The past few years have introduced to the world a continuing descent into a simultaneous and interlinked crisis that has been detrimental to mental health around the globe. First from the climate change crisis, social disturbances all around and everywhere one turns to heightened tension and stress. There is the aspect of the unforeseen, which often leads to a feeling of unease, with some believing that the world is on the brink of chaos.
This is especially so for a person who has panic disorders, including panic attacks, as these factors are often debilitating, making simple survival within the day rather impossible. Overbearing fear is a corporeal and debilitating entity; breathlessness, racing or pounding heart, lightheadedness or dizzy spells, and a sudden loss of control or feeling faint. It exists in a mode of in-between space where time is frozen, and there is no danger presently, but the danger exists in the possible future. However, for many, the threats of global warming or large-scale social discontent that last almost uninterrupted straight can easily turn into attacks, inducing dangerously regular panic attacks.
People are already experiencing the consequences of climate change on a global scale, with India being among the most exposed. Recurrent extreme weather events such as floods, heatwaves, and face-breaking monsoon seasons have caused people’s means of survival to be put at risk and further worsened the mental health issues. When cities like Delhi and Mumbai experience peak summer temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius and dry heat for prolonged periods, anxiety disorders have been reported to manifest in high incidence. The effects of climate change will stir millions, like the World Health Organization points out, stress and anxiety disorders that will, in turn, contribute significantly to the wave of illnesses continuing to worsen, including depression, PTSD, and panic attacks.
In addition to the environmental crisis, there has been an increase in social tensions too. Across borders, civil rights movements, fights for political justice, and quests for economic justice have led to episodes of protests and demonstrations. Protests are necessary for a people’s movement, but they create an aura of panic when the protesters are turned violent or when governments opt to use force. The experience of existing in a state where political crises are the order of the day is bound to increase the level of acute anxiety and other stress disorders.
The civil rights movement in India gave rise to a lot of political and ethnic turmoil, thereby causing fear, panic, and stress to a majority of the citizens. Protests were not the only matters of concern, as many who did not partake suffered stresses emanating from the prevailing situation in the country. Such occurrences—iif witnessed or over the news—hhave such effects on some people that those even develop exacerbating prospects of post-panic syndrome.
Towards these ends, many have taken to therapy as a way of relieving themselves of the strain of emotions in excess. The modern way of treating individuals with psychological problems gives significant emphasis on therapies for panic attack management. It is a kind of therapy that often incorporates cognitive behavioral strategies to help the person understand what triggers the anxiety attacks and how the person can control the physiological and emotional responses during the attacks. Actions like grounding, breathing, and attending to the surroundings are quite helpful when they are used to manage the attacks that appear to be developing into full panic episodes.
India is a country where awareness about mental health services is growing; however, it is still considered a specialized area that is not easily accessible. With the advent of technology and with the integration of both in-person sessions and telehealth treatment, almost everyone has the ability to access panic attack therapy. This aspect is particularly important for those who reside in regions that are either economically or politically polarized. The changing environments of the patients have made many psychologists and other mental health professionals modify their practices.
Panic attack therapy is not only aimed at alleviating the symptoms of the disorder in question in the short term but also at providing and teaching the patient the appropriate skills to survive the situation in the future. For instance, in therapy, the patients learn to identify the early symptoms of panic, avoid these occurrences by practicing acceptable behavior, and change the thought processes that lead up to agitation. Hence, such people are equipped to deal with the situation, irrespective of what it is, be it climate change or civil disorders.
There is considerable importance in engaging mental health professionals throughout this process. In all likelihood, clinical psychologists will play a crucial part in providing the treatment, but the method should also be correlated to the experience of the particular person. This is mostly the case in countries like India, where there is a rich mix of cultural, social, and environmental aspects. The patient who lives in a flood-devastated region will suffer a certain kind of anxiety, while the patient in a politically unstable area will suffer a completely different kind of anxiety. Panic attack therapy, however, for both of them, is the rescue action, which provides practical tools on how to manage and control their feelings.
The presented data suggests a spike in the number of patients diagnosed with anxiety or panic disorders recently. According to the National Mental Health Survey of India (NMHS), approximately 13.7% of the population is estimated to have some form of mental illness, with anxiety disorders being the predominant form. The finding indicated that urban areas had the most cases of mental disabilities since these areas are most exposed to environmental and sociological problems. The situation is only likely to make people more bold about looking for effective treatment of panic attacks.
According to the World Economic Forum, anxiety disorders, especially panic disorders, are widely spread diseases afflicting more than 260 million people in the world. The rise has especially been informed by the combination of environmental factors and civil strife. To back this up, alarming evidence was presented in the 2021 report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change that suggested health conditions that will arise due to environmental changes might absolutely destroy health systems in years to come.
Addressing such problems needs at least to combine environmental policies, political reform, and the availability of mental health care services. Panic attack therapy, while important, cannot be seen in isolation. It needs to be included in a bigger strategy that takes in the reasons for these disorders. The impact of climate change must be addressed by governments as well as promoting social settings conducive to well-being while increasing funding for mental health care services.
As a final note, it is unequivocal that in times of instability and uncertainty, such as the present moment, the role of panic attack therapy is most crucial. Whether they are battling the advent of climate change and its attendant disasters or the social unrest, everyone in essence is facing an extreme level of their own challenges. For panic attack patients, this is where therapy comes in as a way to build their resilience, helping them cope with these situations without weakening them. Finally, by examining the links between crises in the external world and crises in the internal world, we will do better in preparing ourselves for the tough times to come.