Panic Attack, created by Eileen O’ Meara, is an animated short that aims to create the feeling of a panic attack using a morphing, evolving (devolving?) phantasmagoria of hand-drawn scenes that lies aesthetically somewhere between Home Movies and the work of Edward Gorey.

The story is appropriately overwhelming in its rapid spiral from worrying about leaving the coffee pot on at a red light to demon babies and ending up in jail with the Manson girls. I’m not sure I would say it quite captures the feeling of a panic attack, it’s more of a neurotic personality simulator, but it  does a good job of balancing its creepy, slithering line work and often putrid color palette with a fair amount of comedy to create a portrayal of a serious problem that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

The short recently premiered at Dances with Films, which is taking place currently and goes until June 11th.