Panic attacks at college

yeah uhh figure out what's causing you to feel this way and face it and if theres no possible explanation then why waste time feeling this way?

@JSchecky

i can actually really relate to you. i'm a junior in college too, and i too struggle with symptoms of my anxiety getting in the way of my life here. my ptsd actually got so bad i had to leave college for a semester. it still is really hard juggling everything sometimes.

i've actually experienced those exact same sensations. i can relate to you/ i understand.

what has helped me with the panic attacks has been talking to people, therapy, and medication. you're already doing a great job reaching out to people that understand, want to see you well, and can give you advice. it's hard. sometimes the panic has to run it's course. i have panic attacks from vivid nightmares and what helps me is writing to help me try to stay in reality/ try to draw back on that rationality...because i understand you get so scared you're besides yourself/ you get more scared because of how you're body is reacting.

it's really common to have things aggreviated at our age as our bodies are almost finished growing/ there's a lot of things in our lives. my sister has GAD (general anxiety disorder) and she said having support from people she cared about, talking to people, and taking medication has helped her be the healthiest she has ever been in her life.

since your anxiety is affecting you so strongly that you're having trouble with your day to day life, i'd really encourage you talking to someone about medication. i don't know how comfortable you feel about this. ...but i can honestly say, it's helps everyone i've ever talk to and they're happy they made the decision to maybe get a little help...because the medicine will help your brain chemistry that's kinda unstable right now. i've been there. my school and life suffered. ...but now that i'm taking medication, the symptoms and panic has eased greatly. i'm nothing like i was and i was really a lot like how you've described yourself.

you can just be on a low dose, if you're not so sure about it, but i think it will really help you continue on in your life with all the things you have to do. it gives you the tool to carry the weight/ burdens of your anxiety and eases up the load so you can continue to search to see why you feel the way you do/ your triggers/ helps take care of the physical side of things so you can heal mentally...then once you've mentally gained some more control/ healed things aren't so bad physically.

my sister says being on her anti-anxiety medication makes her feel like she's just had a glass of wine and is relaxing in a jacuzzi. wouldn't that be great to feel instead of all the the panic you're feeling now? i know you know nothing is a super pill/ will solve everything, but it can calm you enough where it could help give you a fighting chance. there's so many out there, i'm sure you can find something that will work for you if you're open to it.

consider your health first and formost. school and life will always be there for you. when you take time to get your life/ health taken care of first then things align easier. if things get so bad you can't function anymore, you might consider taking a leave of absense for a semester to get your grounding/ do some major healing/ try to sort through your anxiety. listen to yourself and your body. you'll know. it's hard, though. i never wanted to leave, but i did, got better, and now it's been a year since i've been back and i'm doing better than ever. this might not be for you. i just could hear the pain, confusion, and desperation in your voice so i want to add this. ...and it might not be for you, you may be fine with working through things at school. i just know you understand how difficult it is to juggle everything. plus, people in college are really understanding. i was able to go out and come back with not really a lot of problems, and in the end, it helped. ...but you might be able to handle it, everyone's situation is different. i'd encourage you to talk to a counselor or a psychiatrist so they can help point you in the right direction. not only do they understand, but they're trained to give you the help and direction you need/ advice that's specific to you're particular situation.

also maybe consider looking into breathing exercizes, non spiritual meditation, or music. ...anything that you can find that may be restful to you.

i hope this helps.

Post Edited (maddie48) : 3/14/2011 8:30:47 PM (GMT-6)

i'm so glad. i do understand how you feel about people just trying to give you an easy fix/ telling you to get over it. it is not that easy at all. anxiety is really complicated because it is so abstract/ hard to understand, but it's real. it affects all parts of your body and life. don't listen to those people and don't let them get you down. talk to people you trust and other's that understand/ have been there/ can give you advice from experience because you're not alone.

i'm so glad to hear that you're reaching out. that's the best thing you can do. try to get help by not being alone/ talking through it with people really helps.

you can totally hold off on the medication. i just want you to be as healthy as you can. i think things will get a lot clearer when you talk to a trained professional.

wishing you the best in your healing. we're here for you.

