It feels like a sudden huge surge, and then immediately after the surge a heavy, "slow motion" chest feeling that makes it feel like you will need to breathe labored/heavily/in slow motion. This is the part where I think I am dying. I think that my chest is going to close up and my lungs will not be able to breathe.  
It's like if you were breathing in quicksand or in an antigravity room. Occasionally it will even feel like the air gets sucked out of the room. Other times this feeling goes away quickly if I can distract myself. The more i focus on this symptom the worse it seems to be.   


\&gt;Meanwhile, legs feel strange and turn into extremely shaky jello.  
\&gt;Reality feels slightly distorted (example: focusing too much on something, or feeling unreal, time   
  feeling either slowed or sped up, feeling like it's all caving in, etc) Sometimes will feel off balance or lightheaded.  
\&gt;Intrusive thoughts (you're going to die, you need to call an ambulance, you're dying! doom! gloom! insert scary thing here! ahhhhh!)  
\&gt;Soon after is a very heavy feeling in your upper body/arms/chest.  
Occasionally, i will get little aftershocks of the surge, and this process will repeat for a few more minutes until it goes away. 

Is this a panic attack? Does anyone else get these symptoms? If you do, do you have any tips?   


My main things I need help with are   
1. The initial feeling you get where you feel you the heaviness in your chest/slow mo/labored breathing sensation. That part scares me the most. I am completely terrified I will hyperventilate and not be able to stop.   
2. Convincing myself I am not dying. I have had this happen so many times and yet every time my brain tries to say, no, this time is different! this time you're actually dying, something is wrong with you! which majorly feeds into the panic loop.  
3. Being afraid of leaving my home. I have developed mild to moderate agoraphobia in that I am afraid to leave home and have a panic attack away from my safe place. I am afraid of being in public or in my car driving and having this happen. Can anyone who is able to leave home yet live with panic attacks give me any tips on how to handle this if it does happen or stop being afraid of leaving home?   
4. Any general tip you may have on how to stop panic or anxiety quickly or any related anxiety life hack.  


Thanks so much in advance. Your response will be so very appreciated!