An unpleasant feeling forms in your throat,

An unpleasant feeling forms in your throat, your chest
feels tighter, now a sudden shortness of breath, and what
do you know—your heart skips a beat. “Please, God, not
here.”
You make a quick scan of the territory—s it
threatening? Four unfriendly faces are behind you and one
person is in front. Pins and needles seem to prick you
through your left arm, you feel slightly dizzy, and then the
explosion of fear as you dread the worst. You are about to
have a panic attack.
There is no doubt in your mind now that this is going to
be a big one. Okay, time for you to focus. You know how to
deal with this –at least you hope you do! Start breathing
deeply - in through the nose, out through the mouth.
Think relaxing thoughts, and again, while breathing in,
think “Relax,” and then breathe out. But it doesn’t seem to
be having any positive effect; in fact, just concentrating on
breathing is making you feel self-conscious and more
uptight.
Maybe if you just try to relax your muscles. Tense
both shoulders, hold for 10 seconds, then release. Try it
again. Nope, still no difference. The anxiety is getting worse
and the very fact that you are out of coping techniques
worsens your panic. If only you were surrounded by your
family, or a close friend were beside you so you could feel
more confident in dealing with this situation.
Now, the adrenaline is really pumping through your
system, your body is tingling with uncomfortable sensations,
and now the dreaded feeling of losing complete control
engulfs your emotions. No one around you has any idea of
the sheer terror you are experiencing. For them, it’s just a
regular day and another frustratingly slow line at the
grocery store.