This Graphic Nails What a Panic Attack Feels and Looks Like

I’ll never forget how helpless I felt witnessing my close friend roll into the fetal position on my college dorm room floor. Through deep, labored breaths, she repeated, I’m dying. I knew she wasn’t, but her immense distress was obvious. I held my friend and told her I was there; being supportive was all I had to offer. Fifteen minutes later, she began to feel better and told me what had happened: she’d had a panic attack.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, a panic attack is a feeling of extreme anxiety and the fear of disaster or losing control, often occurring as a variety of intense physical symptoms. Understanding how devastating a panic attack can be is difficult if you’ve never had one yourself, but this graphic by BelievePerform (@BelievePHQ), a London-based site promoting mental health and wellness, describes the debilitating physical symptoms of a panic attack perfectly.

What a panic attack feels and looks like pic.twitter.com/HbJMbBdTnk

— BelievePerform (@BelievePHQ) November 26, 2018

In the middle of a panic attack, it really can feel like you’re going to die. Some people even feel heart pain and palpitations just like they would if they were having a heart attack. Needless to say, it can be a frightening affair. If you’re with someone who has a panic attack, the best thing to do is stay calm and stay with them. In calmer moments, ask your friend what is most helpful to them in the future.

Since college, I’ve experienced two panic attacks of my own. Though I was caught completely off guard by each, knowing the signs helped me recognize what was happening. The day of my first, I hadn’t felt like socializing (I have social anxiety), but I still wanted to show up for my friend’s baby shower. She was one of the few people I’d met since relocating to a new state.

When I arrived at the event, my eyes searched the crowd for a familiar face. Finding none, I immediately became overwhelmed. All at once, I felt as if the walls were closing in on me. Suddenly in fight or flight mode, I bolted out of the venue as fast as I could, gasping for air. Trembling and choking back sobs, I phoned my parents, who helped talk me through it. After I’d calmed down, I felt embarrassed.

It’s common for those who experience panic attacks to feel shame or embarrassment, leading them to avoid or withdrawal from social situations as a preventive measure. What’s more, not all panic attacks feel the same, so even if you’ve had one in the past, the next one might feel a lot different. From external symptoms (like sweating, shaking, hot or cold flashes, breathlessness, chest pain, nausea, and dizziness) to internal ones (maybe you feel like you’re “going crazy,” you’re detached from reality or feel like you’ve lost total control), panic attacks can be a scary ordeal.

In the midst of a panic attack, try to focus on your breath, taking slow and controlled exhalations. Try to picture a calm place in your mind, doing your best to recognize this is a panic attack, and even though it doesn’t feel like it right now, you’re going to be fine. If panic attacks are a regular occurrence or they’re preventing your from enjoying your life, reach out to your doctor for help.