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Panic attacks and anxiety are awful feelings. I deal with the same symptoms you mentioned on a daily basis. I'm a very outgoing and social person, always have been. I did not have a panic attack until I was eighteen. I'm 27 now. Anxiety has stuck with me ever since high school.
I'm sure your therapist has mentioned it but there are many prescriptive pills you can take to treat anxiety. My old psychiatrist called it a "crapshoot." You try the medication and see how well it works. There are some which will not work for you and some which will. Personally, I started taking paxil again. It has worked for me for years. I tried zoloft at one point with some affect but not enough. I was taking classes at the time and needed xanax to get me through class.
When your therapist says, "you should not drink any alcohol or consume any caffeine," trust those words. Alcohol is great when you are drinking because you do not feel anxious but the next day is worse. I can take one gulp of a caffeinated soda and be anxious for an hour or two.
My main thing with anxiety is nausea. I'll be around people, I get anxious, and my stomach tightens up. I always fear I will puke for no reason and be utterly embarased. I've had that feeling for the better part of a decade...and have never thrown up.
I actually just got back on paxil. I took my first dose last night. I've been off of it for a year and a half. I took it for years and it works for me, very well. Even though i know all this, I was anxious about taking it again.
Learn everything you can to keep the anxiety at bay. If something works, do it, it's usually a healthy thing anyway.
I'm sorry you are going through this. I know the ins and outs of anxiety from years of dealing with it. I imagine I will deal with it for the rest of my life as it runs in my family as well. Hopefully this is only a hurdle for you.
Thanks for the post. I needed to let all of that out.
Good Luck!
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" yer damned if you do and yer damned if you don't "
-Bart Simpson
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