Hello from Idaho

[Alina]

Hi all, my name is Alina (wasn't very original in coming up with my username haha) and I was diagnosed with social anxiety about a year ago.

I've been having panic attacks a lot, especially over the past 4-5 months or so, which led to me needing to take a leave of absence from work. My anxiety tends to flare up the most when I'm around people, especially if they're loud, or it's a crowd. I've also had panic attacks while at a store (usually triggered by small aisles, even if I've been to that particular store before without any problems).

I've been in therapy, learning techniques to help manage it, and also working with a doctor to find the medications and dosage that will help me the most. I've got a long road ahead of me before I can say that I have my anxiety under control, but I'm in better shape mentally than I was before therapy and meds.

[venusbluejeans]

Hiya Alina and welcome to NMP :welcome:

Why not take a look at our articles on our home page, they contain a wealth of information and are a great starting place for your time on the forum.

I hope you find the as site helpful and informative as I have and that you get the help and support you need here and hope that you meet a few friends along the way :yesyes:

[fduop]

Good morning Alina. Your attitude is the best one to take. When I was started having panic attacks I was confused, alone, and scared to death. I was lucky enough to have a general practitioner that saw the signs of panic and put a band-aid on it till I could get treatment at a mental health center. That over 17 years ago, today I manage my anxiety and panic pretty well with medication and meditation.

I say this to tell you, not everyone's situation is the same. For some it's a short term situation, for others like me it's a long term fight. My message is keep up the good fight and don't worry about the bad days that may come. We are all human and are prone to mess-up. Be proactive and look within yourself for the answers to overcome our shared situation. Best to you Alina on your journey, with NMP you are not alone.

[Bigboyuk]

Hi Alina and welocme aboard to NMP as previously said your positive attitude will go a along way to your overall progress well done so far :) yes it's a long road ahead but there's no need to take this long road on your own :) Cheers