Man Has Panic Attack While Dumping Girlfriend Over the Phone :(

It was an early evening in autumn, a chill settling into the air. Peaceful, pleasant. Then the unimaginable happened - a panic attack struck. The victim? Twenty-nine-year-old, Sean, who was on the phone, dumping his girlfriend.

His heart was racing, but it was the only solution to his problems that he could think of, even after many months of dating. On that very same day, Lauren was going about her life, minding her business - when she got the call. 

“Yeah it caught me off guard, I don’t think I saw it coming,” We walk together, now, six months later, through a snowy park. We found Lauren via Facebook, and she was more than happy to chat about her experiences. 

“He just started stuttering and crying. It was kind of hard to watch - or I guess listen to.” She sips her oat milk mocha. “I don’t know, I just hope he’s okay.” It’s been months since Sean’s infamous panic attack- yet they haven't spoken since. After 48 hours of searching, we managed to track him down thanks to his multiple dating app accounts. 

Now I sit with Sean in a coffee shop - he’s visibly nervous and anxious. Perhaps the panic attack still has a hold of him now. He fidgets in his seat. “Yeah, uh I just needed some space and time alone. But telling her that was too hard in person, so I had to call her. I wouldn’t have texted - I’m not an animal,” he reaches for his peppermint tea. 

“She really helped me through it during the phone call, in a way I don’t think anyone else could have. She’s special like that.” He pauses to take a sip. “I just hope she’s alright, I think about her all the time,” I ask if he's since reached out, but he has no comment. 

Back in the park, I ask Lauren how she managed to talk him off the ledge. “Well after two years of dating, I feel like I knew him well. He just gets so worked up he can’t think straight,” she says. “So, I just made sure he knew I wasn’t mad at him. Ten once he stopped crying, we did some breathing exercises together,” she smiles sadly. “It would have been kind of sweet if he wasn’t breaking up with me.” 

We sit on a bench and watch as park goers enjoy their day. I can’t help but wonder, as the people go by, if any of them have experienced panic, or pain. The answer? Almost certainly yes. The birds chirp, hinting at warmer days to come. Lauren’s phone pings, it’s Sean - messaging her on Bumble. 

The world turns, the snow melts, all we can do is take it in - one deep breath at a time.