I'm A Psychologist Who Struggled With Debilitating Panic Attacks. Here's How I Healed

''For years I had a dirty little secret. In hot, stuffy vehicles and rooms, my heart would palpitate and I'd hyperventilate. I felt scared, helpless, and desperate, as though my world was crashing in, while I looked for a crack or window that I could stick my head out of so I could breathe.

The first time it happened, my train had broken down. It stayed tilted on the tracks; I felt disoriented. The heater was at full-blast, and I was perspiring from sprinting to catch the train. The first thought that blared at me wasn't What's going on? It was, I'm trapped. How can I breathe?

I didn't know I was having a panic attack. By the time the third one rolled in, it hit me. I was ashamed. I'm a psychologist; I help people with their panic attacks, and here I was, having one. That's the dirty little secret that only me, myself, and I knew...''

by Dr. Perpetua Neo