Anxiety During Pregnancy: What it is & How to Cope

Can Pregnancy Anxiety Cause Panic Attacks? 

Yes, pregnancy anxiety can lead to the development of panic attacks. A panic attack is an episode of intense worry or fear paired with physical symptoms such as shortness of breath, increased heart rate, dizziness and more. These experiences can be scary and overwhelming, but panic attacks are not dangerous. For more information about panic, see our article here.

What is the Difference Between Depression and Anxiety During Pregnancy? 

Depression during pregnancy usually is associated with intense feelings of sadness, whereas pregnancy anxiety is associated with intense worrying. There are some symptoms that overlap such as sleep disruptions, lack of appetite, and avoidance of certain situations. It is common for people to experience both, but not everyone who has depression will experience anxiety during their pregnancy and vice versa. For more information about depression during pregnancy, see our article here. 

What Can I Do To Treat My Pregnancy Anxiety? 

• Psychotherapy or Mental Health Coaching: a talk therapist or a mental health coach can support you through your anxiety. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a research-based approach that has been shown to decrease anxiety by changing the way you think and behave. Prospera coaches are trained in CBT techniques because we know that these skills work! The Prospera program involves the following steps:

• • First, your Prospera coach will help you learn to identify patterns in your thinking (we call these thinking traps) that might be contributing to your anxiety. Then you will work to challenge your anxious thoughts by thinking about the situation in a new way, with the goal of coming up with an alternative thought that is less distressing and more balanced.
  • Second, with Prospera you will learn to spot behavior traps that keep you stuck in your anxiety cycle.You will learn to break free from your behavior traps by using an approach called “exposure”. During exposure, you will be introduced to your fears in order to learn how to handle them. For example, if you are avoiding spending time with friends or family that you usually enjoy out of fears of getting sick while pregnant, you may be asked to plan a social occasion that is both safe and pushes you out of your comfort zone. These exposures will help challenge your anxious thoughts and predictions, which can decrease your anxiety over time. 

• Medication: There are many psychiatric medications that are safe for pregnant individuals.  Antidepressants and other types of psychiatric medication may help with pregnancy anxiety. Research shows that a combination of medication and therapy/coaching is helpful. Talk to your doctor for more information and always inform them of your pregnancy status.  If you are already taking an antidepressant when you become pregnant, do not stop taking it without talking to your doctor first. 
• Lifestyle changes: Consistent exercise, sleep, time outside, socializing, and a balanced diet have all been found to improve mood and reduce symptoms of pregnancy anxiety. Anxiety also pushes people to avoid certain behaviors that they used to do pre-pregnancy. It is important to reintroduce these behaviors back into your lifestyle in a safe and healthy way. Often pregnancy anxiety can make it difficult to engage in a healthy lifestyle, so therapy or mental health coaching may be helpful to start establishing a routine.   
• Alternative approaches may also be helpful for some people, including light therapy, faith-based, holistic, and mindfulness-based approaches.

It may take time to find the best approach or combination of approaches to alleviate your symptoms of pregnancy anxiety. Getting started now will help you learn to manage your symptoms before your baby arrives. You can always check in with your medical doctor to rule out medical and other possible causes that may be causing your symptoms.