As someone who suffers from depression, SH, anxiety, abusive parents, and panic attacks, I can definitely give you some advice. Remember to never judge yourself based on those issues, however. Just because you have some tough things happening in your life doesn't mean you aren't important :)
Anyway, I had a really awful panic attack back in April. I will spare you the small details, but basically a Karen almost hit me with her car and then screamed obscenities at me until I cried. Obviously, I had almost gotten killed, so I was shaking like a leaf, but the fact that an adult had been so disrespectful to me really confused me (I also didn't even know this woman and it was our first time meeting, which made this whole exchange even more hurtful and confusing). Now, panic attacks can look different for everyone, but when I had mine I experienced a tight chest, difficulty breathing deeply, uncontrollable crying, my entire body shaking, my voice sounding like I was being strangled, and difficulty walking. Let me tell you, when you have a panic attack or an anxiety attack, you will know. Its not fun and it certainly isn't fair, but its a part of life.
Typically you have a panic attack after a frightening event or a major change. Like when I almost got hit by a car, it came suddenly and scared me to my core. Anxiety attacks are similar; they typically happen when you get anxious or something new and unseen occurs.
If you ever do have one of these attacks, here are some methods to calm down that I find helpful: Listen to music you enjoy, watch some comedic or entertaining videos, and try taking deep breaths and taking your mind off of the incident.
Love ya! :)
- Dino/Wil/Wilbur (he/they/xe)
