[Radien]

For the past year i have had really bad anxiety for weeks at a time. When it was at its peak i would not be able to breath and it would feel as if something was rapping itself around my lungs. I had to go see my guidance counselor today and she told me that i have general anxiety disorder and that the peaks of it were actually panic attacks (i know it is sad i didn't realize i was having panic attacks). I sometimes have these in class and during school and i was wondering if any one had any ideas of how to calm down without drawing to much attention to myself. Thank you

[Window]

I wish I could help. My natural response to anxiety is to implode and shut down. I had a roommate though who used to get these attacks, and I would put my forehead close to hers and just speak quietly to her. My voice is fairly low, and she told me it was a soothing sound that she could hear and respond innwardly relaxing to.

It might help then to think of a voice that you find soothing to listen to. Maybe even a song. Learn about your strongest sensory imput signals and seek out accordingly. Maybe it's a favorite visual, smell, sound, texture or taste. My roommate moved about a year ago to live with her girlfriend, and I used to have to still drive to their new place to help her breath. I had to teach her gf how to do it, and to make her voice lower while helping.

Good luck.

[RachelMilius]

Hi Radien,

My anxiety has gotten pretty bad before, but not to the point of an actual panic attack. I've been to therapy for it, hoping to sort of nip it in the bud. Of course, this was only to find out that if you've had anxiety since childhood (like me), then it's probably never going to fully go away. I tried meds and HATED them, so learning to just diffuse my anxiety has been crucial for me.

School -- especially small classes -- is one of my hot spots for anxiety, so I know where you're coming from. My therapist suggested that when I start to feel anxiety coming on, I should preoccupy my mind by choosing a simple shape (square, triangle, circle, etc.) and start looking around for objects that fit the shape I'm thinking of. When you finish with one shape, move on to the next, and so on. This works for me sometimes, but then sometimes it makes my anxiety worse because I keep thinking "Crap! What if this doesn't work?! Oh-god-oh-god-oh-god! Not working!" lol So I've actually modified this practice to something slightly more complex to minimize those thoughts. I pick a double digit number randomly and then manipulate it in my mind by adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, etc. by other random numbers. I like decimals the best for some reason -- I guess since they're more challenging. You can also do this stuff on paper if you're in class with a notebook. Which reminds me -- I also doodle like CRAZY in my notebooks, which keeps me from feeling too nervous when there's nothing else to do (i.e. those 5-10 minutes before the professor walks in when everyone's chatting amongst themselves or whatever).

Basically, just find little puzzles/activities to occupy your mind until you stop feeling so panicky. Good luck.

[Window]

Interesting post. With my anxiety, I just have always imploded and focussed on counting objects around me in certain number groupings. I tend to look for some aspect of objects that depicts them for their commonalities, such as shapes or colors etc. Thanks for posting this as it was something that I never thought to mention. I only wondered how to suggest things for panic attacks. I guess this must work as I have never had one. This technique has always been automatic.

[RachelMilius]

Hm. Isn't weird that anxiety is brought on without actually thinking about it yet it can be diffused -- at least somewhat -- by distraction?

What I mean is that you aren't thinking about it, BOOM -- it hits you, and then you have to try not to think about it. But then you never tried to think about it in the first place. So in a sense you were distracted to begin with.

Weirdness.

I used to read all the ads on the subway backwards-or if in school, i'd imagine everyone's name backwards--what'd sound like...later on i used to read aloud in the quietness of my son's (then) vacant room from the Bible-The King James Version, sometimes I will do this even now...it's not an easy read.
When out and about, I always carry a smooth stone in my pocket-i reach for it and i feel like i'm solid again-----just some stuff i do--theo

[Perna]

I use all the "logic" I have at my disposal. I look around and take a realistic view of my surroundings (no immediate, real threats) and/or do worst case scenarios (what's the worst that could happen this minute? "My teacher could call on me to answer a question". What if she did? "I might not know the answer". What would happen then? "I'd say, 'I don't know' or I'd think a moment and tell what I do know, would 'guess' at a partial answer." What would happen then? "She might comment on my answer and then move on to someone else." What would happen to me? I'd live through it :-)

http://www.nlppati.com/articles/end-panic-attacks.shtml
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Sto...ely&id=3873332