KANSAS CITY, KAN. Susan Haynes used to have panic attacks seven times a day.
Sometimes, she would fall out of her chair. Sometimes, she would stop breathing.
I could just fall down, just collapse and look like I was having a seizure or stroke, she said. It was pretty scary.
For years, Haynes has struggled with the effects of trauma from a divorce, childhood abuse and a death in the family. She has taken medication and tried therapy to manage her debilitating anxiety.
Last April, she tried something different.
Haynes started seeing a peer support specialist a layperson diagnosed with a mental illness who counsels others going through the same challenges.