Hey JSChecky,

Hopefully you're starting to feel a bit better already knowing there are people on here who can relate to your troubles (I know I did!).

Like you, I also suffered from low-grade anxiety through my elementary and middle-school years, although my anxiety was more of the 'separation' type, where I'd get worried leaving my parents for the day. It did also manifest as school stress at the beginning of new years though; the new schedule, classes and teachers and more than anything else having no set routine really made my anxiety go up for a week or two.

Fall semester of my senior year of college I had my first real panic attack. I was living at home with my parents at the time (couldn't afford my own place in those days), and I remember that night like it was yesterday. I was sitting at the computer working on a program and could not for the life of me figure out the answer to a problem. Normally I would sit for a few minutes and chew on the problem. Instead, this time my body decided to completely unnecessarily freak out. :) I felt a sudden flash of heat, I got sweaty, my heart started racing, I felt like I couldn't breathe properly and then I started to feel like I was going to vomit. The sensation of being so alone and that nobody could do anything to help me made me burst into tears. For a couple of hours, I could do nothing but lay on my bed and try to breathe as I listened to the television in the background. After I'd calmed down, I fell asleep thinking things were back to normal. Boy, was I ever wrong...

That night late in 2006 was the start of my anxiety disorder. I have been living with it off and on now for almost five years. College was one of the biggest sources of stress in my life and my therapist suspected the ominous approach of graduation was what caused my anxiety to finally bust out.

First let me say this to you: I promise that no matter how bad you feel now, you WILL feel better over time. When you're in the throes of anxiety every minute can feel like an hour, so I know that will be of little comfort right now, but try to hang onto it. Know that you won't feel like this forever.

Secondly, let me offer you congratulations on gathering the courage to speak to somebody about your problems. This shows that you're both a strong and resourceful individual. Many people never seek out assistance for anxiety for fear of being ridiculed, and it's a huge mistake. You've already taken a big step to feeling better by talking to friends and family.

Third, definitely continue to talk to your parents and friends about your issues. I have found my family and friends to be some of my most important allies in my fight to accept and overcome my needless fears. When I'm going through an anxiety cycle, I tend to become much more social and try to surround myself with as many of my friends as possible. I find it really takes the edge off. Perhaps you could get together a group of your buds to study?

Fourth, seeking out counseling at your university is also an excellent step. Such services are usually offered free to students at your university wellness or medical center. I too sought counseling my senior year and began a very productive doc-patient relationship with an excellent therapist at my college. Within a couple of weeks not only had my anxiety decreased significantly but I was much more focused on the task of graduating and what my future plans would be after college. It was extremely worth it. Give it a try.

And last, as another piece of encouragement, here I am five years later. I still have anxiety every now and again, but I also have a good job, a girlfriend, my family and friends and my hobbies. They're all aware of my anxiety, and they all accept it. You can do this!

Fraser
Panic disorder/generalized anxiety disorder sufferer for five years
Citalopram 40mg daily

@subzeromambo: Thank you for your encouragement. :) I visited the health center on campus, and they gave me some light anti-anxiety medication to try. It's definitely stopped the terrible panic attacks, and I'm learning to cope with the anxiety. I'm glad to receive support in a time like this. :)

@soonblue: It seems that our cases sound very similar! And it encourages me to see how you've handled it all so well and have taken control of your anxiety rather than vice versa. I recently spoke to my roomie and another close friend about my problems, and they had the most comical reaction of "I knew something was wrong! Why did you tell me sooner?" I find I'm quite blessed with a great support system. I'm beginning to have weekly (sometimes bi-weekly_ visits to the counselors on campus, and that's a blessing in itself as well! Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. They definitely helped me. :)

@stella_drives: I've definitely had those thoughts too. Good luck with your return to school! I know you can do it. :) And thank you for your encouragement as well!