts. I'm the moderator for tonight's conference. I want to welcome everyone to HealthyPlace.com. The topic of tonight's conference is: "Conquering Your Panic, Anxiety, and Phobias." We have a wonderful guest: Abbot Lee Granoff, M.D., board certified psychiatrist and a nationally known expert in the treatment of anxiety, panic, and phobias. During the approximately 30 years he's been in practice, he has successfully treated thousands who suffer from panic attacks and phobias. Dr. Granoff has written a book entitled "Help, I Think I'm Dying. Panic Attacks, Anxiety and Phobias." He also has a video: "Panic Attacks and Phobias Conquered" in which patients share their stories and how, through proper treatment, they were able to overcome these debilitating disorders.

Good Evening, Dr. Granoff and welcome to HealthyPlace.com. Thank you for agreeing to be our guest. To make sure everyone is on the same page tonight, can you please define "anxiety, panic and phobia" for us? Then we'll get to the tougher questions.

Dr. Granoff: Anxiety is a generalized feeling of discomfort. Panic is an attack of sheer terror as in the 'flight or fight reaction. Phobia is an unrealistic fear.

David: Since we've all experienced panic attacks in our lives at some time or another, how do you know when it's time to seek professional treatment?

Dr. Granoff: Only people who have experienced life threatening experiences or have Panic Disorder have experienced panic attacks. There are many who have experienced neither.

David: I think what many people tonight want to know is; is there a cure for severe anxiety and panic disorder? And if so, what is it?

Dr. Granoff: You first have to understand what panic attacks are and why they occur, then one can find a cure.

Panic attacks are a chemical imbalance in the brain which has a genetic predisposition. When stress gets too high, it kicks the part of the brain that causes fight or flight into a panic attack.

David: What are the most effective ways to deal with it?

Dr. Granoff: My book and video go into this in detail. Understanding it is the first step. The next step is to get medication to rebalance the brain chemistry.

David: And we'll get into the medications in a minute. First, some audience questions:

sunrize: Do you feel it is possible to overcome these phobias without medication? I have a fear of medication.

Dr. Granoff: I have treated many patients who have medication phobia. This makes them harder to treat because medications are most often needed to get a decent result.

David: What are the most effective medications on the market today? And how much relief should one expect from taking a medication?

Dr. Granoff: The benzodiazepine tranquilizers such as Xanax (Alprazolam), Klonopin (Clonazepam) or Atavin are the most effective medications available. You get full relief when taking these medications. And taken appropriately, there should be no side-effects. You should feel normal.

Arden: Have you ever heard of the natural supplement SAM-e and, if so, is it helpful for panic?

Dr. Granoff: All herbal remedies are not FDA regulated so anyone could make any claim they want about them. There is no standard dosage and a list of side-effects is not necessary nor medication interaction. Therefore, while some of these herbal remedies may seem to have some positive effect, I remain skeptical.

David: Besides anti-anxiety medications, what other forms of treatment would be effective in dealing with anxiety and panic disorders?

Dr. Granoff: Panic attacks characteristically come and go, so there are many supposed claims of treatment that don't pan out in the long run. Desensitization can be effective but usually requires medications first so a person can feel comfortable in a phobic situation. Some techniques that are used in place of medication include deep, slow diaphragmatic breathing, snapping a rubber band on your wrist, concentrating on relaxing. All of these techniques take your mind off the acute panic.

trayc: Does hypnosis help panic and anxiety disorders?

Dr. Granoff: No. Not in my experience.