I still remember with clarity the first time I had a panic attack. I was in college and it was one of my first nights living in the dorm. Around 10 people were packed into our tiny dorm room, guys and girls, talking, enjoying the new scene. As might be expected, it started to become stuffy and I was having trouble catching my breath. I headed to the window to open it, and I let in the cool air, but by then it was too late. The underlying anxiety of relocation, being in a new environment, tough classes, all of this combined with the physical sensation of being out of breath, set something in motion. My heart started to race and the walls seemed to be closing in on me, pretty soon the people around me started taking notice. Most of them left, but a couple people stayed behind to help me through this experience. The attacks would last for 5-10 minutes, there would be some short relief, and then BAM! suddenly that awful fear would flood my body again. Fear of a heart attack, fear of losing my mind.

I struggled that entire year, speaking to counselors and friends but nobody really understood the condition. This was before the internet had reached popularity, so it was much harder to find people with a similar condition. Nowadays we are much more fortunate that information necessary to stop panic attacks is more widespread, and effective treatments are easier to find. Probably the greatest benefit that the internet offers panic attack sufferers, is the knowledge that we are not alone. In fact, it is estimated that 1 in 60 people will suffer from a panic attack at some point in their life.

After that initial attack I had in the dorm room, I started isolating myself from other people. While my roommate would be down the hall, partying with new friends, I would lock myself up, reading or talking on the phone. Like so many people with panic attacks, I started avoiding social situations because, subconsciously, I associated crowded rooms with the panic attacks, and I would have done anything, even isolate myself, to avoid another humiliating experience.

How fortunate we are now, to have a way of breaking the cycle of panic attacks by reaching out online, in the comfort of our own homes. If I had the internet as a resource back then, I could have really enjoyed my college experience fully, without constant fear of recurring attacks.

Today, there are two popular methods of online panic attack help and they both come with internet coaching. The first is Panic Away, which I've used personally and works well: Click Here To Learn About Panic Away. The second is The Linden Method, which is a more intensive course, not necessarily for a quick fix but for longterm results useful to those that have been in therapy with no success: Click Here To Learn More About The Linden Method.

Be sure to also check the navigational links to the left, especially the submitted reviews.