What Panic Attacks Feel Like

This is for the people who don't understand or have panic attacks. If you do have panic attacks, feel free to read this as well as we all can experience them differently.

I am trying to find a way to describe the way a panic attack is but if I am being honest, it's quite difficult to describe.

Panic attacks can come out of the blue whether you are in the middle of taking a shower, doing your homework, or dreaming. They will randomly pop up and make your life miserable. They are surges of emotions coming together and clashing into your brain. You feel as if you can't breathe. You can't think straight and all you can feel yourself doing is curling into a small ball on the ground while shaking and gasping for breaths of air. You can't help but overthink and worry about every little thing.

It's the worst when you have an anxiety attack around other people. They don't always understand what's happening and they ask you what's wrong and how can they help or my least favorite, "calm down."

When I hear someone tell me to calm down as I am in a panic mode, my panic rises because I can't control it and hearing those words stresses me as I try to lower it but it doesn't want to be lowered. You feel as if the people that said that are trying to control you and then they get inside your head.

Calm down.

Calm down.

Calm down.

Telling me to calm down as I go through this panic attack isn't helping me but only making it worse. It's like the person telling me to calm down doesn't realize that if I could be calm, I would. Another thing you should never say to someone during a panic attack is "relax." because it's the exact same thing as saying "Calm down." Don't tell me that I am overreacting or that I have nothing to be panicked about because you don't know what's going on inside my brain and thoughts.

If you don't understand panic attacks, know this;