How Sahiba Managed to Deal with Panic Attacks and Emerged Stronger Than Ever

“Come what may, all bad fortune is to be conquered by endurance.”

Panic disorder is one of the most common anxiety disorders, with lifetime prevalence rates in the general population reported between 2.1–4.7%. It is typically associated with chronic depression, which results in an emotional burden and a loss of quality of life. Therefore, proper prevention and treatment of panic disorder are important.

But with the stigma and lack of awareness around mental health disorders, people are often unaware of what they are going through. Without the right interventions, people often end up suffering in silence without a way out.

This is the journey of Sahiba, a Customer Success Manager. With the help of therapy, a lot of her issues from her childhood finally started making sense. Therapy helped her find closure to the problems that she was going through.

“It all started when I was taking a personality test that was conducted at our office from YourDOST. The test showed that I was lacking a few skills and that I might have some internalized trauma to look into.”

Sahiba was secretly going through some challenges which she never opened up about due to the lack of awareness. She was finding it hard to question authority when she wanted to, was unable to speak up when she had a different opinion, and would go into a shell when she was around many people.

“I was extremely underconfident when I was in a new place. This was affecting my job and social relations as well. Even though I had a lot of ideas, there was a hindrance in my confidence and leadership abilities.”

Low self-esteem usually impacts our work and can affect the quality of our lives as well. It was the same for Sahiba, which was the main reason to seek help but she hit the bull’s eye during her sessions about a problem she has been facing since she was in school.

“I would always have phases in my life where I was unable to breathe for a long period of time, felt like I was drowning, and would go through these phases when I was by myself. I did not know what it was until I brought it up in my sessions. All these years, I was having panic attacks, which I could not control.”

Sahiba would feel extremely numb during these panic attacks and was unable to move her body. She would eventually tire herself to sleep. These panic attacks were common in her life but she did not know how to control them. But with her sessions at YourDOST, she finally found an answer to this.

“I had so much clarity about what I have been facing since I was a child. My expert was Madhura Saha and she was the best I could ask for. She was kind and empathetic towards my issues. She helped me acknowledge what I was going through instead of resisting it. This helped me come to terms with my issues and not fear them.”

Through their sessions, they spoke a lot about Sahiba’s feelings and behaviors, how they manifested in her physical and emotional health, how they are all interconnected to how she was feeling. They discussed situations in-depth to find a pattern on how her trauma was affecting her thoughts and how she can get out of this cycle. Therapy helped Sahiba rediscover herself through all her traumas and insecurities.

“My issues often led me into thought spirals that I was unable to break which led to my panic attacks. But Madhura taught me some techniques that I could use when I started spiraling. The first thing she taught me was some breathing techniques to calm my body down. Along with this, I started snapping a band on my wrist to cut off the negative thoughts. I would also imagine my happy place and would go there when I was feeling low, which really helped me gain control over my thoughts.”

Therapy has really changed Sahiba and how she viewed her issues. Madhura was the first person she opened up deeply about her problems and this pushed her to talk to her friends as well. Being vulnerable about your issues is the first step towards recovery and winning the challenge. Sahiba is indeed our mental health warrior, who was extremely brave in tackling her fears.

“I am thankful for Madhura’s help. She helped me articulate my thoughts when I felt I could not. By giving me a safe space to express myself, I have challenged my thoughts to become a better person. I would like to thank YourDOST for pushing me into this journey.”

Sahiba’s Warrior Tips:
1. Talk about your problems and if you find it hard to express, seek help from a professional.
2. Be brave and patient while seeking therapy. Progress takes time.

Are you someone who has gone through a difficult phase and emerged stronger and better, with some professional help? Share your story with us to encourage thousands of others who might be struggling. Click here to submit your story.