ACTOR JM de Guzman shared on Monday a video of an episode of his panic disorder, as he reminded followers who may be in a similar situation that, “You are not alone.”
On Instagram, he shared a video of him putting ice on his head, writing in its caption: “This is what my panic disorder looks like.”
De Guzman said he woke up at 4 a.m. from a good sleep, due to “intense waves of emotions, [and] rapid heartbeat that’ll make you feel you are about to pass out or die.”
“I use ice to slow down the heart beat and to feel my face because my body is numb, overpowered by emotions. This may be caused by a painful trauma in the past,” he said.
De Guzman managed to record the demonstration “because somehow, I’m learning to cope with it.”
“Just hoping other might relate, and to let you know you’re not alone,” he told his followers on social media.
He advised that aside from applying on the head, it can also help to do so on the hands and body.
“Just pray and [take] deep breaths and make the people around you understand your condition. Tell them to stop asking questions and just be there, so the attack will subside quicker rather than triggered.”
A coping mechanism that has also helped de Guzman is mentally repeating: “It’ll be over after 30 or 40 minutes, and you’ll be fine.”
He ended his post with the hashtag #ToBeAwareIsToBeAlive.(ABS-CBN)
