Anatomy of a Panic Attack

I feel my chest pounding... it's like something really exciting is happening, but not in a good way. I can hear and feel my heart beating, racing in my ears and face, and it feels like my blood is starting to slam into my eardrums and cheekbones and ribs.

The pounding gets worse. I cover my chest with my hand because my heart is beating so hard that I'm afraid if I don't, my heart might literally leap out of my chest cavity and jump away...

As I wonder how to control the pounding in my chest, my throat starts to close. My trachea seems to shrink to one-tenth its typical diameter as I start gasping for breath, never able to get enough air in my lungs. I feel like I've been swimming forever underwater, and I just came up for air, but I can't seem to fill my lungs.

So I breathe hard. And then harder. And no matter how hard or fast I breathe, I can't seem to get enough oxygen to my brain to make the drowning feeling stop.

People are talking. What are they saying? I think they're talking to me, but I can't tell. Something about slowing down. Slowing down what? Why can't I breathe? Am I having a heart attack? My chest hurts so badly. I must be having a heart attack.

I'm shaking. My muscles are aching, my stomach is churning; I hurt all over. I feel like I'm going to vomit. Why can't I breathe? I need to get air into my lungs. I have to breathe harder. Harder... That must be the answer...

The room is spinning. My body is in tremors. Is someone talking to me? Who is that? Why do they keep saying the same things over and over? What do they MEAN deep breaths? I AM taking deep breaths... aren't I? My breaths aren't working... There's just no air!

Am I walking? Am I sitting? Where am I? Who is that? What on earth is going on? Why can't I breathe? Why is there no air? Why do I hurt so badly?

Darkness.

My body takes over. Thank god for my medulla oblongata...