The Struggle is Real
When you suffer from anxiety and panic disorders, sometimes it is hard to decipher between reality and the panic. For myself, anxiety and panic attacks manifest very physically. I get chest pains, shortness of breath, nausea, uncontrollable shaking, and sometimes even vomiting. Because of this, I have developed an intense fear of having a heart attack, or some other type of medical emergency, like a stroke or brain aneurysm. It has taken me a long time to realize why I have this fear. I thought for a long time that my fears were valid because anything is possible. But something happened yesterday that helped me understand that while my feelings and panic are real, that there is little validity to them. There have been MANY times where I am thoroughly convinced that I am going to die. Times where I have been so engulfed in panic, that I have called 911 on myself or taken myself to an emergency room. Every time, the panic subsides, and along with it, my physical symptoms. Even t