In movies, TV shows and books, characters who go through fits of anger or sorrow or panic tend to follow it up by some mistake; they end up making a bad decision in the midst of their panic and they do the thing the audience wants them not to do. But in real life, those emotions aren’t just some trigger for bad choices. They are not just a plot device. They are significant.
Because society deems emotion as the opposite of rationality, it becomes easy to write it off as “nothing.” Worried that your significant other is lying to you? You’re probably overthinking. Family troubles? Nobody’s family is perfect, it’s just the way it is. Paralyzed at the thought of your future? Everyone feels that way, you’ll be fine. This makes it difficult to talk about panic attacks, because they can be seen as an overreaction to nothing.
Panic attacks are generally defined as sudden episodes of intense fear that bring on physical reactions, even if there isn’t an apparent cause. They can be really severe and frightening. Often times, people who have panic attacks feel as if they’ve lost control, and worry about when the next one will happen.
The physical reactions to panic attacks can vary. They can include stimulated symptoms, such as a racing heart, sweating, chest pain and breathing problems. Tingly limbs, dizziness, and stomach pain are amongst others. They drain you in every way: physically, mentally, and emotionally. And because of how stigmatized emotion is, so many people learn to feel embarrassed to have panic attacks. As if it was a choice.
Occasionally, media gets it right. In “Iron Man 3”, Tony Stark (a brilliantly witty and powerful superhero) experiences these throughout the movie. He initially thought he was having a heart attack, a common reaction for a lot of people. Panic attacks are not nothing. Emotion is not nothing.