I too am new to this. What works best or me is activity. If I wake up in the middle of the night with a panic attack, I have to get up and walk around till it goes away. Saying I'm not dying or going crazy doesn't help because I don't think that. Btw, you're certainly not crazy. I'm somewhat like you, would be a lot like you if I wasn't active (maybe we're both anxious but you obsess/worry more about it.) When anxious during the day, I also get active, generally walk around a lot in my job, can do different things, forget anxiety when busy, interacting with others. When anxious as a student, you could walk to lib, study something else, focus on book or lecture in class, study with others, run, bike, go to gym...
Panic center exercises, talking to others, activities could help you. And seeing someone, I saw a doc when I had frequent panic attacks, asked for something to stop them (like Xanax,) she refused, just gave me Zoloft. It took awhile to become effective but I only take 25 mg and seems to stop attacks but did not help with anxiety, hard to know if it would help you and drugs are hard to stop.
Talking and listening helps. I read Scott Stossel's My Age of Anxiety (google for magazine article or book,) it helped to put my lesser anxiety in its place. Some anxiety is something to live with. I was offended when someone called me neurotic long ago, now I consider people like me more interesting and aware than boring people. Take care,
Patrick
