Panic attacks after pregnancy (weeks, years, months, women)
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Growing up I wasn't really afraid of anything. I had a fear of the dark but "sucked it up" and dealt with it. Then when I was 18 I became pregnant and the panic attacks didn't start until I was four months along. That's when one of my favorite dogs had died. I saw her dead body and the fear of dying hasn't left me. My panic attacks only became worse as I progressed in my pregnancy. This time I had the fear of someone killing me in the middle of the night. Also my fear of the dark grew worse as well. It now paralyzes me. After having my daughter, I couldn't even walk down a dark hallway with out freaking out. I don't like walking outside in the dark because I'm afraid of a rabid animal attacking me.
I know it all this seems silly, but I just want to know if it's normal to still have these phobias when the baby is now two years old. My grandma told me she had a fear of heights after having her first child and it only got worse when she had her other children. I've even heard a story of one woman being afraid of cotton balls after having a baby.
I am not sure how common this is, but I can certainly empathize. Having children makes us feel extremely vulnerable. We are completely responsible for the safety and well-being of the most vulnerable little soul. It makes sense that you would worry about not only the baby, but yourself since you are responsible for the baby's care. My heart goes out to you. After my first child was born I was scared to go anywhere in the car. My fear was of getting into a car accident.
You might try a brief stint in therapy. 6-12 weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy can do wonders for this kind of thing. Best of luck to you...
I am not sure how common this is, but I can certainly empathize. Having children makes us feel extremely vulnerable. We are completely responsible for the safety and well-being of the most vulnerable little soul. It makes sense that you would worry about not only the baby, but yourself since you are responsible for the baby's care. My heart goes out to you. After my first child was born I was scared to go anywhere in the car. My fear was of getting into a car accident.
You might try a brief stint in therapy. 6-12 weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy can do wonders for this kind of thing. Best of luck to you...
Anxiety is common, but panic attacks are a pretty extreme and let's face it - really unpleasant. And it's not just about your distress - remember, your little one learns about the world via you. I agree with "marmon" in note above. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Mindfulness Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (MCBT) are both very effective and pretty short-term too. Another option you might consider is Medical Hypnosis (not the Hollywoodized stuff on TV). You do have to be careful finding someone - my suggestion there is don't even consider someone who is not at least a Masters level clinician in a psych or counseling field, make sure they have an independent license, have been in practice at least 10 years (no greenhorns) and look for "medical hypnosis" - someone trained by the AAMH. This is fast, effective (most especially with anxiety, pain, and even nausea) and another option - like the CBT - that does not require prescriptions.
Wishing the best for you and your little one!
I think, not only does having a child give you all kinds of new things to worry about, but it whacks out your hormones too. That can cause depression, as we know, but anxiety goes hand in hand with depression. Keep track of your moods, and see a doctor if something seems wrong.
In your situation, I guess you worry too much of your baby inside your womb. You wanted to be extra careful and protect the baby. But then, if it causing you panic attack, then its not good at all.. I have details to identify if its panic attack. I suggest, if the details of panic attacks (thelindonmethodx.com) are right, you go for a counseling rather than a medication. It is more effective.
I was quite surprised by the feelings of anxiety I had after my first child was born. I had read a lot about postpartum depression, but I had never heard of postpartum anxiety. I remember feeling almost like I had anxiety juice running through my body and cognitively telling myself this is probably hormones. There are two things you might want to consider that may help. One- if you are on birth control, you could try changing the type you take. Changing the hormones in your body may help. Secondly, you could try avoiding reading news articles or watching movies about things that might frighten you. I have sent myself into a tizzy a few times by jumping onto the internet to research something. One minute you think your kid just has a rash, and the next minute you are finding some article online warning you about the bubonic plague or something!
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