Panic Disorder Becoming Difficult - Change of Routine?

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Hello,

I'm an adult man diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome going through panic disorder. I see to a professional and they prescribe me medicine for it which I take daily. I have gotten back from college just for vacation until I return back in September. I have tried to get internships for the field I want to go to (radio broadcasting) but to no avail and sought occupations nearby me with interests of mine but have been denied despite having some experience. I also sometimes get the feeling employers pass me away as soon as they find out I tell them I have autism via the online job application with a section that tells about disability and reasonable accommodations or an interview.

As the weeks have been going, it has been difficult for me to adjust since in college I was preoccupied with schoolwork and like-minded allies. I do the daily acts of life (i.e. eating, sleeping, bathing, grooming, etc.) without issue. I have been jogging, watching YouTube videos, playing video games, watching light sitcoms, and listening to instrumental smooth jazz music but come off as temporary distractions. I keep hearing about meditation and yoga but I somehow feel skeptical about those methods for some reason.

I feel calm when in solitude or going on my own pace in activities. The panic attacks have been getting worse as the weeks have gone by and feel happier when I'm in my bedroom. I want to get out but I experience chills, perspiration, gastrointestinal upsetting among other symptoms from panic attacks that make it difficult and wouldn't want to show in public near individuals to avoid alarm or disturbance to those near me.

Have other people here experienced any similar situations or can give suggestions for this?

I do not experience panic attacks. But as far as working while in school, I did quite a bit of that.

I always considered work to be an integral part of preparation for a career. Around the age of 10 I began cutting lawns in the neighborhood. In the winter I shoveled snow from driveways. I also sold garden seeds door-to-door in the springtime. This gave me spending money to pursue my passion at the time, which were comic books. In high school, I worked in a five-and-dime store. It is important for students to work during the summer and after school because it can help establish a good work ethic. In high school and all during college, I worked.

I worked jobs (20 hours per week) whenever I was in school and (40 hours per week) during the summers, the entire time I was in college. During my four years of college, I worked:
* in the main branch of a bank balancing daily receipts.
* as a postman in the downtown mail sorting station.
* as a parking lot attendant.
* as a warehouseman in a large department store storage facility.
* as a night shift operator on a cyclotron.
* with a supercomputer performing heat transport modeling.

In many ways part time jobs are a practice run for when you graduate and move onto a career. If you fail at one and get fired, there is always another one to try out. It is nothing to get broken up about. Just find another one. Personally I would probably not lead with "I have a disability and need special accommodations". That is probably not a good way to gain your part time/summer position.

Not really sure what to suggest if you are already on medication. If its not working out when you tell employers you have autism you should stop telling them. They may never know in the first place.

I also have major anxiety issues whenever I work. They dissapear when Im not working. At least its comforting to know someone else is going through this.

Can you tell us what kind of medication you're on? It would help out to know that too.

Since you’re already taking a daily med, maybe you need an additional as-needed med like Xanax or Klonopin? Consult your medical providers. In addition to my daily meds, I’ve also tried Xanax & Klonopin. They did help me cope in the short term.