Panic attacks during lecture
Hey everyone,
I've had some panic attacks before, but they all took place when I was at home or somewhere, where I could withdraw and calm down. However, I was at university yesterday and had a panic attack during a small lecture (a tutorial) and it was horrible and I didn't know what to do. What do you do, when you have a panic attack at university? Should I talk to my tutor about this?
Thanks for your help!
@smallPandaxX If you can, talk to your college's disability services. Maybe they can inform your professor and give you more flexibility and forgiveness.
If you feel a panic attack coming on during class, try to do subtle calming techniques (stimming, mantras, doodling, breathing exercises, etc.) If you seriously can't focus and it feel inevitable, leave and calm down as best you can in a private place. It may happen, it may not. If you can, return to class. If not, go back to your dorm and rest and get your notes however you do, through a friend or e-mailing the professor.
@misha7 Thank you. Unfortunately, we don't have such a service...
Should it happen again, I will try calming techniques first, but it's good to know, that it's okay to leave, if I have to :)
@smallPandaxX
Yes! talk to your tutor, i have dicovered that if i just go for a walk and excuse mysel it really helps just to ease the tension or sometimes i use imagery to help me relax
@Takilah Thanks! So, do you have any advice how I could tell him? I just don't want it to be too weird and awkward...
what i do is count of sequence, the brain can't panic and count out of order at the same time
don't know if it'll work for you though, good luck
@smallPandaxX
Well obviously, we don't want panic attacks to happen in environments where it is more difficult to calm ourself down like a Unversity classroom. Nevertheless, if you do face anxiety, you should always try to reassure yourself that everything is fine and what is happening is normal, listening to music, focusing on a particular sound or sight or whatever you use to calm yourself at home. Anxiety attacks do not last long and anxiety itself should only be present for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Trying to calm yourself directly after you notice anxiety is the best thing to do as you are preventing the anxiety to persist or get worse.
Now, I definitely agree with Misha where you should inform some kind of authority at your University about your panic attacks. You should also, just to be safe, consult a mental health professional to see if you have Panic disorder, and if so how you can treat it.
Talking about your anxiety does also have its long-term effects. Talking to a mental health professional and the authorities at your instituion would be most beneficial, however talking to your family or friends could also help as you would get a better sense of the situation and maybe what causes your anxiety.
Remember, we at 7 cups are trained active listeners who are here to provide you with high quality listening 24/7, so if you feel like you need to talk to someone, don't hesitate to find someone on www.7cups.com/browselisteners
Best wishes,
Prio.