F*ck Panic Attacks, Seriously
- Shannon Jackson
- Jul 20
- 3 min read
If you’ve ever had a panic attack, you know... they freaking suck! And sometimes, what you need most isn’t another breathing technique or another book, tool, or tip. Sometimes, you just need someone to say, “Yeah, this is really freaking hard.”
As someone who struggled with panic disorder and agoraphobia for 15 years, I’ve had hundreds, maybe even thousands of panic attacks. I’ve driven home at 70mph on back roads just to escape the rising wave of panic. I’ve bailed out of drive-thru lines like I was in Fast & Furious. I’ve felt like my body betrayed me, like I was going crazy, and like I would do anything to never feel that way again.
Panic Attacks Are More Than Just Anxiety
You’ve probably heard someone say, “It’s just anxiety. It can’t hurt you.” But let’s be honest, that can feel incredibly invalidating when you’re in the thick of it.
Sure, panic attacks might not be medically dangerous, but that doesn’t mean they can’t do real damage. They can:
Shatter your sense of safety in your own body
Make you feel like you’re losing control
Break your trust in yourself and your abilities
Lead to isolation, relationship strain, and a shrinking world
Panic attacks can hurt. Emotionally, mentally, even physically. And pretending otherwise only makes us feel more alone.
You Can Say “F*ck Panic Attacks” and Still Heal
Here’s something I want you to really hear: You can hate panic attacks and still be healing. Healing doesn’t mean you suddenly love anxiety or feel grateful for panic. It means you stop resisting it so harshly. You stop trying to push it away and start creating a healthier relationship with it.
You can say:
“I hate this. I don’t want to feel this way ever again.”
…and still choose to show up for yourself with compassion, curiosity, and courage.
That paradox? It’s not a contradiction. It’s actually where the healing happens.
You're Not Broken. You're Not Weak. You're Not Alone.
If panic has left you feeling hopeless, like your body is beyond repair, I want you to know this:
You are not broken. It’s your relationship with anxiety that needs healing—not you.
You are not weak. You are surviving something incredibly hard.
You are not crazy. Your experience makes sense, and you’re not alone.
You are not stuck. This doesn’t have to be your forever.
Even if you’re not having full-blown panic attacks right now, but you’re living in fear of having one, this message is still for you. That constant bracing, that constant effort to keep yourself from panicking? It’s exhausting. But healing is possible.
Healing Isn’t Perfect—And It Doesn’t Have to Be
You don’t have to heal perfectly. You don’t have to “do it right.” You just have to keep showing up for yourself. Even if that means crying in your car, texting a friend mid-panic, or telling anxiety to f*ck off as you head into the grocery store.
Some days will be messy. Some will be empowering. But all of it counts. All of it matters.
And maybe the most healing thing you can do today is just let yourself hate panic attacks, and know that it doesn’t make you weak. It makes you real. And it makes you strong as hell.
Need Support in Navigating Panic Attacks?
If you're looking for real tools to help you move through panic and avoidance without it feeling so hard, check out these classes:
➡️ Fear to Freedom Mini-Course – Learn how to face panic and avoidance with confidence.
➡️ Overcoming the Symptoms & Panic Attacks Mini-Course – Understand how to respond to symptoms in a healthier way so they stop showing up.
And if this post resonated with you, please share it with someone who needs to hear they’re not alone.
You’re not broken. You’re not crazy. You’re healing—and you’re doing an amazing job.
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