Don't Panic

DISCLAIMER: I am not a psychiatrist, so I strongly recommend you don't take me for one : )

 Panic is something we all feel, like anger, or sadness, or happiness. It is defined as "an overwhelming feeling of fear and aniexty". Normally when we feel this combination of fear and anxiety, it doesn't last very long. We freak out for a few minutes and then carry on about our lives.
 But what if you had to live your life in constant panic?
 Could you handle it?
 Some people have no choice, and these people are living with the panic disoder. Also known as anxiety disorder, or plainly AD, panic disorder comes with symptoms like heart palpations, racing thoughts, shortness of breath, a sense of being "out of it", chest pain, and many more. The majority of those few listed symptoms go hand-in-hand with a panic attack, which can feel anything like something similar to a heart attack or a like you're just fading into air.
 Panic attacks are amazingly difficult to deal with and happen unexpectedly. Lack of sleep or an overdoing of stimulants, like caffiene or tobacco, are seen as the biggest triggers. While these attacks alone make living a normal life hard, there's simply just more to it.
 The mind is truly a place of its own and if you're struggling with panic disorder, you learn this the hard way. Your mind plays tricks on you, spinning the most mundane situations and tiniest speculations completely out of control.
 Papercut?
 More like blood-gushing gash of death!
 It sounds absurd, but this line of thought occurs almost daily for AD patients. A small headache can suddenly turn into an exploading blood vessel, stomach pain into torn stomach lining, an earahce into the expierence of going deaf; none of it correct, but believed, soley because of the overwhelming thoughts produced by the mind.
 How do I handle it?
 AD is most often a result of low seretonin levels in the brain, in which case, proper medication can help straighten things out. While you wait for medication to kick in, practicing coping skills such as breathing exercises, stress relieving activities, distracting your mind, etc., can also help a great deal. If medication doesn't help, practicing the various different kinds of coping skills there are for AD still does a good job. Counselling is also effective.
 How do I help my loved one handle it?
 It is important to understand that the person dealing with panic/anxiety disorder has very little control over it. Though the ideas running through their head that they may voice to you could seem like %100 bullshit loony talk, you shouldn't bluntly tell them that.
 "You're crazy! Just shut up already," is NOT the way to go about things.
 "That's not going to happen. Just try to calm down. I'm here for you," is a much a better approach.
 Do not belittle the person or try to further convince them that their arm is, in fact, going to fall off. Just talk to them calmly and stay with them until the incident passes. It might get annoying, but with time and progress you'll realize that it was well worth it to help your loved one out.

  Now, why the hell did I just write all of this?

 Because I have AD, and I honestly believe that it is something everyone should know more about. As I stated before, I am not a doctor, but I do understand this disorder none the less, having it and all...If you have any questions, feel free to message me.