I lead a great life. I’m the lead social media manager of a large brand, my friends are fucking awesome, and I couldn’t love my life living in New York any more than I do. Occasionally, though, I suffer from panic attacks. It's difficult to put the feeling into words, but I can tell you that it’s terrifying.

Imagine not being able to speak or breathe, feeling pain in your chest while you’re sure the world is collapsing in on you. Your vision becomes spotty, you’re hyperventilating, you’re not sure what is happening, and you think you’re going to die. The first few times it happened, I went to the hospital thinking that something was physically wrong. I’ve learned to manage the attacks with the help of medication. I’m still hesitant to talk about it with people, though.