It feels like a constant hum beneath your skin, as if your body is bracing for something that hasn’t happened and may never happen. Your thoughts race in tight circles, each one louder and more urgent than the last, convincing you that you’ve forgotten something important or that something is about to go wrong. Your chest can feel tight, your breathing shallow, your heart thudding hard enough to notice. Even small decisions suddenly seem enormous, heavy with imagined consequences. It’s a restless, uneasy energy that won’t let you fully relax, like standing on the edge of a step you can’t see in the dark, unsure whether you’re safe or about to fall.
Sufferers often also have panic attacks, which are a sudden surge of intense fear or discomfort that reaches its peak within minutes. They can start at any age, which can be very alarming to someone who has never had one before.
During a panic attack, a person may experience symptoms such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, sweating, shaking, or a feeling of losing control. Although these symptoms can feel overwhelming and frightening, panic attacks themselves are not physically dangerous. They are often triggered by stress, anxiety, or certain situations, but they can also occur unexpectedly.




