Hi everyone. I've just joined the program in order to help me try to beat panic for good. I've been having panic attacks for about 15 years on and off - I go through bouts of anxiety for a few months or years, then get better, then have another dip - but my anxiety never really goes away.
Over the past few months, I have started to panic in meetings at work, and when driving on the motorway - both through a fear of being trapped and not being able to escape. I've only 'escaped' the situation once during these attacks, but I'm left feeling exhausted and very low - like all of the joy has been taken out of life. I also hate flying, and public speaking. Watching the news makes also me very depressed and even more anxious. I'm hoping that I can retrain my brain to allow myself to remain calm in all of these situations and focus on the positives so that I don't get knocked around so much by daily life. Reading all of your stories has already been a big help - it's comforting to know I'm not that unusual.