Silent struggle of panic attacks: how South Africans cope daily

IN SOUTH Africa, July is observed as Mental Health Awareness Month. During this time, we are focusing on panic attacks, a condition many people experience but few discuss openly.

- VUYILE MADWANTSI

Here’s the thing: panic doesn’t always look the way you might imagine.

Sometimes it’s loud and visible; other times, it hides behind a composed face, a polite smile or an empty chair at the dinner table.

This year, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) has chosen a theme that couldn’t be more real: “The Panic You Don’t See.”

It reminds us that panic disorder and anxiety are not always about gasping for air or clutching your chest in public. It’s a mental health condition marked by unexpected, intense episodes of fear and physical discomfort that can feel utterly disabling.

Often, it’s the silent dread, the racing heartbeat in the middle of a meeting or the countless invitations quietly declined.

“Panic doesn’t always look like gasping for air, it can be the quiet no-shows, the life slowly shrinking behind closed doors, says Dr Colinda Linde, SADAG board chairperson and clinical psychologist.

“Let's speak up about the panic you don’t see, because naming it is the first step to overcoming it.”

What does panic really feel like?