Panic in School... help please

Rue said:

whoo... first post

i've been looking all around the internet but couldn't find anything for this, only for college students.

i'm 13, and in middle school for one more month(woohoo)... but i'm pretty much failing my core classes. my teacher is already helping me so i can graduate.

the bigger problem is my increasing panic attacks. in about march, i had my first panic episode, which was just lying in bed and imagining things. it was the worst feeling ever. since then, i've been okay until yesterday.

there was a tiny red spider on my laptop(i was in class) and i, irrationally, thought it was blood for a split second. although i realized almost immediately after that it was a bug, i still got panicky. even after my tablemate picked it off, i couldn't get control of myself, even though i'm not scared of bugs or blood. i ended up running to the nurses office before having the climax of my panic attack.

what should i do next time if i get a panic attack at school? i can't stay in the classroom, because i breath loudly, cry, and even sometimes scream. my school counselor is only at school on monday and tuesday.

what should/can i do about this?
- rue

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Hello Rue, nice to meet you and a very warm welcome here. Of course seeing your school counsellor will be a great idea so go and see them when you can. See them regularly too as talking with them will help you to find out what is bringing on your panic attacks.

What is happening when you have a panic attack is that before it happens you were breathing shallow. Your heart then starts to pump faster to get air around your body. That is why you start to get breathless and breathe loudly and fast because your heart wants to get air around your body.

When you find this, you will now understand what is happening so the best thing to do is take a deep breath and hold it in. Doing this will fill your lungs with air and give your poor heart what it wants. Immediately you will feel less shaky and more able to cope. The panic attacks will not stop. What you need to do is get to the bottom of the reason why you are having them. The episode of the red bug will not bother you so much when you learn how to cope. In time you will even be able to laugh about the attacks.

Don't be afraid when you have an attack. You will not die. Take in a deep breath and keep doing that until you calm down. Make sure its the first thing you think of when you get all panicky and make an appointment to see your counsellor. You can also make an appointment with your doctor and get some medication prescribed that may help you calm down as well.

The main thing is that there was a reason that all this started in you. You need to find that reason. How are things at home with your family? Is there anything there that has hurt you physically, mentally or emotionally? What about school? How do you get on there? Are you worried about school work or anything, do you have a close buddy?

You've found the right place to come to Rue, and I hope you come back on here to let us know how you are getting on. We are always here to talk with so you are never alone.

Hi there, I am 24 yrs old. But I can relate to you, I started having panic attacks when I was about 12 years old. They were the hardest to control for me during school. I would panic in class, then panic further because I would feel "trapped". I would go to the nurses office very often and try to get her to let me go home but she would not if I was actually sick. This made me panic more. I did have a guidance counselor who was very nice but just like for you, she was only there on certain days. School was very difficult for me to get through, I would always panic about having a panic attack.

I would suggest having your guidance counselor speak with your teachers (I know this may seem embarrassing) however this creates a more knowledgable background for your teachers. They are more likely to be understandable when you begin to feel panicky vs point out your behaviors or not let you leave. This will help create some relief knowing you have an "out" and you are safe. Secondly, I would discuss with the school nurse and guidance counselor about these panic attacks you suffer from. When I was in high school, I was able to go to the nurses office during a panic attack, and I felt comfortable telling her that was what was going on. She would allow me to sit in the back, away from the other students and color, or even just relax so I was able to calm down.

If you find yourself beginning to feel panicky, I would suggest counting your breathing. Like breathing in for 5 seconds, and out for 5 seconds, REALLY focusing on counting. Or try finding 5 objects of every color in the rainbow in the room. I find distracting myself helps a lot when I panic, it helps prevent it from building up to a full blown panic attack. I know what its like to feel that way. Know you aren't alone or crazy, this happens to so many people.

I would also suggest, if you have not already, speaking to your doctor and seeing if they can get you in to see a psychiatrist (someone who discusses medications and medical stuff) (you don't always need meds but I found they helped me a lot at certain times) and a psychologist (someone who discusses HOW to react to your anxiety and help prevent letting it build)