How to Handle Panic Attacks and Social Anxiety?

Sometimes when I have panic attacks it helps me to use lavender oil, especially when I'm having a hard time breathing or heart palpitations.

Calming music and tapping can help too. Identify positive things, or just true things, like "I am not dying, I'm in (place), that chair is (adjective)" Also, if you're a Christian, reciting Bible verses and praying is a good way to focus. Finally, identify what you are telling yourself during the panic attack. What lie are you believing that is causing you to freak out? Then take that, say it, and replace it with something true. So if the lie is that you are broken and everyone will judge you, you identify that and replace it with something like, "I am not broken, I'm just going through a hard time that will make me stronger in the end. Other people's opinions of me don't matter, and even if they did, most people won't judge me for my struggles."

When I have a panic attack I do a few things, buy tje most helpful is forcing myself to control mu breathing. I put one hand on the top of my chest and the other near the bottom of my lungs. When I breathe in, the lower hand needs to be the one moving. I do slow counts of 5 in amd 5 out. Sometimes I write as I freak out, the words can be scary later but purging them from me helps. I rock myself. (I also tend to hurt myself but that is a bad coping mechanism. I'm working on that with my therapist.) I also am now at a place where I can tell some people that I am having a panic attack.