Panic Attack

I have recently discovered that thrashing through Dream Theater's "Panic Attack" on Rock Band 2 in hard mode, requiring my fingers to move faster than I thought possible and leaving me breathless and exhilarated, is a good way to avoid having an actual panic attack, as it engages my PTSD-riddled brain so thoroughly that an otherwise inexorable crescendo of anxiety is left no option but silent retreat in the void of my attention.

There is no such thing as an infallible "good trigger" for me—not even Eddie Izzard, my most faithful companion for crawling out of a spiral; I am covered in bees!—but "Panic Attack" is quickly becoming one of my most reliable distractions, an irony I find quite amusing and delightful.

[Lyrics below.]

All wound up
On the edge
Terrified

Sleep disturbed
Restless mind
Petrified

Bouts of fear
Permeate
All I see

Heightening
Nervousness
Threatens me

I am paralyzed
So afraid to die

Caught off guard
Warning signs
Never show

Tension strikes
Choking me
Worries grow

Why do I feel so numb
Is it something to do with where I come from
Should this be fight or flight
I don't know why I'm constantly so uptight

Rapid heartbeat pounding through my chest
Agitated body in distress
I feel like I'm in danger
Daily life is strangled by my stress

A stifling surge
Shooting through all my veins
Extreme apprehension
Suddenly I'm insane

Lost all hope for redemption
A grave situation desperate at best

Why do I feel so numb
Is it something to do with where I come from
Should this be fight or flight
I don't know why I'm constantly reeling

Helpless hysteria
A false sense of urgency
Trapped in my phobia
Possessed by anxiety

Run
Try to hide
Overwhelmed by this complex delirium

Helpless hysteria
A false sense of urgency
Trapped in my phobia
Possessed by anxiety

Run
Try to hide
Overwhelmed by this complex delirium