One of the biggest misconceptions about people suffering from panic attacks is that they lack courage. For a person who has never suffered from a panic attack or General Anxiety, it becomes hard to understand why someone would be afraid to go to the super market or drive a car. And they often conclude that the panic attack sufferer lacks courage to face these situations.
They cannot be further from the truth. In reality, panic attacks and General Anxiety have absolutely nothing to do with the personal bravery level of the sufferer. Panic attack sufferer aren’t really afraid of the outside world, it is their internal crisis that they are afraid of. It is easy to go about your day when you are feeling safe inside. But when you feel like there is an internal time bomb ticking inside you, which can explode any moment in the form of a panic attack, it becomes very difficult to go about your day without hesitation.
Barry Joe McDonagh from the Panic Away explains that he has worked with several panic attack sufferers who came from the bravest professions in the world. Policemen, Firemen, Soldiers; who suffer from panic attacks find it harder to deal with panic attacks than go into building on fire or fighting in the battle field.
The reason is simple, running into a burning building and saving someone is easier because they know how to handle the situation. But when a person suffers from a panic attack, they feel helpless and powerless. It feels like some outer influence has taken over there body and they do not have control over anything.
Panic attack sufferers are in a way the one of the bravest people in the world. They deal with their internal crisis and fear every day. That, in my opinion, is one of the bravest things.
If you are suffering from panic attacks, know this; the bravery does not go unrewarded. You are becoming a stronger person every day. Sure there will be times when you will feel like you should just give up. There will be setbacks. But if you persevere, you will completely cure panic attacks and will come out a stronger person than ever before. You will develop an inner strength that someone who hasn’t suffered from this condition can never develop.
