anxiety situation, should I risk it?

So basically you have a phobia of fainting?

Its not a waste of money. Some cognitive therapy would probably see you through it

Yea I think its that, Ive fainted 5 times in the past yet have no health problems (one time was at college and another in the street near college I had bad stomach pains both times, got scared and passed out). I sound like a right wimp, I was thinking of joining the TA too

Ok I posted before ages ago but I quit uni cause I kept getting anxious and was scared of fainting and ever since have not really done anything apart from 1 day a week voluntary work, im 19 now and want to get back into studying as I really really want a career but in reality I can't see myself with one. Its the thought of the anxiety happening all over again when Im sitting in a classroom, and then the 45 minute bus journey home, its nothing to do with college or people its if I have a panic attack or faint I will be 45 minutes away from home. It actually sound worse than it is now Ive read its not as severe as it sounds. It started when I was about 17 and im worried im going to have to live with it all my life now. I can't get in touch with a counceller Ive been on the waiting list for 7 months and can't get in contact. Has anyone any advice on coping with this? The course I want to do is going to cost loads should I go on it and risk losing money or what? I can't take a gap year Ive already had 2 lol.

Try various channels, see which helps - your situation sounds bad, and maybe cognitive therapy can only take you so far....

At present, a drug propranolol helps with anxiety, panic attack problems.

However, i read an article in the newspaper, 'The Independent' yesterday, and there is a new medicine coming out replacing propranolol...

Someone said, avoid drugs....but sometimes they can help enormously, but obviously the ideal would be to eventually ease oneself off using them...

I have a friend who has this problem, and has been on incapacity benefit for, what, three years now. He too doesn't want to be too far away from home in case he has a panic attack as has happened in the past.

The government do give some counselling sessions but they are limited, as you state, but this is a something that you need to do in order to know yourself better and recognise the danger signs, and how to cope with them, and how to cope with everyday life.

Most people go through some kind of anxiety at some time, but in some of us what we are thinking in the head is acted on very severely by the body - when a would-be burglar appeared at my window the other day I almost fainted thanks to the adrenalin surge. My point is that you need help to recognise the reasoning your mind and body are going through, it is often faulty, and that's where the problem lies.

It is very hard for people without specialist knowledge to help, but the thing is not to try too hard. My friend was and is always the best at guitar, darts, skateboarding because he pushed himself. With the danger of panic attacks you have to go very slowly, and build up a routine I guess.

Oh, and avoid drugs too.

The best advice is to get professional help as soon as possible.

Just from my own personal oppinion i wouldn't use drugs to get rid of them... i would do it with councelling. Using drugs for panic attacks is very risky as you might become too scared to come off them as you might think they are the only things that stop the attacks. I did it without drugs, so you will be able to too.

I've used them personally, and i've had pretty big problems with anxiety and panic attacks....but i eased off them, from a point when i needed the drugs most, and i'm ok at the moment, never will be comfortable but there are techniques which help, i.e. breathing exercises, visualization et cetera....

It's a bit foolish to be so absolutist in rejecting taking drugs in such circumstances....