Control Panic Attacks

As the exposure of panic attacks has grown in recent years, most people now understand that it is not a condition reserved for the deranged or psychotic.  Rather, it is a common disorder that affects over four million Americans.  Helping to change the perception of panic attacks are a number of celebrities who have been open about their struggle with this condition.  Here are some well-known people who have shared their experiences with anxiety and panic disorder.

Nicole Kidman has admitted to suffering panic attacks in red carpet situations. Kidman explained her fears in a 2002 interview with Vogue magazine, “I panic in front of all the cameras. My hands start shaking and I have trouble breathing. Tom would always whisper to me that everything was all right.”

Willard Scott, former weather reporter for the Today Show, battled panic attacks while he  prepared to go live with his weather reports.  Scott experienced his first panic attack two years after he joined the show.  “It was seconds before I was about to go on the air to give the weather.  “The director was counting down… five,four,three… and with each second, I was sweating profusely, I couldn’t breathe, my mind was befuddled.  The people in the studio called a doctor because they thought I was having a heart attack.” 

Kim Basinger has always been open about her panic attacks, sharing her experiences in dozens of interviews.  Her first episode actually scared her into being homebound for several months.  She eventually forced herself to get out through sheer determination.  She later sought therapy after continuing to experience panic attacks. 

Food Network Star Paula Dean was also a prisoner of her own home due to struggles with agoraphobia and panic attacks.  Her condition arose in her twenties, shortly after the death of her parents and birth of her two sons.  She has since overcome her anxieties to flourish in her current role as one of America’s best known cooking celebrities.

Embattled football player Ricky Williams has endured a well-publicized battle with social anxiety disorder that is compounded by his celebrity appeal.  At one time he endorsed his success with the drug Paxil.  Ricky continues to overcome his anxieties, but his off-the-field problems have since lead to his suspension from the NFL.

Perhaps the most famous victim of panic disorder is Sigmund Freud.  Ironically enough, Freud’s condition formed the basis of his most popular works on internal conflict and anxiety neurosis.  Frustrated with the lack diagnosis for the condition, Freud dedicated himself to research in the field of anxiety.  His findings have since become the foundation for most of the anxiety studies carried out in the past century. 

Of course this list is only a small sample of the thousands of celebrities whose lives have been affected by panic attacks.  But this handful of examples should serve as inspiration for the millions of others who are trying to control their panic disorder. 

There are proven strategies to overcome panic attacks, but yet many still hide in the fear and embarrassment of their condition.  While it can be an overwhelming for sufferers to tackle the same fears that have held them hostage for years, the sooner they begin treatment, the sooner they will overcome their panic attacks.