Panic attacks

I wish this post was going to be filled with all kind of fun & goodies, but because I said I was going to be more open and post more than just pics, today I'm going to talk about something else. It's not something I see a lot of people write about or maybe I just don't read the right blogs. Either way...today is all about panic attacks, stress, all the bad things! Sorry no pics today :(

I believe I had my first panic attack Friday night! Everyone that has been reading me for a while know that Sir has been attacked twice since we've lived here by the same dog all while I was walking him. Alone. So Friday night Mac & I go to take Sir for a walk and as I'm walking down the steps I hear a dog barking..a nasty bark, not just a "I see another dog, let me make my presence known" bark. I ask Mac to walk the back way, away from the house with Gotti (yes, the dog that bit Sir is named Gotti). Mac told me that he wasn't going to change the way he goes because that would show fear or something. I wasn't listening past the no part. I told him I wasn't going so I walked back to the steps. He walked Sir around the building and came back to me. Told me not to worry if he was walking with us, nothing would happen, to come with him. I REALLY didn't want to,but I did anyway. Not without crying and shaking with goosebumps. Then to make it worse, the guy was outside with his other dog Jordan. She used to be okay but she too is nasty. Once we got across the street I was better.

It absolutely sucks that I can't walk outside without feeling like the dogs are going to get loose and get me. I haven't walked Sir alone since the night of the attack. If I need to walk somewhere I go the longer way to get out of the complex.

Mac tells me I shouldn't be fearful of walking Sir. Maybe if it wasn't me that was walking Sir ALONE the two times he got bit, I wouldn't be this way, but unfortunately it happened and until they or the dog are gone, it's going to keep happening.

When we got home yesterday there were 2 police cars, an ambulance & animal control at our building. Supposedly a child was taken in the ambulance. My thought is Gotti got the little girl. I hope this will be it and the dog that animal control once deemed "a juvenile and trainable" will be taken. I love dogs, but he's causing everyone stress around here.


Have you ever had a panic attack? How do you handle them or stress?