Since I suffer from panic attacks and make no attempt to hide the fact, a lot of people ask me: what are panic attacks and how do you get rid of a panic attack? how do you stop a panic attack? Well, first I’ll tell you that some people think a panic attack (also known as an anxiety attack) feels a lot like having a heart attack; all of the symptoms are there, but you’re not dying. I’d characterize it as this: what your reaction might be if you went skydiving and suddenly realized half-way through your descent that you forgot your parachute on your seat in the airplane. That is what a panic attack feels like.

There isn’t really a known cause for panic attacks, but basically it is your brain’s inability to turn off your instinctual fight-or-flight mechanism, that mechanism which controls adrenaline and other hormones that keep you alive in the middle of a crisis. This sends you into a hysterical state that keeps building because when people have panic attacks, and they don’t know what’s going one, they start freaking out about being freaked out. A panic attack or series of panic attacks can cripple a person–make them afraid to leave their home–and can sometimes lead to suicide. That’s how I felt until I sought counseling and learned how to cope with panic attacks. Don’t bother with sites like www.panic-anxiety.com, they’re just trying to sell you shit. These are the things you need to know and act on if you’re having panic attacks: