Unfiltered Story #247363

My husband and I have a membership for what is, in my opinion, the best zoo within a 2 hour drive of where we live. Wanting to make the pricey membership worth it, we visit at least a couple of times a month. On Black Friday, they were unveiling a refurbished tunnel, and had their Christmas Lights up. I have severe PTSD, depression, anxiety, and panic disorder. I was not expecting the crowds we found. Never have I seen the Zoo this full before, even on their Free days.

My first panic attack of the night happened in the Aquarium building. My husband had to visit the restroom, so I was alone for a bit. During that time, the attack escalated. A wonderful woman stopped in front of me, and walked me through the entire attack, even after my husband had come back. She was absolutely amazing, and I could not thank her enough.

On our way out, I was having a slight attack, sat on a bench near a parking lot, and the car right next to me started, roaring and backfiring. It sent me into the worst attack I’ve ever had. If you’ve never had a panic attack, they often feel like heart attacks, chest pains and all, which adds to the scariness. While my husband was trying to calm me, two families stopped. They gave me juice and found an employee to help me, and even offered to drive us to our parking spot. They refused to leave until the Medic showed up.

The Medic, whom I wish I had gotten his name, so I could write a glowing review for his superiors, also suffered from PTSD, and he was able to help me through the attack and recommend some ways to help heal some of my issues.

The kindness and support I received from so many strangers that day absolutely blew me away. The problem with mental disorders is that they are not usually visible, so they are not very well understood. And for so many people to come up and make sure i was okay, it just blows me away.