I was sitting in biology class when my heart began to race. I ran out of class thinking I was having a heart attack, panic set in, thoughts began to race….I am dying. I sat in the bathroom stall for awhile before I went back to class. As I sat there I felt like I was in a dream like state. I could almost feel the panic in every person in the class(midterms were approaching)which heightened my fear.
The teacher began to speak, but I couldn’t concentrate. I was clutching my chest, I thought people knew and it freaked me out. I wanted to run, just flee, my breathing became shallow… Oh god this is it I am dying. I packed up my belongings and began to run. I ran straight to the universities health clinic. My words to them, “I am dying I can’t breath” I sat for twenty minutes in the waiting room. My mind was trying to be rational, but the fear was more powerful.
The news came.. You are not dying, you are having a panic attack. I felt relived that I wasn’t dying. That was three years ago and I still have them. Some days are easier than others,but anxiety is like a snowball effect. What starts out small ends up gigantic. I keep an anxiety journal to see what triggers an attack. I have yet to overcome anxiety.
