“Panic Attacks”: 30 Things People Can Never Truly Understand Until They’ve Experienced Them

No one canexperienceeverything in life. And sometimes, that’s a blessing! If you had to suffer through every possible traumatic situation, enjoying life would become extremely challenging. But the more that we havebeen through, the more we can relate to others.Redditors have recently beendiscussingexperiences that no one will ever fully understand until they’ve lived them, so we’ve gathered some of their thoughts down below. From grieving aloved oneto being burdened withchronic pain, I’m sure you can relate to some of the experiences here. But perhaps this list will be a reminder to be a little more sympathetic towards the things you haven’t seen first hand.This post may includeaffiliate links.

Redditors have recently beendiscussingexperiences that no one will ever fully understand until they’ve lived them, so we’ve gathered some of their thoughts down below. From grieving aloved oneto being burdened withchronic pain, I’m sure you can relate to some of the experiences here. But perhaps this list will be a reminder to be a little more sympathetic towards the things you haven’t seen first hand.

This post may includeaffiliate links.

Depression.

A person with curly hair resting their head on their arm, contemplating grief.

Grief.

A woman experiencing grief, reclined on a white sofa, wearing a pink shirt, with bookshelves in the background.

Poverty.

A younger man comforts an older man in a red hat, seated, both experiencing a moment of grief.

Panic attacks.

A person with closed eyes and an open mouth, expressing intense grief.

Pet loss.

Shiba Inu lying on a wooden deck, capturing a sense of grief and reflection.

Chronic pain.

Person in a light blue shirt sitting on a sofa, holding their knee, experiencing emotional or physical discomfort.

An a***sive relationshipAlways easy to say, “Well if my SO would use violence against me, I would be gone in seconds”, until you’ve lived through it.“I would never let someone treat me that way”, until the one you love actually does…Learned this the hard way.

A man comforting a woman on a couch, both exhibiting emotions related to grief.

Migraines. I’d love for everyone to experience a migraine at least once so that they stop calling it ‘just a headache.’.

A person with thoughtful expression touching their face, illustrating an aspect of grief.

DiscriminationSome people think it straight up doesn’t exist because it’s never happened to them.

A woman walks beside a man in a wheelchair, showcasing a moment that reflects understanding grief.

Clinical depression. Everyone thinks they understand it because they’ve been depressed, but true depression is a whole different thing.

“Panic Attacks”: 30 Things People Can Never Truly Understand Until They’ve Experienced Them

Period Cramps.

Woman lying in bed with a hot water bottle, wearing a plaid shirt, expressing grief.

The outrage and despair when something really unfair happens to you.People will tell you to just choose to be happy, or get over it, or forgive, but words are so cheap.Moving past something and forgiving is a process you go through. You don’t actually have complete control over it.

A woman sitting outdoors, looking pensive and overwhelmed, symbolizing grief and deep emotional reflection.

The struggle of dealing with mental health issues in silence!

Person in a hooded jacket gazing at the ocean during sunset, capturing a moment of grief and reflection.

Addiction.

Blurry red and blue overlay of a person against a dark background, symbolizing grief and emotional complexity.

Losing someone close to you.

A woman in a thoughtful pose wearing a red shirt, sitting outdoors, symbolizing grief.

Reputation loss for something that you didn’t do.

Man in a denim jacket sitting on a ledge, experiencing grief in a busy city setting.

Tooth pain.

“Panic Attacks”: 30 Things People Can Never Truly Understand Until They’ve Experienced Them

The damage and consequences of childhood abuse/trauma/neglect, the adult you now has to deal with living n healing CPTSD.

“Panic Attacks”: 30 Things People Can Never Truly Understand Until They’ve Experienced Them

Your home burning down.The fire is only the first day, the following 2 years it takes to reclaim your life is so much worse.

A house engulfed in flames, illustrating intense emotion like grief with vivid orange and yellow fire.

War. Source someone who’s never been.

Jet fighters in formation against a cloudy sky, illustrating precision and teamwork.

True loneliness and how it feels to be completely isolated.

Person sitting on rocks by the sea, deep in thought, representing grief.

A doctor and a new family in a hospital room, experiencing a joyful moment amidst the complexity of grief and life.

The way an abusive relationship truly wears you down and the lack of options you may face, or the harsh penalties you may experience for any choice"Just go to a shelter!" 🤦‍♀️.

A woman in a white sweater expressing grief, sitting on a sofa with a blue wall background.

“Panic Attacks”: 30 Things People Can Never Truly Understand Until They’ve Experienced Them

I get to join this one. My 18-year-old is upstairs crying her eyes out because her Dad 54 years old just passed away at 3:30 this morning.The only reason I’m here on Reddit is because I’m tired of crying my eyes out. I was married to him for 15 years. He was a good man and never should have died before me.

“Panic Attacks”: 30 Things People Can Never Truly Understand Until They’ve Experienced Them

Chemotherapy.

A person in a hospital bed reading a book, illustrating a moment of solitude and reflection related to grief.

Homelessness.

Man sitting on sidewalk with bags and cup, symbolizing grief and struggle in an urban setting.

OCD!

A woman experiencing grief, covering her face with her hand, wearing a dark blazer.

How much I miss my dad 😭.

Woman in a white sweater, holding a tissue, experiencing grief near a window.

The depth of love from a good mom.

A woman helps a child climb, illustrating an experience related to understanding grief.

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Parenthood.

A family walking along a riverside pathway; father holding two children’s hands, one child on his shoulders.

Derealization/dissociation/depersonalization. I’ve tried to explain to people how it feels like you’re not really in your body, or life suddenly feels like a video game or a dream, etc. If you haven’t actually experienced it, though, it’s hard to understand.