Panic Attack

What It’s Like to Have a Panic Attack, From 24 People Who’ve Been There

Imagine what it feels like to lose a child in a crowded mall. Maybe he’s yours, or maybe you’re babysitting. Whatever the situation, now he’s gone. Your heart rate speeds up. Maybe you start to sweat. Panicky questions swirl around in your head: Is he OK? What if I don’t find him? What if something happens? Shallow breathes knock the wind out of you, and the room starts spinning until finally… you find him. Even after you sigh with relief, you can still feel your heart pounding in your chest.

Now imagine this happens with more intensity but randomly and seemingly without cause. This is the reality for the six million Americans who have panic disorder, an anxiety disorder that causes spontaneous panic attacks with no obvious trigger, according the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. But even those without panic disorder can experience a panic attack, and for those who do, it’s a truly scary experience.

Related: To the Husband With the Wife Who Has Depression

To better understand what it feels like to have a panic attack, The Mighty asked readers to describe what it’s like. Here’s what they had to say:

1. “It’s like you’re drowning in a pool, but the people around you don’t see. They think you’re swimming like them.” — Louann Fabel

2. “Every part of your body is in overdrive. Your mind, your fears, your heartbeat, your breathing. Except there’s no brake pedal. You have to coast through until it eventually stops.”  — Lexie Nooyen

3. “Panic attacks crash down like an avalanche.” — Charlene Dewbre

4. “It’s like my body is going on without me, and my brain said, ‘Nope!’” — Danielle Myers

5. “The smallest things can trigger the biggest feelings. It’s like someone lights a match and you react as if a bomb is about to go off.” — Mandy Ree

Related: 12 Things to Know When Someone You Love Has Anxiety

6. “It’s like an elephant sitting on your chest while you’re blindfolded and drowning.” —Kelley Pelton Mindrup7. “It’s like everything inside you is building up into a gigantic tidal wave that’s going to break out of your body.” — Mary McCarthy

Related: Please Stop Saying ‘Committed’ Suicide

8. “It’s like you’re stuffed into a small box and someone starts sucking out the air.” — Janet Edwards

9. “While some are loud and overt, mine are silently busy with every irrational fear colliding at once.” — Danielle Saunders