Panic Attacks

[turquoisemoonxo]

Hi,
I am sixteen years old, and for quite some time now I have been suffering with panic attack and severe anxiety. My anxiety is mostly triggered when I am either in a public situation, but most commonly at school. I can't even sit in the classroom without feeling anxious, I almost constantly feel like I'm being judged by everyone around me, I feel smothered by crowds of people, I always feel so panicky at school. Especially when I know I'm going to have to speck in front of the class, even if it's only a few simple words while I'm still sitting in my seat. I'm just so worried that I'll stuff up and embarrass myself in some way.. I try my hardest to avoid any social events, I even skip school as often as I can.. Avoidance has become my biggest problem and one of my only coping mechanisms.. I don't know what to do with myself anymore, I have panic attacks at least once a week, they are the most awful thing.. Just the thought of having one freaks me out completely.. I need some new strategies for coping with this, especially my panic attacks. For example, when I'm having one what are some things that I can do to help calm me down or even take my mind off it?? Any advice, please someone help me end this pain and suffering it's ruining my life...  

[SeanM92]

Hey there friend.
Welcome to the forum and Good work on building the courage to come post.

When i was in school i had the same identical issue. I ended up going to school maybe once a week and i suffered for it, my grades fell dramatically, i became even more anti social, it was terrible. 

One day in my senior year i decided that who cares if people are judging me, what difference does it make honestly, not everyone is going to like everyone and really, that's a good thing. Imagine if we where all the same, the world would be so boring. In the end we are all people though, we all make mistakes, we all have clumsy moments but we are all still human. Fear only works if we let it. 
Next time your feeling anxious i would suggest just stepping back and looking at the scenario with a 3rd person outlook, for example if your in a public place and feel like your being judged, look around and see whos actually looking, there will be slim to none, even if there is, why should it matter. If your doing a presentation infront of your class, yeah the other kids may be looking at you, but they are going to want it all over just as much as you, at least if you can overcome your fear you can own the presentation and really stun them all, and teachers love confidence. That was the best thing about getting over my fears for me, i couldn't get enough of presentations by the end of it because i was always the most ready to go. I loved the wow factor that comes with dominating a speech with no fear. 
You have come here today and voiced your concern, that's an amazing first step in a good direction.

Just remember , everyone judges to a degree, its human nature and we shouldn't worry about it, it makes no difference what anyone else thinks. When you get anxious, just step back and look at whats really going on instead of getting worked up and getting caught up and cant think clearly.

Take care and good luck

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi turquoisemoonxo,

Thanks for reaching out and I'm sorry that you've been having panic attacks.  I'm really glad that you want to work through them.  You're not alone.

Here are some things that have helped me (and some other people on the forums).

1) Remember that a panic attack is your body reacting to fear.  It will pass.  It won't last forever.  Sometimes it can help reminding yourself "this will pass," "ill be okay."

2) Talk to somebody that you trust. It might be a school counsellor or a friend.  Sometimes talking about panic attacks give them less power because we can understand them more and know that nothing bad will happen.

3) Challenge your thinking.  This is a tricky one - but like Sean has said, are people really judging you?  How do you know, did they say?  and even if they did judge you, why does that matter?  Lots of people have panic attacks - even Oprah, Adele and Ellie Golding.  

4) Breathe.  Often when people have panic attacks their breathing goes really fast - so when you are thinking about having a speech, just focus on your breath.  Nice slow deep breaths.  

Hope this helps,

[Er12397]

Hey!
I'm 19 and I go through the exact same thing, I too use avoidance as my number 1 coping mechanism, but I'm really trying to work on that. When I was in school, I was the exact same, I didn't know how to cope so I would just skip classes in the hope that it would get better, I wish I knew then what I know now when it comes to dealing with feelings of panic. I've been managing mine for 3 years, so I have heaps of tips for you:

1) See a psychologist. Speaking to a professional has helped me so much with accepting my panic attacks. I know that some counselors can be expensive, but I'm sure all schools have a free counselor on campus that students can speak to. I recommend speaking to your Doctor first because they can help you find you the right psychologist.

2) Moniter your anxiety! I do this all the time, simply by asking myself on a scale from 1-10, where is my anxiety? (there's no right of wrong answer, just where you feel your anxiety is sitting at) This has really reduced my panic attacks because when I can feel it creeping up, I can calm down easier by taking some time and doing some breathing or using one of the apps on my phone...

3) Check out some of the free apps available from the app store! There are so many that are designed to help you manage you anxiety and panic attacks, I would recommend 'smiling mind' because it only takes 5-10 minutes and talks you through some breathing exercises to remind your brain that you are okay and not in any danger.

4) Definitely remind yourself that the feeling of panic will pass, it always does, and always will.

5) Accept that you're having a panic attack. Trust me, I always used to fight mine and it made them so much worse. Being able to accept that it's happening allows you more time to concentrate on your breathing and feeling better.

6) This is probably my favourite thing to do, because it occupies the mind- try to hear and see something that you haven't noticed before- I do this by listening to my favourite song and listening for a different sound.

I used to feel really judged in every public situation too, but than i just adapted the mindset that most people are too busy to judge me, and even if they are, do i really care? I know that's easy for me to say, but I do believe that, that kind of mindset comes as you get older.

But please stay strong with your anxiety and remember that you are in charge! It does get easier, just takes time and belief in yourself. 🙂

Hope I helped you somehow, best of luck. 🙂