Dr. Ananya Rao
Adult Psychiatry
MD Psychiatry
Leads the inpatient psychiatric team, with a focus on mood and anxiety disorders.
Conditions · Anxiety & panic
Anxiety & panic
Anxiety is the body's alarm system stuck on high. When worry, tension or panic becomes constant or out of proportion, it is an anxiety disorder — and one of the most treatable conditions in psychiatry.
GADPanic disorderSocial anxietyPhobias
What it can look like
Signs of anxiety & panic
Not everyone experiences every sign, and intensity varies. If several of these sound familiar, an assessment is worth having.
- Persistent worry that is hard to control
- Restlessness or feeling keyed up
- Difficulty concentrating, or the mind going blank
- Trouble falling or staying asleep
- Muscle tension, headaches or an upset stomach
- Irritability and fatigue
- Sudden surges of fear with a racing heart (panic attacks)
Free self-check
Unsure what you are experiencing?
Take a two-minute reflection based on the signs above. It is private, and it is not a diagnosis.
7 short questions
A two-minute check-in on anxiety & panic
You will see one question at a time. There are no right or wrong answers, and nothing is saved.
Understanding it
Types & presentations of anxiety & panic
Generalised anxiety disorder
Ongoing, wide-ranging worry about everyday things.
Panic disorder
Recurrent panic attacks and fear of the next one.
Social anxiety
Intense fear of judgement in social or performance situations.
Phobias
Strong, specific fear of an object or situation, leading to avoidance.
Health anxiety
Persistent fear of having a serious illness despite reassurance.
The Sakura approach
How we treat anxiety & panic
Every plan is individual, but care generally moves through these stages.
- 01
Understand the pattern
We identify triggers, avoidance behaviours and the physical signs your body gives.
- 02
CBT & exposure
Step-by-step work to face feared situations until they lose their power.
- 03
Regulation skills
Breathing, grounding and sleep routines to calm the nervous system.
- 04
Medication if needed
Short- or long-term medication to lower the intensity so therapy can work.
Care pathways
Choose the pathway that fits your anxiety
Whether anxiety is shaping a few situations or most of your day, there is a route that meets you where you are.
Mild to moderate anxiety, panic or phobias
CBT & skills-based therapy
Learn to understand the anxiety cycle, face avoided situations gradually and calm the body's alarm response.
Anxiety grows when we avoid what scares us. CBT and graded exposure teach the brain, through experience, that the feared outcome is unlikely or manageable, so the alarm settles.
- CBT with graded exposure
- Breathing, grounding and sleep skills
- Worry-management and thought work
- Practice tasks between sessions
People with generalised anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety or specific phobias that are limiting where they go or what they do.
Fewer and less intense episodes, more situations approached rather than avoided, and a toolkit you can keep using.
Severe, disabling or long-running anxiety
Therapy + medication
Medication lowers the intensity so therapy can take hold, with a psychiatrist monitoring benefits and side-effects.
Medication reduces the physical intensity of anxiety — the racing heart, tension and sleeplessness — so you have enough calm to engage with therapy.
- Psychiatric evaluation and tailored medication
- Therapy alongside, reviewed regularly
- Co-occurring depression or insomnia treated together
- A step-down plan as you improve
People whose anxiety is severe or disabling, who also have depression or insomnia, or who have not benefited enough from therapy alone.
A calmer baseline within weeks, better sleep and concentration, and a planned step-down as therapy skills take over.
Helping yourself between sessions
- Slow breathing — in for four, out for six — for a few minutes
- Cut back on caffeine and energy drinks
- Move your body daily; it burns off stress hormones
- Write worries down and set a short 'worry time'
If you are supporting someone you love
- Stay calm and steady when they are panicking
- Do not push them into feared situations too quickly
- Avoid constant reassurance; gently encourage coping skills
- Encourage professional help and celebrate small steps
Where care happens
Choose the level of care that fits
Meet the specialists
The clinicians who will look after you
A named psychiatrist and therapist from day one.
Questions answered
Your questions about anxiety & panic
Straight answers to what people and families ask us most.
Our care team is happy to talk it through — no obligation.
A condition where fear or worry is excessive, persistent and disrupts daily life, beyond what the situation warrants.
Generalised anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, phobias, separation anxiety, agoraphobia and health anxiety are the most common.
A mix of genetics, brain chemistry, long-term stress and difficult experiences.
CBT, exposure-based therapy, lifestyle changes and, when needed, medication. Combining approaches usually gives the best outcome.
Yes. Anxiety responds well to treatment, and most people learn to manage it and get on with life.
A panic attack feels frightening but is not physically harmful. We will still rule out medical causes the first time.
When to seek help
If worry is limiting your work, sleep or relationships — or panic attacks are changing where you go — a consultation will help.
In an emergency or if you are in immediate danger, call your local emergency number or go to the nearest hospital. In India, the Tele MANAS helpline is 1-800-891-4416.