Re: what can i do to help my sister??
Cookie it sounds like you're a great sister!
Just being there to listen emotionally and supporting her will be a great help. I know you can't be there physically so much, but being available on the phone is good too. Knowing you have someone who cares and who supports you means so much.
I agree with mtatum and kellie. One thing I found useful was to write down successes every day. No matter how small. If you feel bad and getting out of bed seems like a struggle - when you achieve it recognise that its something good. Maybe not hard for some people, but for someone unwell its a BIG achievement. Doing the washing up, or tidying (usually the first things to suffer with me!), walking to the local shop.
My husband walked me to the shop a few days after I had a particularly bad Panic Attack (PA). Just having him there helped. Maybe your sister's partner can help with this too. Try to encourage her not to let panic restrict her. She can be her own place of safety. Panic can lead to agrophobia if you let it. Its hard not to give in when doing things makes you feel bad. But you can end up doing less and less. If your sister keeps doing things even when they are hard - so long as she takes small steps and doesn't overwhelm herself - she will get better. She will come to have more confidence and belief in her ability to beat the anxiety.
With a supportive sister like you it will surely help her.
__________________
Lisa.
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.So sail away from the safe harbor. Explore. Dream. Discover.