Deep Breaths: Living With Panic Attacks | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

Deep Breaths: Living With Panic Attacks

I wish I could make this sound beautiful, find some romantic metaphor to explain what it feels like to have a panic attack. Trust me, I've tried.

23
Deep Breaths: Living With Panic Attacks
Jessica Brink

I wish I could make this sound beautiful, find some romantic metaphor to explain what it feels like to have a panic attack. Trust me, I've tried. I started having panic attacks somewhere around my junior year of high school. I can probably pin point several events that triggered them, but I don't quite understand why they stuck around. It is my senior year in college and here I am, having a panic attack, for no reason. Writing helps sometimes, and I am lucky enough to have an outlet, so here I am.

When I say I have no reason for a panic attack right now, I mean no reason. I started my day happy, happier than I usually am on Thursdays, my busiest day. For the first week in the semester I have no quizzes, I have no tests, and no papers due either. I am ahead of my work at my research lab, and my boyfriend is coming this weekend to see me. By all accounts, I should be fine. All of this circles in my brain while I sit in class, and suddenly, everything changes. My panic attacks look almost nothing like the movies. I'm not taking shallow breaths and I'm not crying or asking for help. Everything around me blurs, my hands shake, my mind goes numb, it's almost as if the world stops around me. If you're talking to me, I promise I am not hearing a word you say (sorry), and I'm not talking back other than a few "mhms" and "yeahs". You know how everything sounds distorted and distant when you're underwater, and if you open your eyes without goggles everything is blurry? Imagine that, and you are getting pretty close to how the environment feels during my panic attacks. The worst part is forgetting how to breathe. Panic attacks take an automatic function that you never think about, and turn it into something that takes all of your concentration to do.

It took me a while to understand these symptoms, because like I said, this feels nothing like the movies show. No one ever told me that panic attacks don't have to look like that, they can be silent, and hard to distinguish. Similar to most things in life, they come in all shapes and sizes. Sadly, the thing is, understanding the symptoms doesn't make it end any faster, though it does make it easier to handle. I can acknowledge this is a panic attack. I am not dying, my body is not going into shock, it's not a heart attack, and it will end eventually. I'm still having a panic attack now, but it's bearable, I'm concentrating on something I love and I concentrating on taking slow, controlled breaths ( I recommend meditation highly). This won't be the last panic attack I have, and it's definitely not the first. But luckily, with each one I have I get a little better at fighting them and gain some more understanding of what they are. I may not know why they happen, nor can I predict when, but I have come so far from where I was.

This all being said, just know, if you go through this at all it is going to be okay. I know you're sick of hearing that, and it can feel belittling at times. Know that I understand, and I promise we will get through it together. Breathe, write, read, go to counseling. Find something that helps you cope, and run with it. Educate yourself and your friends and family on what is happening and with time it will get easier, I promise. I am not alone, you are not alone, we are not alone. Try to remember that.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

179288
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

6447
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

451949
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

22983
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments