living abroad with panic attack

[katyspain]

hey everyone, i just joined this forum. i'm a student studying on a year abroad in spain for a year and i've found the experience pretty scary and have some kind of anxiety symptom every day and now have started having panic attacks again (i suffered from them about 4 years ago quite severely)
anyway, today i had a different sort of panic attack where my throat felt suddenly very sore and my chest felt really tight and it almost felt like indigestion..anyway i ran about my flat panicking and called my dad in england who said calm down (very helpful) and all i could do was lie in bed and try to breathe deeply...i did this for about an hour. i feel a bit better now but this really is gona affect me for next few days as my usual type of panic is feeling very sick and wobbly, ive never had problems with my chest before.
i feel like i'm on the verge of booking a flight home and running away from it all (as usual) im quite stressed because im moving to a new flat today/tomorrow and i know that in the new place i will have much less privacy and will not be able to disguise my freakish behaviour (this maywell have brought this on as i was packing when it happened)
i really need some words of wisdom or to know someone else feels as awful as i do or has had a similar experience like this!! :blush:

[diane07]

A huge warm welcome to NMP.

You'll get loads of help and support here and make some lovely friends along the way.

best wishes

di xx

[Vanilla Sky]

Hi and welcome to NMP. I feel for you being away from home when you are feeling like that . Anyway , we are always here for you :welcome: Love Paige x

[squeaky]

Youve had the courage to move abroad to study it would be such a shame if you came back. I'm sure your dad meant well, it's so difficult if you've never had it. But the chest tightening thing happens a lot, as if you can't get enough air into your lungs and it feels as if you're suffocating. It might help to look up the stuff here about globus hystericus, or feeling as if something like a golf ball is stuck in your throat. Drove me and everyone else bananas! Hang on in there, just moving is stressful without the panic and the extra worry about being around other people. Maybe it might be a benefit, they might distract you a bit. Try to stand back and remind yourself you've taken a lot on, homesickness alone used to really hurt me when i was younger and moved away and that was just in england! Best of luck

[KK77]

As Squeaky has said, it's not easy being away from home and you've taken a big step - but a brave one. Don't give in to the urge to escape. This experience can only make you stronger - although I know that at the moment things are difficult for you.

There is a lot of good advice/info here on the forum and I'm sure you'll find all the help and support you need.

Welcome to NMP

[katyspain]

thanks for the posts so far, it helps just to have someone say it is tough what i am doing...as i am surrounded by people who are probably feeling scared too but don't have quite the same amount of stress to deal with. i've moved now and am feeling much better in my new place...it is true having more ppl around is a good distraction. so far so good!