Panic. Scared. Worried. Terrified.

These feelings are not strange to my life. Beginning in 6^th grade where I had my first panic attack to this past weekend, does my anxiety disorder show its ugly head. That feeling of being numb on the outside, but inside you are ready to run a marathon ,or the same sense of having a gun held up to your head. Over 40 million adults are affected by panic disorders reports the National Institute of Mental Health. A common mental health issue-it is not acknowledged enough.

I was unaware that this can be hereditary when I began to talk to my family about this when I was younger. Although my brother is autistic, he suffers from it. My father and my mother suffer as well, but this goes even farther all the way to my grandmother on my mother’s side, and so on in that line. This gave me a sense of relief and closure that I was not alone in having these feelings, but it was a first to be put onto medication for it. I’m used to seeing the medication my brother takes ,and also what I see at my job in the pharmacy. I wanted something to work, but I did not want to become a vegetable. After several years being on medication, I am in control of my emotions and do not feel so scared as much.

I’m reaching out to all my readers that you are not alone and you don’t have to suffer to it. There are ways to cope with it and I am here to share my experiences with you.

1. Meditation – Whether it is sitting in the middle of a room or taking a walk, meditation helps you shut down your mind. If you focus on your breathing, the mind clears and you become in control of your body.
2. Breathing Exercises – Similar to meditation, it is about controlling your breath to calm the heart and body.
3. Journal – This was very helpful to me since so much would flood my brain. By carrying around a notebook with me, I am able to take a moment and write everything out. Once it is down on paper, there is less on my mind.
4. Talk – Don’t keep it pent up inside. You are not alone, and I feel that is the strongest message here. Whether it is a friend or a family member, talk to someone about it.

In these final moments of this article, I want to stress a heavy message to all that I wish I knew: You are not alone. You are never alone. You don’t need to suffer alone in this. There people out there you can talk to. Family, friends and doctors are there to help us with our minds to put at ease.