Matt Cain’s heart stopped beating 817 times in a month

On the first day of my summer holiday I was standing outside a bar, drinking with friends. Everyone was laughing and joking, looking forward to a brilliant week in Spain. But something was wrong. And I knew what was going to happen.

A fluttering in my stomach triggered a quickening heartbeat. I started overheating and sweating. Then a wave of anxiety swept through me, and I felt like I was drowning in white noise.

As the attack reached its climax, I was overwhelmed by an urge to lie down.