PTSD and panic

[Marie1989]

I have been diagnosed with PTSD due to long-term emotional abuse. I have had a limited number (like three or four) of mild panic attacks throughout the last year. I will begin working through the trauma experiences with my therapist in the next few weeks. I have noticed that my anxiety has gotten worse recently. For example, I have a difficult time sitting through a college one hour class. I get really antsy and and almost alway give into the urge to leave and pace before returning to class. Just an example, but there are dozens of other incidences that this happens as well.

Just wondering if I try and push through these incidences instead of giving into the 'flight' if there is a good possibility that my symptoms will escalate into more frequent actual panic attacks versus the panicky symptoms Ive been experiencing. Will beginning to expose the traumatic events make me more vulnerable to attacks? Any other advice appreciated!

Thanks so much!

[margypops]

It may be a good idea to get working with your therapist before giving into the anxiety feelings,or when you feel them coming on stay in class if you can but distract your self from your thoughts, it is impossible to experience any negative feeling without first creating a negative corresponding thought,the source of our experience is always our thinking.So you are sat in class you start to think about something that happened to you,then you start to feel that anxiety creeping over you, you tell your self No I will not do this, ground your self, look out of the window tell your self how pretty it looks out there how blue or grey the sky is, "Now what am I going to eat tonight," listen to what is happening in the class, focus in on that..no thoughts, no anxious feelings.This can become a habit, takes a bit of practise, visualisation works well,focus in on something positive like a meal with a friend, a movie you are going to see, actually see your self eating and enjoyong a movie.Good Luck.let us know how the therapy goes.