Personal Narrative: My First Panic Attack

I had my first panic attack in my eighth grade English class, I had to read a poem aloud to the class and I remember uncontrollably shaking and my heartbeat getting quicker as time passed. At the time I had no idea this was what a panic attack felt like, I honestly thought it was normal to be that nervous before a presentation. It wasn’t until the summer after ninth grade that I went to see a therapist, she diagnosed me with social anxiety and I was relieved to know that the anxiety I was feeling wasn’t normal and there was something I could do to help myself. Since then I’ve gotten a lot better, I can now hold a conversation longer than a quiet “hi” and I actually enjoy going to social events. My social anxiety still challenges me every day,