Sophi Gullbrants for BI
One muggy night in the summer of 2021, I found myself livestreaming a panic attack on Instagram.
I was tired of doomscrolling through pandemic news and thought I'd take my mind off it by practicing my promotional spiel for my newly launched mental-health newsletter. It proved to be a bad idea. As viewers trickled in, I noticed the ominous hum of anxiety in my chest that I've grown familiar with over years of living with generalized anxiety disorder. Within seconds I was spiraling, sweating, and struggling to breathe — but I kept the camera on. "This is what a panic attack looks like, folks," I stammered.