Panic-In Public

Have you ever had a Panic Attack?If you haven't you are very lucky,but for those of us that have,whether it's your first and only experience with Panic or if you have had hundreds of Panic Attacks over a period of many years you know that what I am going to say is true and very frightening,

Let say you are at the grocery store,your in the checkout line behind someone who is taking a very long time.There are a bunch of noisy kids running around,the confusion starts to make you anxious,you start to sweat,your finding it hard to breath,and your heart is beating so fast and hard that it feels like it could come flying out of your chest at any moment.

You start to feel light-headed,thoughts of fainting or maybe even dieing race through you mind You leave your groceries and run out of the store to the privacy of your car.The experience was so disturbing and embarrassing that you go to the emergency room,thinking that you were having  heart attack,but of course it was "JUST" a Panic Attack.

Well that harmless Panic Attack to everyone else was a life changing,terrifying event for you.The next time you even think about going to the grocery store you have all of the same symptoms that you had when you where actually at the store.

This is disturbing enough to make you avoid the grocery store whenever possible or you make sure you go when a trusted family member or friend can go with you..You then fear having a Panic Attack in other places so you avoid any place that requires you to stand in a line.It becomes a vicious cycle of avoidance.

Many people do not totally understand how frightening a Panic Attack can be.I suggest that if someone who has never suffered from a Panic Attack  would like to know a bit more about the feeling that they think about the things that frightens them most and try to do it no matter how hard it is.As long as it is safe to do so.