This is what a panic attack feels like

Ten years ago, at age 53, she was still having frequent panic attacks, even though she had kicked her addictions. Concerned, her doctor persuaded her to try therapy, and she began seeing a

cognitive behavior therapist who specialized in anxiety. The therapist helped her process the trauma in her past and taught her how to cope with her anxiety before it escalated. "I

learned that I had never dealt with the stuff that had happened to me,” Klein says. Her panic attacks became less frequent, and she focused on exercising, enjoying her retirement and

spending time with her son and other family members. When her dad passed away, in January, Klein was worried that she would relapse, but she found healthy ways to mourn instead. “I

didn't suffer even one panic attack after his death,” she says. Although she rarely has panic attacks now, Klein is still a member of support groups online, and she often provides

encouragement to others who are struggling. “It's a wonderful feeling to be able to help,” she says. How she copes: She exercises every day ("It makes a difference."), and she

uses an app called Calm for meditation and deep-breathing exercises. If she feels an attack coming on, she either takes a walk or sits in a chair with her feet up, and focuses on her

breathing. “I have to talk myself out of it,” she says. “Even after all these years, it's still very hard. But I've had a handle on it for almost three years now." "I

THOUGHT I WAS HAVING A HEART ATTACK." NICHOLAS RUGGIERO, 42, DUMFRIES, VA. Police Sgt. Nicholas Ruggiero was packing his lunch for work one morning in October 2018 when his heart

started dancing in his chest. He felt hot and sweaty, and he couldn't catch his breath. Then the room began to spin. As he fell to the floor, his wife called 911. "I actually

thought I was having a heart attack,” Ruggiero remembers. An ambulance rushed him to the hospital, where we underwent a full workup. Afterward, the doctor gave Ruggiero an unexpected

diagnosis: He was having a panic attack. "At first, I just started laughing,” Ruggiero says. “As a police officer, I'd been in a lot of stressful situations — shooting scenes,

homicides — and I had never panicked. How could I be having a panic attack?” It turned out that the stress of his job had built up over time and triggered the attack. In the two years since,

Ruggiero estimates he has had another 100 panic attacks, but medication and lifestyle changes have helped make them less frequent. Ruggiero thought his attacks would further subside when he

retired from police work last spring, but the arrival of coronavirus and trying to switch careers during a pandemic created a new kind of anxiety. How he copes: Ruggiero sees a therapist

twice a month, takes long walks and spends a lot of time writing and drawing, which help relieve his anxiety. He also takes an anti-anxiety medication and avoids crowded places, because they

can be a trigger. When he feels an attack coming on, he finds the nearest quiet area, closes his eyes and focuses on deep breathing. “I'll put my AirPods in and play very relaxing

music, and that snaps me out of it.” "YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE DYING AND GOING CRAZY AT THE SAME TIME." Courtesy Cheryl Poldrugah CHERYL POLDRUGACH, 53, OF DALLAS For 30 years,

Cheryl Poldrugach hid her panic attacks from her family and friends. When her anxiety hit, she would tell them she was sick or had the “stomach flu.” She sometimes missed important events

like graduations and holiday celebrations, cancelling at the last minute when an attack left her curled on the bathroom floor. Poldrugach says her secrecy contributed to her divorce 10 years

ago and to rifts with friends and family. "It was very crippling,” she says. “You get this cold sweat, yet feel like you're on fire, and you're shaking. Your heart is racing

out of your chest. You feel like you're dying and going crazy at the same time, and you're not sure you can make it through.” It wasn't until Poldrugach's teenage

daughter had a panic attack at school last year that she finally realized she had to get help and talk to her family about what she was going through. She started taking anti-anxiety

medication, which helped a lot. She also sees a counselor who has helped her learn about healthy ways to cope and get through an attack. These days, she has turned her focus outward, helping

her daughter, her son and others who suffer from anxiety. She adopted the Twitter handle @CherylPanics, and advocates for mental health awareness and education on social media. How she

copes: Travel makes Poldrugach especially anxious, but it helps her cope to learn as many details as possible in advance. “I'll watch videos showing where we are going,” she says. To

get through a panic attack, she repeats the following mantras to herself: “'You are not crazy. You're going to be OK. You're not going to die.’ Just repeating those mantras

helps me get grounded,” she says. _Editor's Note: This story, originally published on September 18, 2020, has been updated to reflect the latest expert advice. _