College Exams

[jdurant2]

I have this weird reaction whenever I am taking a college exam or I am just at work in general. I always feel my heart racing and my blood pressure so high that it makes me feel dizzy and out of my body. I have severe social anxiety and performance anxiety which is most likely the cause of feeling this way. I have recently been feeling very dizzy though and not hungry at all. This is most likely due to the adrenaline that is pumping through my veins all day long. I read about panic attacks and it says that they only last up to like 30 mins or so. Mine will last for hours. If I work 6 hours, then I feel like I am having a 6 hour panic attack. I will feel outside of my body, I will feel like I am not hungry, my stomach aches like crazy. I feel so dizzy that it feels like the ground is moving. My anxiety has been spiralling out of control for the past 2 years and I need some feedback. I have tried everything about the exam anxiety as well. I have tried over caring about the outcome of the exam, I have tried not caring about the outcome. I always find myself obsessing about my answers during the exam and already concluding that If I don't know one of the problems that I am going to fail the exam, even though I know that this is rarely the case. This accelerated heart and heightened senses makes it very painful to take exams because I just want to get up and diffuse the situation but I can't

[Chris C]

Are you currently seeing a therapist or taking any medication?

[jdurant2]

I am not taking medication. I have seen someone back at home but I do not really have time to go to a therapist. I also have a part time job in order to pay my bills

[Chris C]

I first started having panic attacks in college and it was difficult for me to attend classes and take exams as well. I went to the university health center and saw a dr there who prescribed some medication. Perhaps you could do the same.

[jdurant2]

Yeah I probably should see someone. I have been having such a difficult time handling my anxiety on exams and during work. Antidepressants are not effective with me and I have adverse reactions to the medicine. Anti-anxiety medicine is what I take (xanax) but I try not to take it at all because I don't want to become dependent on them. I am also kind of scared to take medicine because during my teen years I overdid pills and overdosed on them a lot which caused me to develop a sort of fear towards them. Are there any unique strategies that helped you which anxiety and panic during exams. I can't just sit back and try to relax or else I will be using valuable time up?