I highly recommend the The Anxiety Release Method. It has helped a lot of people overcome anxiety/panic attacks without medication. If you want to check it out you can visit this website. Good luck!
http://www.beatanxietypanicattacks.com/a...

The method is amazing, it is like having your own personal anxiety coach right there with you to help guide you through your attacks.
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http://www.beatanxietypanicattacks.com
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http://www.beatanxietypanicattacks.com

Try to nip it in the bud. As soon as you notice yourself starting to feel uncomfortable, try to relax all the muscles in your body. Reassure yourself that you are OK and you are in charge of your body. Your body is not in charge of you. I hope you will have a good trip to California. Good Luck.
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Don't worry, you don't sound silly, and I definately know where you're coming from. It's nice to see that I'm not alone in these problems

Well, it's really hard to say because everyone is different. Different things work for different people, but here are some suggestions:

- Many people I've heard about with anxiety attacks just ride them out, as painful as that sounds. They have learned to observe and wait out the attack until it is over, consantly giving themselves assurances, such as "It's okay. I can handle it. I can deal with this."

If you're like me, this won't work at all. It usually takes a counselor to take the appropriate steps if your mind is out of control from the panic and can't be managed, but I had to suggest this just in case it might work in your case. Please feel free to try it.

Also, have you told your friends about your anxiety? If they know, maybe they could help you and give you support. It also might help that they know, so maybe you'll have less pressure not to have a panic attack. Even if it's painful, It's okay to go through anxiety and let your friends get you through it.

- Research has shown that it takes a total of 9 seconds for a panic attack to peak and get uncontrollable. That's 9 whole seconds to leave the room or get to a safe place. The hard part is identifying a panic attack coming up and accurately seeing what you can do about it.

Once again, if you're in a car, or somewhere you can't escape easily, this won't help very much. I just wanted to put it just in case.

Here are some other methods:
- Progressive muscle relaxation. If you find it hard to relax (I DO!), then start with some of your most tense muscles, such as your shoulders, and tense them firmly for at least 10 seconds (not too hard though!). you can tense your shoulders by bringing them up to your ears, or forcing them back. The point of this is when you suddenly release the pressure, you feel immediate relief, and in most cases, relaxation.

- Try to stay away from caffiene and sugar. These tend to increase panic sympoms and anxiety. Some people have panic attacks just because they have too much sugar or caffiene in their diet.

- Try working out vigorously (without overdoing it) for 30 minutes to start off your day. You might work off any high-energy anxiety that you might be feeling later.

- This is a longer process, but it has a long-lasting effect for most people. The key is to replace your negative thoughts with positive ones. When people get a panic attack, the common thought is "Oh no! I'm getting a panic attack!" This tends to increase panic. I know it's hard to change your thoughts (I haven't succeeded yet), but it's definatly worth a try to stop or at least make your panic less extreme.
Try to think. "It's okay. I can deal. All I have to do is wait."

- If you can, try to just let things happen. If you fear panic attacks, it tends to cause more situations in which you would get one. Try to think, "Let it happen! Just try to ruin my day!" Another thing you can do is talk to your panic attack. When you first wake up, say, "Okay, I've got a lot to do today. I've don't have time to worry about you, so if your going to cause me panic, do it now. Go ahead, just do it." Sometimes the reverse effect happens, and the anxiety just disappears. Don't worry if you can't stop anticipating a panic attack. Who wouldn't?

I hope these are helpful suggestions. I am not able to handle my anxiety and just got put on medication today. This is only temporary. Once I get better, I will gradually reduce the dose, and will already have practiced ways to stop anxiety. If you're like me, you might need medication. There is nothing wrong with this. However, I don't think you can make an appointment for a prescription of medication before your trip. Let me know if I can help you in any other way. Good luck!

Oh, and that reminds me! You can take extra measures to have the number of a quick and efficient hospital on your phone. Someone I know does that and it helps her a lot! Don't feel guilty for taking measures to help you have less anxiety. Consider the possibilities.
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experience and counseling

I have anxiety as well, got put on prozac a small dose and klonopine{ they are in the valium family} it helps me soooo much.. don't give up when we suffer with anxiety a lot of times our lives are overrun with it and our world gets smaller and smaller...
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Well, I would say go back home, but we all know that doesn't do anyone any good. So you just have to focus on the good time you'll have with your friends. The only way you'll get used to being away from home is by actually being away from home. Ask a doctor if there is anything you can do...

Or, you could zone out and stare at the ceiling and pretend that you're back at home. This may actually cause a panic attack, so only do this if you think you really should, like if you've tried everything else. (Yes, I am serious). Sorry I can't be of much help...
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It's usually suggested for people with anxiety problems to avoid the triggers of their anxiety. It seems as if this will not be possible for you.

The best way to deal with a panic attack if medication is not helping is to ride it out. Eventually your body will run out of the adrenaline that is causing you to panic and you will calm down.

However, I would suggest telling your doctor that the medication is not working for you. There are multiple things that can be tried for anxiety attacks, and if what you're on isn't working it's time for you to try something else.
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my mother had bad ones and developed agoraphobia, the doctor put her on xanax and they helped, but the doctors have "advisory committees"these days that bombard them with letters if they use these drugs so good luck getting them..
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Smoke a joint. Seems to mellow out me and everyone else I know.
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