In the throes of a panic attack, it can feel utterly indistinguishable from dying. Your heart pounds like it's about to give out, your chest tightens, your breath comes in shallow gasps—or disappears altogether—and your vision may narrow as a wave of dizziness and unreality crashes over you. The terror is primal, total, and convincing: something is deeply wrong.Many people rush to the ER certain they're having a heart attack, only to be told their body is responding to fear, not failure. But in that moment, logic vanishes. Panic hijacks your nervous system and convinces you this is the end. And yet—every time—it passes. You survive. The work of healing begins by understanding that what you’re experiencing isn’t madness or weakness, but your body sounding an alarm that something needs care, attention, and repair.

Katrina was driving across the Williamsburg Bridge—just another part of her daily New York City commute—when it happened. Out of nowhere, her heart pounded, her vision blurred, and a crushing wave of dread swept over her. Trapped in traffic high above the East River, she felt like she couldn’t breathe—convinced she was going to lose control or pass out behind the wheel. Though the panic subsided, everything changed after that moment.

Now, she avoids the bridge altogether, rerouting through side streets, canceling meetings in Brooklyn, and meticulously planning every trip to prevent another episode. This is the hidden reality of panic disorder for many high-functioning New Yorkers: one terrifying event followed by a life increasingly shaped by fear, avoidance, and the haunting question—what if it happens again?

What Is Panic Disorder?

Panic disorder is a complex anxiety condition marked by sudden and repeated panic attacks—intense surges of fear that peak within minutes and trigger distressing physical symptoms such as a racing heart, dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath, and a feeling of detachment from reality. Many individuals report feeling as though they’re dying or “going crazy.” Unlike general anxiety, panic disorder includes a persistent worry about future attacks, which often leads to avoidant behaviors. For New Yorkers, this can mean steering clear of subways, elevators, bridges, high-rise buildings, or crowded events—shrinking one's world in a city where independence and mobility are everything.