Picture this: you’re at home watching your favorite show on the television, completely at ease. You are fully relaxed and enjoying yourself. All of a sudden, you get an intense feeling that something is wrong. You know that everything is perfectly okay, but your brain is trying to convince you otherwise. Your throat feels like its closing up, and you feel like you’re not getting enough oxygen to your lungs. The gripping sensation that you are losing control has taken over. Intense fear that these feelings won’t go away causes all the sensations of uncontrolled panic to magnify.
If you’ve ever experienced what I described above, you’ve probably had a panic attack. Panic attacks are slightly different for everyone, but in general there is one common factor: you feel like you’re losing control of your own mind. Personally, when I have a panic attack, it feels like I am being put into a small box that is being sealed shut, with no means of escape.
I’ve never been a particularly anxious person, so I didn’t really understand why I was getting these random bursts of terror and fear. But that’s just it, panic attacks are completely irrational and unreasonable. There’s absolutely no rhyme or reason to them. Sure, I could get one because I’m studying for a final exam that’s worth 60% of my grade. That makes sense. On the other side of the spectrum, I can get one when I’m completely relaxed and doing nothing. They come without warning or reason. Most people do not understand them unless they’ve actually experienced one.
I’m ashamed to admit that I used to be one of those people who thought that panic/anxiety disorders were just people being dramatic. Whenever someone would talk about having anxiety, I would think to myself “just get over it." Terrible, right? But that’s the problem. Many people today think like I used to. So let me start off by saying that people who experience panic disorders can't help it. The stigma surrounding panic attacks is generally due to a lack of knowledge about the condition. There are many false assumptions about people with panic disorders, so let me go ahead and clear some up. First of all, we are not overreacting. Panic disorder is a legitimate, psychological illness that can be caused by numerous factors. Second, it is assumed that people with anxiety or panic disorders are emotionally unstable or fragile. Personally, I would describe myself as a pretty emotionally tough person. Little things don’t bother me, and I’m always pretty laid back about my problems.
The next time you hear someone talking about their anxiety or panic disorder, think twice about your reaction. A lot of people who experience these kinds of attacks feel ashamed, scared, and weak. When we hear of all of the negative stigma surrounding panic attacks, we feel even more humiliated about something that is not our fault. I’m still in the process of trying to convince myself that these attacks do not mean I’m a weak person. They do not define me, nor do they mean that I’m any less of a person than anyone else. I’m not going to criticize myself anymore for my panic disorder, so please, don’t criticize me.
