Panic Control Treatment

Panic control treatment (PCT) is a manualized and empirically supported form of cognitive behavioral therapy used in the treatment of panic disorder and comorbid agoraphobia. PCT aids in the reduction and management of anxiety associated with panic attacks by providing skills on how to anticipate and respond to bodily sensations and situations that initiate, maintain, and amplify anxiety and panic symptoms. Specifically, PCT provides education about the nature and physiology of anxiety and panic, breathing and relaxation training to regulate physiological arousal, cognitive-restructuring skills to reappraise catastrophic misappraisals of bodily sensations, exposure to bodily sensations (interoceptive exposure), and situational exposure (in vivo exposure) to reduce avoidant behavior. Treatment typically consists of 12 weekly sessions and can be delivered in individual or small-group formats. More recently, ...