Best approach to over coming panic disorder?

[Kaylar88]

This is something I wonder about when I'm dealing with panic disorder, do you find it more helpful to face your fears and suffer a panic attack until eventually it becomes less and less, or do you avoid certain situations on bad days and reface them when you feel you'll have a better reaction. For example, one of my issues is being in a car and being confined (particularly highways) while having a panic attack or palpitations (PVCs) So on a bad day, I'll drive back roads to work and avoid the highway because I'm already having palpitations and high anxiety and I'm certain it will be an issue when I get on the highway, but I'm not sure if this is re-enforcing my fear. thoughts?

[Paxiled]

What you want to do is see a therapist who specializes in CBT.  The theory behind this form of therapy is that, yes, it makes it worse to avoid, but in order to face it you need tools to make you more relaxed and more willing to try again when it's hard.  Now, as to how people fare, we're different -- some get better and the problem goes away, some don't.  But you'll only know if you try, and you can only really try if you can demystify successfully the feeling of panic.