Hi Blue!!
I graduated from high school in June. I was diagnosed with panic disorder in grade nine so I managed to get through the four years with honors despite my disorder. I just want to say YOU WILL TOO :) :)
Are there any particular classes that are worse for you??
The only way I was able to get through it was the incredible support of most of the teachers. They were always willing to manouver (hahah can't spell) things around so I could get through my day. Grade nine was the absolute worst because I had no idea what was going on or if I was going to get better.
For about three months, I suffered in silence. I thought I was absolutely loony tunes and if I told anyone, I'd be locked in a mental institution. My dad and aunt both had this thing called "anxiety disorder" and it didn't click in to me that I could be suffering from this too. I was in denial.
Finally, one morning my anxiety was so bad that I broke down right in front of my drama teacher, who was also my homeroom teacher. I was practically sobbing as I described to her what I was feeling and how crazy I felt.
You know what happend? She wrapped me in a hug and told me that she had this thing called anxiety/panic disorder and that I probably should talk to my doctor about it.
So I did and I got onto some meds right away.
The last four months of that year were quite frankly, a living hell. But because I told my teachers about it and explained to them what it was, I got through. I was shocked infact to hear that two other teachers who I had that semester had anxiety disorder themselves. Even the teachers who didn't have it were wonderful and helped me get through.
My advice to you is to talk to your teachers and enlist one of the school counsellors to help you.
Most of my panic attacks hit when I was in math class. So I hired a tutor and worked quietly in another area of the school with her instead of my class. This helped tremendously! It gave me the option to leave the class but no leave the situation. I was still doing math and was still at school but I wasn't becoming agorophobic.
I'm so incredibly sorry that you are having to deal with this in your senior year. I did for the last three months of grade 12 and I know how it feels to be so diff
