Panic Attacks During Pregnancy - The Facts That Every Expectant Mother Needs to Know About Anxiety

Most pregnant women will experience a multitude of emotions before and after they have given birth and one emotion that should never be underestimated is anxiety. No doubt you are concerned about your pregnancy in general, the actual act of giving birth and especially about the thought of impending motherhood. As an expectant mother there is a lot of pressure on you and even more stress. This can lead to deep anxiety and panic attacks during pregnancy. Additionally if you have suffered from panic attacks before, unfortunately you are more likely to experience them during pregnancy.

When you first learnt that you were pregnant, i would imagine that you felt overwhelmed with excitement and happiness, but also with a sense of fear. This is especially true for first time mums as you are often bombarded with lots of new information. "Do this, but make sure you don't do that!" There is so much to take in and you are worried that you are never going to remember everything. If you add to this the chemical, hormonal and emotional changes your mind and body are going through, it seems even more inevitable that you may experience extreme anxiety and potential attacks while you are pregnant.

So how do you deal with panic attacks during pregnancy?

Your body is going through some extraordinary changes and so is your mind. Therefore it is extremely important that you learn how to deal with panic attacks during pregnancy.

- You will learn about the benefits of correct breathing techniques during your antenatal classes. Certain methods of breathing will help to calm you down and deal with anxiety during labour. These can be used at any time to cope with panic attacks during pregnancy. You should breath in a slow and controlled manner and this actually helps you to focus on something else rather than your extreme anxiety and upcoming attack!

- Your diet can effect your ability to cope with panic attacks during pregnancy. You should be eating foods enriched with protein and also plenty of fruit and vegetables. This will not only supply you with the essential nutrients your body needs, but also your baby's. The correct foods will also ensure that the correct chemicals are being fed to the brain to help you calm your nerves!

- There is no prescription drug that is better at calming the mind and resting the body than a good night's sleep. No matter how uncomfortable or dreadful you feel, getting as much rest as you can will help you deal with any potential panic attacks during your pregnancy.

I would suggest, if you suffered from panic attacks prior to your pregnancy, you should discuss this with your midwife. If your midwife is aware of our concerns, they can recommend other techniques to deal with your attacks. This should be one of the most exciting time's of your life, so make sure you are open about your worries and take in as much information on this subject as you can.

WARNING: Don't allow your extreme anxiety and innermost fears to control your pregnancy!

How to Avoid Panic Attacks - Helpful Ways to Overcome High Levels of Anxiety and Panic Attacks

Let us discuss first the usual signs of a panic attack before we learn how to avoid panic attacks. Basically, the symptoms are anxiety-based. This means that your body response through the sympathetic nervous system. The signs will include:

• Rapid heart rate

• Nausea

• Sense of not being oneself

• Sense of detachment

• Dizziness

• Excessive sweating

• Hyperventilation

• Shortness of breath

It is a vicious cycle and it will never stop unless you actively participate in stopping it. The attack can be triggered by various factors. Once the cycle starts, it will be hard to prevent or stop unless you are already well-equipped and well-versed with it. But for first timers, it becomes twice more scary.

Some form of treatment involves exposure to the feelings. This means that the individual has to experience the induced form of attack in the presence of your medical counselor or physician. The induced form is done by instructing the patient to induce hyperventilation. Remember that you are attempting to recreate the whole scenario so that you will be aware of what you are going through.

It is actually just normal to be fearful, worried and anxious but when it becomes excessive, you are already on the road to having a panic attack. If you want to learn how to avoid panic attacks, look more closely into the things that really matter. What triggers it in the first place? If you know what causes your attack, you would do everything you can to avoid it. But, this is not enough and it is not what I mean.

When I say that you need to look into what causes the attack, it means you have to objectively look at it in different angles. It is not enough to just avoid the same scene but it will be enough if you be more constructive and objective. Is your fear real and has concrete evidence? If your answer is no, you need to ask yourself further why would you entertain something that is not even real?

Thousands of people suffer from panic attacks and believe me that all of them always want to avoid the entire situation. You cannot just avoid it because if you truly want to be freed from the bonds of panic attacks, you have to face it head on. You have to focus more on developing your courage to face the real problem because this will define how well you will be able to handle it.

Do not get too absorbed and consumed in your fear and worries because you will only sink deeper into the pit of despair. Be well-prepared. Rest well and try to downplay your stress so that you will know how to deal with the next attack.

A Cry For Panic Attacks Help - But Why So Many Sufferers Do Not Seek It!

It is surprising that although panic attacks can cause serious havoc to one's life, most people who suffer from panic or anxiety attacks actually shy away from getting panic attacks help. They do so because they are embarrassed by their condition or are afraid of what people might think if word were to get out about what they are going through. Some go as far as to feeling ashamed about their anxiety episodes and how they are losing control over their lives. As a result, these people never bother to look at the many options open to them which can help guide them back to normal functioning. If you are one of these people, read this article carefully as it will demonstrate how easy, efficient and readily-available panic attacks help is.

Panic attacks help usually comes in three forms; medications, behavioral therapy, or a combination of the two. As per your doctor's recommendations you would be asked to follow one of the three mentioned choices, thus going to your doctor is a must.

Medication for panic and anxiety attacks refers to either antidepressants or benzodiazepines. While antidepressants need to be taken for several weeks before they show results, benzodiazepines are extremely fast acting drugs which provide relief within the span of thirty minutes. Therefore, it can be argued that benzodiazepines are to be primarily used to counter the symptoms of a panic attack as and when they surface.

It should be noted though that panic attack medication has its downsides as well. Firstly, these medicines are very addictive in nature and can thus become habit forming. Secondly, panic attack medications have become infamous for causing potentially severe side effects if taken in high doses while also causing serious withdrawal symptoms. Thirdly, studies show that these drugs are only useful during the period they are being used, in other words, panic attack medications are more of a short-term solution to a problem which is permanent in nature.

Thus real change and real improvements can only be found in therapy. Thanks to the two main panic attack therapy options open to you, you will be able to counter your anxiety levels and stop the onset of panic attacks if you follow the guidelines. Of the two mentioned therapy options, the more popular one is called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). As suggested by its name, CBT aims to play with a person's cognitions, i.e. his/her thinking patterns/perceptions in the hope that if thinking patterns are altered, behavior can be changed as well. It can often be simply mind over matter. That said the speed and success of these therapies is generally proportionate to the length of time the individual has been suffering and the general severity of the disorder.

If CBT doesn't work for you, don't feel disheartened because you always have the choice of opting for Exposure Therapy. Exposure Therapy aims to rid a person of his/her fears by slowly exposing them to their fears in a safe and controlled setting. It is hoped that as the exposure to one's fears increases, the realization will dawn that the thing that is perceived as fearful will cease to cause discomfort or threat.

Although therapy requires patience on the part of the sufferer as it is spread out over numerous sessions, statistics show that it has a very high success ratio. Therefore, if you do suffer from panic attacks, make it a point to seek out professional help. There is no point in suffering alone because doing so will only worsen your condition. Moreover, the more you try and conceal your situation, the harder it will become to function normally. Remember that it would be a great idea to tell your family and friends about what you are going through because the support they will provide, will do your confidence a lot of good. Alternatively, you could look towards a professional support group for the same emotional comfort as these groups are designed specifically for people going through what you're going through.