dealing with anxiety and panic attacks.

[IreallyKNOWiamright]

Hi,

I don't want to out myself but basically, I am suffering from really bad anxiety and panic attacks due to on going illnesses, and conflict in friendships on the school run. It's making my life exhausting and my panic attack worse.

I am also at college trying to pursue something I enjoy, and despite being in a great class and environment, I find myself waking up feeling sick and worried about going.

I have counselling for an hour once a week and it's helping but I need to speak with people who have similar issues. How do you deal with anxiety when in an environment you cannot escape but it feels so bad you are going to throw up and you are shaking hoping people don't notice.....

My therapist has got me to make a "grounding kit". It's essentially a distraction technique. Find something you can concentrate on. Mine is some crystals with pretty patterns which I describe to myself, try to spot images in etc. Also a cloth with Jasmine on for memory of my favourite place. Also a few verb tables on flash cards (I'm studying languages). I go through these things subtly, fiddling with them when I'm in public. It kind of gets it back down for the short term. You know that pressure in your chest, when you feel it building? It makes it kind of stick there. Then when I can get away I let it all out and map it with cbt techniques. Does this help?

I have had panic attacks in the past. I went to counselling (mixed results, I needed something more immediate), and group cbt (which helped a lot, and made me feel more in control). While waiting for appointments etc. I read two very good self help books specifically on panic attacks. The first one made me cry as I started reading because I no longer felt crazy and alone and saw others share the exact same symptoms. You can manage panic attacks by avoiding triggers and having distractions but they won't be cured that way. One of my triggers was supermarkets so pretty hard to avoid! The only cure I learned is to actually ride out the panic attack. Sit there when you are desperate to run away. That is the way to show you that whatever the attack throws at you are just sensations and can't actually hurt you. I know the thought of doing that is pretty terrifying but it does work.