Stopping Anxiety Medication (SAM): Panic Control Therapy for Benzodiaepine DiscontinuationTherapist Guide (Treatments That Work)

Designed to help adults suffering from panic disorder who wish to discontinue anxiety medication, this program is designed for mental health professional treating panic disorder patients wishing to discontinue anxiety medication. The therapist guide addresses collaboration with the prescribing physician, allows successful medication discontinuation, and provides patients with skills for the medicine-free management of panic disorder over the long term. This Therapist Guide for PCT-BD is designed for mental health professional with experience in the treatment of panic disorders. It provides session-by-session instructions for the PCT-BD program, which can be presented in either an individual or a group format. The program consists of eight regular sessions and three booster sessions. The program represents the minimal level of intervention recommended by benzodiazepine discontinuation. Patients having particular difficulties with panic symptoms may require additional booster sessions. The guide devotes a separate chapter to each regular session and one to the three booster sessions. Each of the regular-session chapters begins with a list of materials needed, a list of goal, and an outline providing an overview of the session. The chapter then provides a detailed account of the interventions. Commonplace examples and analogies are frequently used to facilitate the patient's acquisition of this treatment information.