A Little Bit Of Help Is Needed

[Diz.]

I'm sorry for writing this but I don't have anywhere else to go or anyone to ask. I'm 17 and I'm in college. I have my first lesson of the day in just over an hour. I associate rooms and places with anxiety if I've had terrible anxiety or a panic attack in that place before.

On Friday I had really bad anxiety in the class I have next. I couldn't enter the school building and my friend had to come and reassure me. She walked me in but about 3 minutes of being in there I had to excuse myself and found myself walking home. I have that lesson again. I feel so sick with anxiety and I'm shaking just thinking about it. What's worse is the thought I might have to leave the lesson again. (Might I add, the teacher in this lesson has chosen to recognise my anxiety and panic attacks as "being a drama queen") And I feel as if he, and all my peers, are expecting it of me.

I've tried breathing exercises, mints, calming music - but I can't calm myself. i'm also emetophobic so the nausea really isn't helping. As crazy as it sounds, I'm doing everything I can to make myself feel hungry because I have less anxiety when I am hungry.
I'm wondering if it would be easier if I stayed at home today
Any tips? Advice? Anything?
Much love x

[Vixxy]

It might be worthwhile to go to the college and see if you can speak to the student support staff. When I went to university they made sure that all of my lecturers were aware of my problems, so I was allowed to leave without any fuss being made mid lecture.
Id get this sorted today so that you dont miss too many classes.
Good luck!

[daydreamer]

it would be easier if you stayed home because you wont have to face the threat situation but when it comes to next week you will feel even more fearful and want to miss it again and it will become a habit. My advice would be to go and face it, you have to face your fears if you ever want to conquer them. Really try and think of what it was that made you so anxious last time you were there. It might be that you didnt feel well or it was too hot etc. Try and take measures to combat what it was that made you so anxious last week. You could also try sitting nearest the door so you wont feel trapped. Keep teeling yourself that its only your brain making you feel threatened and that there is no actual threat to your physical health if you go into that classroom, being in there will not harm you. You can do it! good luck x

[kirsty74]

I know the that it's a bit late, but please try not to avoid going to your classes. That is the one thimg I really wish I hadn't done as I now have agoraphobic tendancies and it's horrible. Can you sit near the door & maybe distract yourself, doodle on a pad, play word games (search for words within a word etc) I know this means you won't necessarily be paying attention in class, but the more you stay, the easier it should become. I hope you went today, but don't beat yourself up if you didn't, just try again. Good luck & take care x

[daydreamer]

How did it go, did you make it to class? x

[Thumbelina]

Diz I belive that you should speak to the relevant school staff about it. When I was at school and my first panic attack aS the I would not consider sharing, maybe if I did I wouldn't have accumulated everything that turned into breakdown. It's important to be selective in people that will talk but at the same time WAlKING away from a problem doesn't solve it.