Recently, a 22-year-old woman named Amber Smith from the UK shared two images on her Facebook page showing what she looked like before and after a panic attack. She meant it as a way to start a discussion and I doubt that she realized it would soon have been shared by over 26 000 people.
I applaud Amber’s bravery and willingness to show the world what it looks like when your body turns against you, because I know exactly what that’s like. I have GAD or Generalised Anxiety Disorder. This means that my brain handles anxiety really differently than most people. I scare easily, I sometimes feel panicked for no reason, and some nights I wake up terrified from a nightmare with my heart pounding and head racing.