A set back after so much progress
Teebs - I am in my early 40s. I had my first panic attack when I was graduating high school. In the 20-plus years since then, I've had some very long stretches of being pretty much anxiety free, and I've had some pretty awful setbacks.
The advice I would give you is don't bother trying to figure out WHY you had a setback or what caused it. It really doesn't matter and trying to figure it out will only make you more anxious or to avoid that situation again.
You should focus your energy on facing and accepting that "hey, sometimes I feel this crappy anxiety way, but it isn't going to control me". You are tough. You are brave. You have defeated it before. The hardest part of dealing with anxiety, in my opinion, is the acceptance piece. In fact, that's why I'm on this site and working this program. I have got to the point where it doesn't interfere with my day-to-day life - I work full-time at a job I enjoy, I travel, I'm not limited really in any activity - but I still struggle with obsessive thoughts and negative thinking.
This is going to sound cheesy as heck, but I want to recommend to you to listen to two songs by the band Fun. One is called "Carry On" and the other is "It Gets Better." Both have a very positive message and can help give you the confidence you need. My favorite lyrics from "Carry On":
'Cause here we are
We are shining stars
We are invincible
We are who we are
On our darkest day
When we're miles away
We will find our way home
If you're lost and alone
Or sinking like a stone
Carry on
May your past be the sound
Of your feet on the ground
And carry on
