We were just two people stepping out for a breather. A casual walk after a long, hectic day at work—something we did often to shake off the weight of screens and tasks. We were laughing about something silly, probably a meme we saw earlier, when it happened.
It started subtly. Her voice dropped a little, her steps slowed. She clutched her chest like she couldn’t quite catch her breath. At first, I thought maybe it was fatigue, but then I saw it—her eyes darting around, her hands trembling. The air around her felt thick, like the world was suddenly closing in on her.
She sat down on the nearby bench, trying to steady her breath, but it wasn’t working. Her skin looked pale, and she was visibly trying to fight back tears. I sat beside her, kept my voice low and steady, told her I was there, that she didn’t have to say anything, just breathe with me. One breath at a time.
A couple of colleagues saw us and walked over. Thankfully, they didn’t crowd her or ask too many questions. They just stood close, offering silent support. One of them gently handed her some water. We gave her space, but not distance.
After a while, when she was able to talk, she admitted that this wasn’t the first time. That sometimes, her chest gets tight for no reason, her mind spins in loops, and it feels like she’s drowning in a sea no one else can see.
That day, something unspoken finally got words.
It was a quiet reminder for all of us. Anxiety isn’t always loud. It doesn’t always come with sirens and signals. Sometimes, it hides behind the strongest smiles and the loudest laughs. And it’s not something to be ashamed of. It’s human. It’s real.
That walk started out as just a way to kill time. But it turned into something else—a moment of truth, vulnerability, and support. No names needed. Just realness. Because honestly, we all carry something. And the least we can do is be there for each other when it shows.
Comments
Oh man.. panic attacks are no joke
Yeah. The “anxiety” song was playing in a car the other day (first of all it’s a lazy song) and I got to thinking how many people must be triggered having to listen to that word being said over and over and over again. It’s wonderful that you understood what your colleague was going through <3
OP, if it helps, you might want to learn the 54321 method
You gently talk to the person and ask them to list 5 things they can see, 4 things they can feel, 3 things they can hear, 2 things they can smell, and 1 thing they can taste.
It’s supposed to help ground them from a panic attack and focus on making a list, serving as a distraction. This helped a lot when I did it to myself and my niece, who had temper problems.
Good luck!
I have a friend who was medicated for anxiety for over a decade before his doctor realized he was having heart problems, and eventually multiple heart attacks, not anxiety.
It’s not normal to have a panic attack for no reason when you are just strolling outside, when there is no stressor or trigger; it could be a medical condition that just manifests as a feeling like anxiety, cardiac problems can cause that chest-tightness and heart-racing, and other panic-attack-like symptoms.
(You could suggest to your friend that she get her heart checked out, and get checked out for other conditions that might be causing those physical symptoms.)