Anxiety and Panic Attacks in Pune’s Festival Season: Psychiatrist at Baner Gives Coping Strategies

Key Takeaways

• Anxiety disorders affect approximately 197 million people in India — making them the most prevalent mental health conditions in the country (ICMR data).
• The festival season in Pune — particularly Ganesh Chaturthi and Diwali — reliably triggers anxiety spikes in patients with pre-existing anxiety disorders.
• Panic attacks are intensely distressing but not medically dangerous; understanding this distinction is a key therapeutic step.
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and medication, used alone or in combination, are highly effective for anxiety and panic disorder.
• Dr Neha Jaswani’s psychiatry OPD at Baner hospital operates with strict confidentiality — patients are never identified as psychiatric OPD visitors.
• Post-Diwali and post-exam anxiety presentations increase each year at Baner hospital’s OPD.

Introduction

Festivals are meant to be joyful — but for a significant number of Pune residents, the Ganesh Chaturthi to Diwali period is a time of heightened psychological stress rather than celebration. Expectations around social performance, family gatherings, financial commitments, noise, crowds and disrupted routines converge in a way that reliably worsens anxiety for people who are predisposed.

India’s mental health burden is substantial. The ICMR’s National Mental Health Survey estimates that 1 in 7 Indians suffers from a mental health disorder, with anxiety and mood disorders together accounting for the largest share. Despite this, treatment rates remain low — stigma, lack of awareness and concerns about confidentiality are the most frequently cited barriers.

Dr Neha Jaswani, Psychiatrist at Baner Multi-Speciality Hospital, runs a confidential, appointment-based psychiatric OPD that serves the Baner-Aundh-Balewadi-Hinjewadi catchment area. This article provides evidence-based guidance on festival-season anxiety, panic attacks and the treatment options available in Pune.

Quick Facts

Anxiety disorder prevalence, India	~7.3% of population — approximately 197 million people (ICMR)
Panic disorder lifetime prevalence	~2–3% of the general population (WHO data)
Anxiety disorders — treatment gap, India	>80% of affected individuals do not receive treatment (NMHS 2016)
Most common festival-season triggers	Social obligations, financial stress, noise, disrupted sleep, alcohol exposure
Evidence-based treatments	CBT, SSRIs/SNRIs, benzodiazepines (short-term), relaxation techniques
Baner hospital psychiatry OPD	Dr Neha Jaswani — appointment-based, strictly confidential

1. Why the Festival Season Amplifies Anxiety

Mental health professionals across Pune consistently observe increased outpatient presentations for anxiety in the weeks surrounding major festivals. Dr Jaswani identifies several mechanisms through which the festival environment specifically amplifies anxiety in susceptible individuals.

Festival Stressor	Anxiety Mechanism	Most Affected Groups
Loud noise (firecrackers, dhol-tasha)	Hyperarousal, startle responses, sensory overload	PTSD patients, noise-sensitive individuals, children with autism
Large social gatherings	Social anxiety activation, performance anxiety	Social anxiety disorder, introversion
Family pressure and expectations	Interpersonal conflict, resentment, guilt	Young adults, joint family members
Financial stress of festival spending	Generalised worry, sleep disruption, somatic complaints	Mid-income families, newly married couples
Alcohol exposure in social settings	Rebound anxiety, hangover anxiety, relapse risk in recovering patients	Patients with alcohol dependence history
Sleep disruption from late events	Sleep deprivation worsens anxiety and mood disorder regulation	All anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder

2. Understanding Panic Attacks

A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms that peak within minutes and typically resolve within 20–30 minutes. Panic attacks are extremely distressing — many patients who experience their first panic attack present to Baner hospital’s emergency department believing they are having a heart attack.

The physical symptoms of a panic attack — racing heart, shortness of breath, chest tightness, sweating, trembling, dizziness and numbness — are produced by a massive sympathetic nervous system activation (the “fight or flight” response). The response is real and measurable, but it is not medically dangerous. The heart, lungs and other organs are functioning normally. Understanding this distinction is one of the most therapeutically important insights patients can gain.

• Panic attacks are not heart attacks. An ECG during a panic attack will be normal (except for sinus tachycardia) while an ECG during a cardiac event will show abnormalities.
• The physical sensations of a panic attack are frightening but not harmful. Resisting the urge to catastrophise these sensations is the cornerstone of CBT for panic disorder.
• Most first-time panic attacks occur in a specific context (crowds, enclosed spaces, stressful events) — subsequent attacks can occur “out of the blue.”
• Panic disorder is diagnosed when panic attacks recur and the person develops significant anxiety about future attacks or avoids situations associated with attacks.

3. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: The Gold Standard for Anxiety

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the most evidence-supported psychological treatment for anxiety and panic disorders. CBT works by identifying and challenging maladaptive thought patterns (cognitions) and behaviour patterns (avoidance, safety-seeking) that maintain anxiety.

At Baner hospital’s psychiatry OPD, Dr Jaswani integrates CBT principles into her consultations and refers patients for structured CBT sessions with trained therapists when indicated. For panic disorder, CBT typically involves 8–12 structured sessions and produces durable remission in 70–90% of patients in clinical trials.

CBT Component	Description	Relevant For
Psychoeducation	Understanding the anxiety cycle and panic attack physiology	All anxiety disorders
Cognitive restructuring	Identifying and challenging catastrophic thought patterns	Panic disorder, GAD, social anxiety
Exposure therapy (graded)	Systematic, graduated approach to feared situations	Social anxiety, specific phobias, panic with agoraphobia
Interoceptive exposure	Deliberately inducing mild panic symptoms (safe) to reduce fear of sensations	Panic disorder specifically
Relaxation and breathing techniques	Diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness	All anxiety disorders — adjunctive
Behavioural activation	Increasing engagement with rewarding activities to counter avoidance	Anxiety with comorbid low mood

4. Medication Options for Anxiety and Panic Disorder

Medication is an important and often necessary component of treatment, particularly for moderate-to-severe anxiety or when CBT alone is insufficient. Dr Jaswani prescribes medications following a detailed psychiatric assessment; self-medication with anxiolytics is specifically discouraged given the dependence risk with benzodiazepines.

