The day started off not great, and I don’t have the energy to mask, so my camera has been off for all Zoom meetings. However, randomly, in the middle of a meeting, my chest gets tight, as if my heart is being squeezed into a ball. My anxiousness is palpable, I feel it all throughout my body and all I want is for it to stop so that I can focus on the meeting.

I start flicking my fingers to get rid of the pent-up energy, taking deep breaths because it feels like I’m not getting enough air, and grabbing my chest. I feel hot and like I’m being smothered, so I take off my cardigan. I start to cry.

After about 5 minutes, the intensity of it subsides but I still feel a lingering tightness in my chest.

This isn’t the first time this happened to me, but I’m trying to document these occurrences better, because I’ve been avoiding going to get help, but it’s started to affect my work too much.

Is this what a panic attack feels like? If not, what do they typically feel like?

Thanks