Anxiety

im 3rd year student now- started getting severe anxiety and panic attacks for public speaking in gr10. i still remember the day it started as if it were yesterday. i have worked really hard to get to third year and i fear that this anxiety might prevent me from completing my studies. something is coming up that i have to speak in front of groups soon and i have no idea what to do. it is based on an assesment and i feel so trapped. help me please. i have been put on 0.5 mg fluanxol- daily but i fear it is not going to be enough to help me.

I absolutely hate recommending talking to your doctor regarding a temporary anti-anxiety drug, but I honestly think that in a situation like yours it might be a good idea. I started having panic attacks while giving presentations for my job. When I got to the 3rd or 4th one, it was in front of a couple co-workers who were part of the presentation.

My family doc had wanted to put my on anti-depressants and I refused to. I kept telling him I only need something for public speaking , and unfortunately in my case I need something to calm my nerves on the highway. He was not happy because he felt anti-depressants were the answer, but I know far too many people still having to take something on top of their anti-depressant due to panic. I continue to work on natural sources because I really do not like drugs.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy is the answer, but it takes a lot of time and practice. Sounds like you do not have the time. Your family doctor can give you only a couple tablets of klonopin or a beta blocker for speaking to help you get through that intense moment. I say a couple because you really need to know how your body would respond before your big speaking day. plus these drugs have addictive qualities (klonopin does), and I think beta blockers can be a risk for some people for health concerns. I try to only take my klonopin on days of client presentations, or long highway trips. I try to challenge myself to use CBT through other times that I have panic. The only reason I use them in certain situations is because I need to keep my job, and driving on the highway and having a panic attack is a nightmare!

Other than that, I have a deal with my doctor that there is no way he prescribes enough to build addictive qualities, not that he would - he monitors the situation pretty well - as do I. Some people will say that these drugs need to be taken daily, but from what I read, and my doctor, that is not true. The have a short half life (do not stay in you body long).

Like I said, I hate to recommend them, but it does sound like you are finding yourself in the same situation I did, and at that point a combination of an occassional med and therapy toward CBT solutions I think is the most helpful. Of course, I'm not sure what the drug is you currently take, if it is like klonopin, then for sure add breathing practices and some meditation days before. If it is a drug like klonopin, you may ask your doctor if it is safe to increase the dose a bit a day or so before you speak, and only up to the day you speak. You truly have to be careful. Not feeling the anxiety is such a liberating feeling, but you can't rely on drugs for the rest of your life. I try to let myself feel that uncomfortable feeling so I can reason through it and work through it naturally in an effort to totally remove the drug!

i would like to say thank you very much for all your helpfull wishes and messages, it really helped me. i got through it and it felt great. i actually scored the second highest marks. i did lots of excersises and relaxing activities and by the time i got there i felt so relaxed that there were 2 other people that also had to do it and they were more nervous then me it seemed, so i helped them to relax which ultimately made me feel much better.

i felt that i sort of overcame my fear but in my holiday i started to think and realise that it was just one stepping stone that i overcame, i now feel a bit anxious for something like this in the future.

I have been taking xanax for about 2 months and it has helped me so much with my anxiety it was wonderful. BUT it is in the benzo family and is highly addictive so be very careful. Doctors don't like to prescribe it either.