Thanks for that SNAZapples, it is the first time I interact with someone who has suffered my ordeal, or at-least had similar experiences, It feels good.. I hope your job loss is not related to panic/stress, There is one questions I always wanted to ask, and I'm probably going to create a new discussion topic for that, namely: is there any connection between panic disorder and drugs, specially marijuana,,, I used to smoke on and off for two to three years until I quit completely four years ago... The only advantage I have gained from this bloody disorder Is that I couldn't smoke anymore, and did quit three weeks ago, and promised not to touch cigarets again nor even have a puff from some else's. Anyway, as U said, I will try not to avoid situations or people in question, and try not to frequent them as well :confuse:

Hi saman, Now THAT was bad...i just typed a whole paragraph or two and pressed a button and it all disappeard!!! Lol...well here i go again! I just wanted to share in your sympathy with those that have been affected by the london bombings, Im a londoner myself and have been glued to the tv set watching the news past cuple days. Im new to this forum too and have just poured my heart out in another email describing my terrible 'meeting' experiences...but you're already a step ahead of me because atleast you're still working! :) I dont really have much advice to offer as i need some myself, but i will say that TRY not to get into avoiding everyday situations that will inevitably come your way, beacuse it will only make it all the more difficult when you DO have to face them...I say this with experience! Now i wish that i stuck to my previous jobs because atleast i had overcome the phase of applying and interviews, making new friends and all the worries that come with that! I'm sure you'll get more advice from this support group, everyone is very understanding here from what i've read so far, and remember...you're not alone! :) SNAZapples

Panic attack is a fairly new thing to me... Nearly 6 months ago I had my first attack... I was freaked out: My mouth went completely dry, I was walking in the busiest street of London..alone, feeling completely lost I was rushing, holding tight looking out for the next shop, where I could buy a bottle of water I bought the water but could not raise my head to drink it, I was drinking like someone had never held a bottle in his hands before I managed to take a few drops to moist my mouth and throat And took the first Taxi I met: Hospital please, emergency section. My panic attacks are coupled with a very strange feeling of bloatedness, and unnatural burping (I force air into my stomach to pave the way for the wind to come out... It sounds/looks like someone who wants to burp for fun - but no fun believe me... The doctor in the hospital, and elsewhere, explained that it was a fright-and-flight sensation - of course I never believed them. Only once a doctor gave me an NHS (NAtional Health Services) booklet called "Managing stress". which explained my symptoms as they happened to me. Now, my biggest problem is that there are certain situations and places where I cannot handle it anymore. For example, I had a meeting with my colleagues today, it hit me, I started trembling thinking I would make a complete fool out of myself, lowering my head all the time (by the way, another symptom is that my eyes start blinking like and loose their focus). Until on of my my colleagues said: Are you all right? I said not really, It is the Hey Fever, I have to go and wash my face... I am basically not myself anymore; I feel like I lost all my confidence ( not that I had been a very confident person, I was always a bit nervous/ anxious when I sat in a meeting, or spoke or when I became the centre of attention - But never like this, after all I had always handled the situations, but my confidence apparently was fake, not real... I am glad some peopel say "You are What you Eat!" and hope it is food related, because I have also the air in my stomach to prove it.. Only there is one concern, the air could be as a result of the stress and not the other way round.. May be.. I know that putting oneself together can help.. But h