Panic Attack Causes Kim Jang-hoon to Cancel Concert

[unreal.livejournal.com]

Singer Kim Jang-hoon was admitted to Hyundai Asan Hospital on Tuesday morning after suffering from a severe panic attack, an affliction that has haunted him since childhood.

Kim took part in a concert hosted by a cable TV channel in Seoul on Monday, but before he stepped onto the stage, he found himself struggling to breathe and felt pain in his chest, so he cancelled the engagement and went to the hospital, Kim's management agency said.

Typical symptoms of a panic attack include sudden feelings of fear and anxiety accompanied by chest pains, dizziness and the inability to breathe properly. In 2008, Kim confessed on a TV program that he has been suffering from such attacks since he was very young.

On the way to the Dokdo Islets for a concert to assert Korea's sovereignty over the territory, which Japan also claims, in March of this year, he suffered another attack on the boat there. He said he barely managed to make the five-hour trip to the islets with the help of some sedatives.


Kim's acquaintances say Kim seems bright and cheerful when he appears on TV, but this merely masks a more shy personality who veers away from social contact, meaning that there are very few fellow celebrities in his close circle of friends.

Kim has held dozens of large concerts a year and has been very active in social issues, including making huge donations to charity and carrying out a campaign to protect Dokdo.

He has apparently been under a lot of pressure and stress recently due to his busy schedule. The singer published a book of photographs about Dokdo, released a number of new songs and has been preparing for a series of concerts.

Woo Jong-min, a professor at the Department of Psychiatry at Inje University's Paik Hospital in Seoul said, "Kim seems to have relied on medication in order to appear before audiences, but his symptoms must have deteriorated due to the intense stress."


Source: chosun
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Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/psychedelico_/]

he has been suffering from such attacks since he was very young

I cannot imagine how awful that must be, to have to deal with this from such a young age.

[jesymphony.livejournal.com]

I hear panic attacks can be really dehabilitating :( I hope he's getting proper treatment and will feel better soon.

[umbrella-smile.livejournal.com]

I developed panic disorder when I was 12, so my biggest sympathies go out to him. They are mentally and physically exhausting, as well as incredibly terrifying. I hope he gets the treatment and coping skills he needs to push through.

[shintotchi.livejournal.com]

Aw I hope he manages to destress himself. That's terrible he has to suffer from panic attacks as well as being tone deaf on top of it. Good grief. Somehow it doesn't surprise me Heechul is in his circle of friends. Jang Hoon always struck me as a loner due to his purple hair. JH hwaiting!

[maple88.livejournal.com]

I used to have panic attacks every time I got on a bus, so I can only imagine what he has to go through. Especially if he has had them since he was a kid.

[evivante.livejournal.com]

How did you get over it? =/ I still can't ride a bus alone without freaking out omg.

[kohaku-chuu.livejournal.com]

Damn those similarities in korean names, for a second I read that as "Kim Jaejoong" and almost freaked out!^^;

Don't know him, but poor guy - I used to have a lighter version of this when I was younger, and it's no fun at all...:(

[lydkami.livejournal.com]

=(

op, thanks for sharing the article!

[geniebsmart.livejournal.com]

Ah man! D:
I'll keep him in my prayers~

[invisibelle.livejournal.com]

Poor thing. I hope this episode spurs him to consider more comprehensive treatment than just meds.