Hi Alex, welcome on board.
You have come to the right place. This is a safe network of caring, understanding people. Many are/have been suffering social anxiety and the isolation that comes with it. If you find face to face communication too daunting, these forums are a good place to start. Kudos to you for taking this brave step forward.
Panic and anxiety attacks ARE scary, particularly when they take us by surprise. I remember them well...how could one forget ?
Are you undergoing therapy at the moment or on medication ?
There are many useful techniques to help you over rough patches. May they be relaxation or breathing related, they can only become efficient if practiced daily and when all is fine. A basketball match or dance competition day are not the right time/places to practice skills and moves. This has to be done beforehand. Giving yourself cues to practice is a wise idea. It could be waiting at traffic lights or in queues, doing the washing up, going in or outside the house, preparing for bed, sitting for a rest, at the comuter etc... You can google Relaxed breathing or Body Scan for example. One that is usually found easy and effective is to watch your breathing happen, without interfering/forcing anything. Feel the air slowly filling the lungs without making it happen, the natural brief pause until breath is spontaneously, slowly being exhaled. Feel that outgoing breath slowly take all tension downward with it, from the head down, right through the sole of the feet and sinking below the ground. The more often this is done during each day, the easier it will be for body and mind to respond when it is most needed. Gradually increasing the number of cues works well.
Please feel free to continue posting as much and as often as you feel comfortable with. We like meeting new people, listening to individual stories and sharing thoughts and concerns. We're here to support and cheer you on whenever needed...or just to chat.
