sparkelz-
Welcome to HW. I think that relaxation techniques/exercises definitely help with anxiety and help to improve coping with epilepsy. I've had countless auras with and without a seizure, and it was no picnic. I didn't know if it was an aura (like I was literally going to die), or me feeling anxiety sometimes. But after awhile, I had to develop a "plan" whenever it happened just to deal with it. If I felt it coming on when I was with people, I always excused myself if possible to somewhere else. (I had several rehearsed excuses -got to use the bathroom, urgent phonecall, etc...). If I couldn't get away or was in the middle of a conversation, I would say, "excuse me, and do something to distract attention and help me focus on something else ( like tie my shoes, blow my nose, etc.) MandiAnn-I like the citrus idea!
Then there were the more dangerous situations. Unfortunately, after several close calls, I learned to choose the lesser risky situation if there was a chance of a serious accident. ( I avoided driving busy roads and learned to slowed down, etc...) Of course, it didn't work out all the time, but it did make me feel less anxious and more relaxed in general.
I never hesitate to call my doctor's office for advise. His nurse fields the calls and gets back to me, or if something is really wrong, I make an appointment sooner than my scheduled one.
It's frustrating, but hang in there... MEGA HUGS, Glenda 