Dear Mashed,

I can assure you that everyone here takes these symptoms very seriously. I have never smoked weed myself, but I've noticed on this forum that some people have had a bad reaction to it. So, I'd encourage you to try to do without it. Just reading your post, it strikes me that perhaps what you might be anxious about is what's going to happen after you graduate. You are certainly worried about completing your final year. Perhaps, you might be sabotaging your chances to graduate because you are anxious about what comes next. Just a random thought. It's important to keep in mind that some some people suffer anxiety for no apparent reason. You don't need a reason to be anxious, it might be a part of who you are. You mention that your therapist can't see any problems in your life, but then what do you think is going on.

It's definitely true that panic attacks can make you feel just horrible, as if you are going to die. So, if possible, try to separate the physical symptoms of your anxiety from the anxiety itself. The physical symptoms will not kill you; they are flight mechanisms going into overdrive. Now, I admit that it's really hard to keep mentally calm when your body is in overdrive, but counting backwards in groups of 7 is one thing, drawing circles on your stomach with one hand while using the other hand to pat your head is another trick to occupy your mind. It's important to keep repeating to yourself that the panic attacks will pass. Don't fight them, let them wash over you.

I would talk to your counselor and see if she can recommend a psychiatrist for you to see, someone who is in a position to never think that something is "just" an anxiety attack. At all the universities I've been to, it's been very easy to see a psychiatrist. You might be a good candidate for an anti-depressant, which are usually the first line treatment for anxiety these days.