panic attacks

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....It should be simple enough....I have a 3 hour break between classes at the college I go too. I walk around have a cigarrete or two, but I'm overcome by severe anxiety. I stumble around like a shy 5 year old running into things, mumbling apologies when they aren't required, and being oblivious when I'm being rude. I have facial convulsions, my eyes go haywire, I try to sit down and read a book but I can feel them all staring at me. People think I think they're going to hurt me, or that I'm super-pissed and am going to flip out any second.

It seems like an endless cycle of paranoia, and when I'm anxious people really do have something to be made uncomfortable by. I'm completely aware it's not rational but I can't control it.

Does anybody have anything they use to calm themselves in large group situations?
....I'm tired of being a chickenshit.

Start by practicing to control your breathing. Deep, even breaths in a high energy situation usually helps most people calm down at least a little bit.

Know your limits for socialization. One thing about AS is that aspies usually need time alone to regain energy and composure. Just because you need to socialize for a time does not mean that you should deny yourself this essential time alone.

I'm not sure if I should be posting here because I don't have AS (my daughter does) and I'm not in college. But I definitely know anxiety. That's part of the reason I'm on disability. I get really anxious when I'm in crowds too. One thing I do is mentally detach myself from the crowd. I'm not rude. I don't know these people, what they think doesn't matter. Due to my anxiety some people misunderstand me, but that's because they don't know me. People who know me, know me well, people who don't can go to H***! Maybe once you are able to detach yourself from all these people then your anxiety symptoms will go away. It also would help if you could go to a quiet coffee shop or restaurant, sit at a table away from people and read your book. Another thing that helps if I'm outside is sunglasses. I don't know why but it helps me.

No matter whether or not you have AS, you should always be welcome to post here and views of different people are always welcome. Someone without AS can provide a different perspective on the situation than someone with AS may be able to.

Many people are sensitive to light and this can trigger sensory overload problems in people on the autism spectrum (and some who are not). Sunglasses reduce the amount of light entering the pupils of your eyes and help lessen the amounts of senses. If you suffer from sensory overload problems or hypersensibility, this may be the reason why sunglasses help.

....The problem is I don't need to detach myself, because I'm already quite good at that. Going to a large college it's a bit difficult...besides I don't want to walk around with my head up my ass, or shuffle like a little boy. I hate having to avoid certain areas because of some irrational fear...My aims not to become "the life of the party", but just to be able to walk down a hallway and not look like I'm going to hurt someone.

....basically I want to able to coordinate myself around people, and not have mundane tasks be overbearing.

..and as far as not having AS, I don't have a diagnosis yet, so feel free to post.

i have similar problems at my university.

one thing i have done is create a map in my head each day, visualizing exactly where i will be going.
my accessibility advisor has found me a quite space that i can go to in between classes so that i don't have that terrible feeling of being stuck in a crowd of people. i aslo wear earplugs becasue i find that part of the anxiety is sensory over load. if i'm find it is still too hard to bear, i put headphones on, and wear sunglasses. that way i can take them off if i see someone i want to interact with, or i can pretend that i don't see them.

but really, its having an action plan firmly laid out for my day that really helps me.

hope that helps

I have sub-concious panic attacks. I'll start shaking and my heat will race for no reason as if something had jumped out at me, even though I'm at home and perfectly safe.

I have the same problem, but only in front of my mother.