Panic Disorder

This leaflet will help you know what is Panic Disorder, its symptoms and treatment.

Though pregnancy and childbirth can be an exciting period, it can also be a difficult one for some women. This is because women experience many changes physically, hormonally, and emotionally to prepare them for the arrival of their baby.

The combination of these changes along with genetics, and stress from the environment can cause panic disorder.

People diagnosed with panic disorder regularly have sudden unexpected anxiety attacks of panic or fear that seem to come out of nowhere.

Panic disorder is twice as common in women than men and can interfere a lot with daily life.

It can be exhausting dealing with panic disorder, but the good news is that it is treatable!

A panic attack is a sudden feeling of intense fear or discomfort that reaches a peak within

minutes.

Panic attacks do not always signal a mental disorder. In fact, they are quite common among people. You would need to seek treatment if they cause significant distress or stop you from living life the way you typically would.

Sometimes, people with panic disorder can have a panic attack when waking up from sleep.

Panic attacks are different from regular anxiety in that they are much more intense but does not last long. Panic attacks usually reach the peak of intensity at 10 minutes and then begin to settle.

  • Pounding heart
  • Sweating
  • Trembling (shaky)
  • Fear of losing control
  • Shortness of breath
  • Feelings of being choked
  • Chest pain
  • Nausea
  • Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
  • Feeling cold or hot
  • Tingling or numbness
  • Feelings of unreality
  • Detached from oneself
  • Fear of impending doom / death or going mad

People with panic disorder tend to avoid situations where they feel they might have an attack (e.g. avoiding exercise to keep their heart rate low, avoiding busy malls).

  • Psychotherapy (talking therapy): Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy where your therapist will guide you and support you on how to :
    • Change the way you think about things, helping you to worry less. Cope effectively at the time of the panic attack.
    • Identify current unhelpful coping methods, and then replace them with useful ones.
    • Work on applying these new methods to your life.
  • Relaxation Techniques: Sometimes our bodies can react to anxiety by feeling tense and sore. Your health care provider can teach you how to relax your body.
  • Medication: In addition, your health care provider might suggest taking medication to reduce

For questions or concerns, you can reach out to Perinatal Mental Health Services – Women’s Wellbeing Clinic:

Email: WMHnurses@sidra.org
Clinic phone numbers: +97440037109; +97440037177; +97470675153

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