panic attacks in lectures

[sostupidofme]

help, help, help.

I'm up at the front and sitting on my own - I don't know my classmates well at all - beside the bloody lecturer and can feel myself losing it already, only 15 minutes in .

feel a total idiot and just want to cry or go home.

I'm autistic and a 'mature' student (30) which is making making friends much , much harder .

Deep breaths.

Hard to concentrate on anything else if you need to listen to lecturer.
You will be fine. Well done on even getting there.

I don't know what to do, I need out, but I can't walk out

@Debsdonein

Deep breaths. Hard to concentrate on anything else if you need to listen to lecturer. You will be fine. Well done on even getting there.

thank you, I'm hardly even hearing the lecturer

Do what you need to do, if you need to leave just go, and maybe email the lecturer after to explain. I am a lecturer and would just be concerned for a student who did this (people have left abruptly before for various reasons). If you need to leave your stuff and go back for it at the end, that's fine too. Next time sit near the door, it may make you feel better.

When I went back to university post lock down after 2 years online I did worry about panic attacks.

So yes sit at end of row, near door. Have a bottle of water to sip at. Focus on writing down everything etc. it passes,

thank you, I'll try to hang on til 4 at least, I'm too shaky to go anyway just now if that makes sense , stupid mess . the lecturer knows im struggling, its a small course, all healthcare professionals (or training to be!)

This was me 5 hours ago.. first lecture back in the classroom and I have been dreading it for ages. You're not alone. I purposefully sat at the back next to the door, but even then I had sweat pouring down my face and my stomach was sore. I managed to get through two hours by tapping my hand and doodling on my notebook. If it gets too much, just leave. Nobody will care, there was a couple of other students I noticed sticking close to the door. Don't torture yourself, you can talk to the lecturer at the end of the session if needs be.

You are doing great.

Sometimes just letting the lecturer know that you suffer panic attacks helps you not have one. If that makes sense. For me it's the making a fool of myself that worries me.

In your situation I would email lecturers in advance in one go.

Dear Lecturer Name

My name is x. I just wanted to let you know I have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and for me this means that sometimes I will need to leave lectures on short notice due to sensory or other associated ASD issues. I will endeavour not to disrupt the class as I leave and I hope that this doesn’t cause any inconvenience.

Kind regards,

For today, you are doing great, you are only learning, this is all new, be patient and kind to yourself.

Have you been able to try some grounding techniques op? So slower deeper breathing and
5 things you can see- count them
4 things you can touch
3 things you hear
2 things you can smell
1 you can taste
Feel a little calmer, try from the top
Anxiety is awful so sorry you're feeling this. It won't hurt you though keep focusing on something else if you can

srill here, only just holding it in

I keep getting horrible impending doom feeling which is horrendous has had me phoning 999 before, I desperately don't want to do that here

If you speak with the disabilities adviser or equivalent role at the place they will be very familiar with your experiences and will be able to help with strategies for the future.

You’ve stayed way way past what you thought you would, you’re doing incredibly well.

Well dont OP your doing great.

I always used to sit at the end of the row at the back by the door. That way I could leave if I wanted. Knowing I had that option actually meant I rarely had to use it. Everyone is training to be health care professionals, no one will care if you do have to leave.

I always had water to sip and would draw pictures to distract me if I felt panicky. Would doodling help? Do you have anything to distract you?

Well done I mean!

Well done for sitting with it that's exactly the right thing to do. Please know that you are never "trapped" you can leave when you like and I agree with previous posters that being open with people about it relieves you of the tension in future.

By sitting there and not fleeing today, you are conditioning your mind to know there is nothing dangerous going on. In time this should reduce or eliminate the panic attacks.

For future reference, do let your lecturer know that you will sometimes to need to leave a lecture or seminar unobtrusively.

I had a student with appalling claustrophobia, who just told me she would always sit near the door and would sometimes have to go out, and once I said that was fine with me, and to come and see me if she wanted to talk through anything she'd missed, and she'd actually got up and left once or twice, I think knowing she was able to and that there was no big deal about it really helped her get a handle on it.

You should talk to your disability service, I’ve has several students in my classes with an adjustment that said they may need to leave without warning.

How are you doing?