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Introduction

My name is Julia and I am 18 years old. I was diagnosed with a severe anxiety disorder in middle school, but I've struggled with it for as long as I can remember. When the panic attacks started, I didn't think my body could handle it. My life was constant shaking, dry-heaving, sweating, nausea, and fear. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't swallow. I couldn't be at school. I couldn't even be at home. I had no escape. I had two types of panic attacks: ones where I couldn't move, and ones where I couldn't stop moving. Sometimes, when the anxiety started coming on, it was so bad I couldn't move. It was paralyzing, there were times I was laying in my bed, all I wanted was my mom. She was always home, but I couldn't speak, I couldn't yell for her. My arm couldn't even move to pick up my phone to call her. I just lay there, the only thing I could think of that would stop the feeling was death. The other kind of panic attack I had was the shaking, ...

Is This Horrible Feeling A Panic Attack?

So one of the worst thing about having an anxiety disorder is the panic attacks. Even people without a disorder have panic attacks sometimes. It's just about the scariest feeling ever, and knowing whether or not you're having one can help you figure out how to fix it. Here are some things that I personally feel when I'm experiencing a panic attack: -nausea -dry heaving -difficulty swallowing -difficulty breathing -shaking -sweaty palms -claustrophobia -racing heart -feeling a loss of control Honestly, I just feel like I'm dying. Now that I've been having these panic attacks for so long, I have a lot of techniques. Some I've come up with on my own, some I've learned through therapy and anxiety programs, and some just through the internet. The first thing that makes me feel better is fresh air. Going outside, especially when it's cold out, always makes gives me a bit of relief. It helps me breathe a little easier and being outside in open spa...