Medication Class	Examples	Use	Notes
SSRIs (first-line)	Escitalopram, sertraline, paroxetine	Panic disorder, GAD, social anxiety (long-term)	Takes 2–4 weeks for effect; no dependence risk
SNRIs	Venlafaxine, duloxetine	GAD, panic disorder	First-line alternative to SSRIs
Benzodiazepines	Clonazepam, lorazepam, alprazolam	Short-term acute anxiety relief	Dependence risk — MUST NOT be used long-term; prescription only
Buspirone	Buspirone HCl	GAD (long-term, non-addictive)	Slower onset than benzodiazepines but safe long-term
Beta-blockers	Propranolol	Situational anxiety (performance anxiety)	Adjunctive only; does not treat the disorder

5. Practical Coping Strategies for Festival Season

Beyond formal treatment, Dr Jaswani shares practical strategies that patients with anxiety can implement immediately during the festival period.

• 4-7-8 breathing: Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 7, exhale for 8. This activates the parasympathetic system and can abort early panic escalation.
• Have an exit strategy at social events. Knowing you can leave reduces anticipatory anxiety significantly. Drive yourself if possible.
• Set spending boundaries in advance with family. Financial anxiety amplified by festival obligations is a preventable stressor.
• Limit alcohol — it produces initial sedation followed by rebound anxiety and sleep disruption. For those with anxiety disorders, alcohol is net harmful.
• Protect sleep by maintaining consistent bed and wake times even during festival schedules. Use earplugs and blackout curtains if fireworks disturb sleep.
• Use the STOP technique during a panic episode: Stop, Take a breath, Observe sensations without judgement, Proceed mindfully.
• Have your psychiatrist’s contact number saved. Knowing help is available reduces the fear of being overwhelmed.

6. Accessing Psychiatric Care at Baner Hospital: Addressing the Stigma

One of the most significant barriers to mental health care in India is stigma — the fear of social judgment for seeking psychiatric help. Dr Jaswani acknowledges this concern directly with every patient.

The psychiatry OPD at Baner Multi-Speciality Hospital is appointment-based and operates with the same confidentiality standards as any other specialty. Patient records are strictly private. Patients attending the psychiatry OPD are not identifiable to other visitors in the hospital. All consultations can be booked through the general OPD line — patients need not specify the specialty when booking if they prefer not to.

Telepsychiatry (video consultation) is also available for established patients or for those who prefer an initial consultation from the privacy of their home. This option has proven particularly popular among the working professional population in Baner and Hinjewadi.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I know if I have an anxiety disorder or just normal stress?

Normal stress is proportionate to a stressor and resolves when the stressor passes. Anxiety disorder is characterised by worry or fear that is excessive, persistent (lasting weeks to months), difficult to control and impairing function at work, home or in relationships. If your anxiety feels uncontrollable or is significantly affecting your daily life, a psychiatric assessment is warranted.

2. Will I need to take medication for life?

Not necessarily. Many patients with anxiety disorders are treated successfully with a combination of CBT and a defined course of medication (typically 6–12 months) and are then able to taper off with the psychiatrist’s guidance. A small proportion of patients with severe or recurrent disorders benefit from long-term medication. Dr Jaswani will discuss your individual treatment plan at your consultation.

3. Can anxiety cause physical symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath?

Yes. Somatic symptoms — chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, abdominal discomfort, headaches, numbness and tingling — are extremely common in anxiety disorders. However, these symptoms should always be medically evaluated first to exclude a cardiac, pulmonary or neurological cause before attributing them to anxiety.

4. Is it safe to visit large Ganesh pandals if I have social anxiety?

Graduated exposure — starting with smaller, less crowded events and building up — is actually a therapeutic strategy for social anxiety. Avoid complete avoidance, which maintains the disorder. If you feel overwhelmed, leave early; don’t push through a panic attack in a highly stimulating environment. Discuss this with Dr Jaswani if you are working through a formal exposure programme.

5. My teenager seems withdrawn and anxious during festivals. When should I be concerned?

Persistent withdrawal, refusal to participate in family events, sleep changes, academic decline or expressed hopelessness in a teenager warrants a psychiatric evaluation. Festival season can be particularly difficult for adolescents managing social anxiety, depression or adjustment disorders. Baner hospital can provide an age-appropriate psychiatric assessment.

Conclusion

Festival-season anxiety is real, common and treatable. The combination of evidence-based psychological therapy, judicious medication and practical self-management strategies allows the majority of patients with anxiety and panic disorder to function well — including during the busy Ganesh Chaturthi and Diwali periods.

Dr Neha Jaswani’s psychiatry OPD at Baner Multi-Speciality Hospital offers confidential, compassionate and evidence-based psychiatric care for patients across the Baner, Aundh, Balewadi and Hinjewadi catchment area. Book an appointment through banerhospital.com/psychiatry.

Internal link: banerhospital.com/psychiatry | banerhospital.com/general-medicine | banerhospital.com/neurology

External link: who.int (Mental Health Data) | nhp.gov.in (NMHS India)

Medical Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a qualified doctor or specialist before making any health-related decisions. The costs, statistics and clinical details mentioned are indicative and subject to change. For personalised advice, please book a consultation at Baner Multi-Speciality Hospital.