Panic Awareness Day 2025 is commemorated annually on 10th July.
In honour of this day, we wanted to share the below blog post from a person with lived experience who kindly shared their story of their first panic attack with us. Remember, there is no shame in living with panic disorder.
If you need support, please do reach out to the SAFMH Helpdesk or SADAG, who runs free Support Groups dedicated to panic disorder. You can find out more here.
Imagine being in a state of absolute panic, feeling like your heart is about to stop and that there is no more air left to breathe, in a situation you physically cannot escape; that sums up my first panic attack. My first panic attack was nightmarish. I was sleep-deprived, nearing the end of an 11 hour overnight flight, when I suddenly felt terrifying despair.
Planes and flying have never been my favourite things. Whilst feeling so grateful whenever I got the opportunity to travel, I always had a sense of underlying dread about the journey. Before my first panic attack, I had experienced difficult flights, with turbulence, extreme weather conditions, and even a diversion landing, but whilst these flights were scary, they were all domestic flights, at a maximum of just over two hours. Whenever I became anxious, I could ease my mind knowing that it would all be over soon. But this time was different. We had been flying for nearly 10 hours, and I barely had a wink of sleep–something my anxiety thrives on.
We started to experience turbulence as we neared the end of our flight. Although I don’t remember much of it, it was probably nothing to be too concerned about, yet it felt like the end of the world. My heart began to race, pounding as though it was strong enough to escape my chest. I started shaking uncontrollably, not being able to use my hands for anything or keep my body still.
I became nauseous, hot and sweaty, as if I had a 40°C fever. I felt as though my lungs were incapable of taking in air, and like there was no oxygen in the plane, as I fanned myself with the flight brochure. I never thought a heart could beat so fast and a space could feel so small.
My thoughts were not about the plane crashing, but rather about the fact that I was trapped. There was no way to get off of that plane, and I have never felt called to skydive. When experiencing all of these visceral physical sensations with a racing mind, the least helpful thing is to be strapped down to a chair with no possibility of even standing up; I was trapped. It felt like this panic went on for an hour, but knowing what I now know about panic attacks, it was probably only about 15 minutes. After the plane landed and I was able to settle down, I felt absolutely spent–like what I imagine it would feel like to finish an ultramarathon. I felt like my energy was beyond depleted, and like I needed to sleep for a week straight. And while feeling all of that, I felt traumatised. I had never felt anguish like that, or the sense that my body was about to give in.
Once this was all over, I had no idea what had happened to me. I knew what anxiety was, but I had never heard of a panic attack, and after speaking with a therapist, I was able to identify that that is what I had experienced. Unfortunately, I continued struggling with panic attacks after that first one, but because I could name them, I was able to work on coping mechanisms to try to ground me when in states of panic. Due to circumstantial changes, therapeutic techniques, medication, and hard work, I am happy to say that I have not had a panic attack in six years. With that said, I don’t think I will ever forget how they feel.
Join SADAG’s “Ask the Expert” session on Friday, 11 July 2025 at 1 PM LIVE on Facebook. This session will see have Clinical Psychologist Shai Friedland break down “Panic in Teens, Men and the Fear of Flying,” exploring hidden signs and effective ways to manage it.
Looking for more ways to cope or help a loved one? Explore SADAG’s online Panic Toolkit on www.sadag.org. This free resource offers a wealth of information, including helpful brochures, practical handouts, a schedule of online activities, and insightful videos. It’s designed to empower you with knowledge and self-help tools, helping you understand, manage, and cope better with Panic. Click Here To View.
