Hi, I'm 31 and have a pressure job in banking. I have always coped well with everything that has been thrown at me and am regarded as a very laid back person or 'cool as a cucumber' as one senior manager described me in a moment of extreme stress. My problem started a year ago when I had to give a small presentation to a small team in a private office. I hadn't eaten that morning and hadn't slept well due to the neighbours having work done through the night. I was slightly nervous about my presentation but it wasn't a life or death scenario, just a friendly update on what I was working on. Nothing mattered with the outcome and I could have skipped it and no one would have cared. I started the presentation and a few minutes into the presentation I lost my words, they just would not come. the words I was looking for was 'alpha characters' but I just couldn't think. Then I was out cold, I felt like I'd been suddenly been put to sleep and woke up with someone propping me up telling me I'd passed out. I put this down to tiredness and lack of breakfast and the hospital concurred.
2 weeks later I was in a similar team meeting and had to give a 30 second update on how far I'd got with my project, whilst waiting my turn I felt dizzy, sweaty and experienced pins and needles in my hands. I passed out again when it was my turn.
8 months on from that occasion I passed out at a funeral and then the other symptoms started. I get the dizzy feeling and sweats in any waiting scenario. Restaurants, supermarkets, pubs, any time I have to wait my turn. I also get the same in the cinema or any time it's quiet and I'm with a lot of people.
I think it's the fear of passing out rather than fear of the situation itself.
Now I do not attend meetings, avoid funerals, weddings, christenings etc and am not sure how to go about curing this. Ideally I'd have some pills that I could take when I feel the symptoms occurring so that I can get back to being me again. However I do not know what works, what doesn't and trawling through the internet there seems to be a lot of bad advice and attempts to part me with my money for miracle cures. I've also contemplated hypnotherapy but am not sure if this will work either. Even temporary cures would be better than no cuire which is what I have now.