Last Friday i drove to school, sat in the parking lot and was too scared/anxious to go into class. I left feeling so disappointed in myself and so ashamed. I did the same thing as you. I wondered who I was because I used to love going to school before. Then I got angry because I am letting panic run my life. We often feel really helpless when we feel we have no control over things. What you and I need to realize is that we do have control over this. We can control our bodies and the responses and most importantly, and probably even harder, we can control our anxious thoughts. I am just like you. I've missed exams, missed classes, made up excuses to profs but I felt so ashamed and guilty that it made me depressed. I kept wondering what is wrong with me, I used to be strong, why can't I do this. That sort of thinking is wrong. We can do this, we can overcome it, and the important thing to realize is that nothing bad is going to happen by attending a class or going to the mall. We are perfectly fine, just sensitive to our bodies and minds and that's ok. It'll just take time to learn how to control those things. Let me know how it goes for you. I am in the same boat.
:p :p