Panic Attack 2001
Distributed by Fanlight Productions, 32 Court St., 21st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201; 800-876-1710
Produced by Bright Eye Pictures in association with Freewater Productions and Duke University and United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County
A film by Brett Ingram
VHS, color, 14 min.
Adult
Health Sciences
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Ophelia Morey, Health Sciences Library, University at Buffalo, State University of New York“Stop! Imagine a 300 pound muscle man trying to push you off the top of the Empire State Building.” This is a twenty-six year old mans attempt to explain to the viewer in Panic Attack how he feels when he is having a panic attack. He emphasizes that you have to take what he is saying on faith because there is no way to exactly explain to one who has not experienced this disorder how he feels. The director does an excellent job of creatively conveying a panic attack by combing time-lapse photography, stop-motion animation, and creative sound design with the visual and spoken emotions of the young man. The video succeeds in its attempt to capture and pull the viewer into the psychological and physical symptoms of one who struggles and lives with panic attacks.
The video succinctly portrays the journey of the young man’s struggle with this disorder. He re-lives the situation that brought on his initial attack at age three and explains how difficult it is to articulate to others how he feels (especially when he was a child). He further explains how panic attacks can control your everyday life, situations that can bring on a panic attack, degrees of severity, possible treatment options and their effect, and how he learned to control his attacks. Though you feel the pain of his struggle, the video leaves you with the hope that individuals who suffer from panic attacks can survive and function in everyday life.
The video quality is excellent, except for one glitch near the end where you can briefly hear the director’s voice. A great selection of images is used to tell the young man’s story and to portray a panic attack. Highly recommended for high school through college.
For other viewing options, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has produced an educational videotape, Panic Disorder: Stories of Hope, featuring the stories of three individuals who have also struggled with panic disorder. Video clips are available here for viewing: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/anxiety/anxiety/panic/stories.htm.