How can severe anxiety and panic attacks be treated?
Patient: Hi, I was just wondering if you could help me or give me any advice to do with anxiety, especially in school. Whenever I’m in school and I’m asked to read or know that I’ll have to at some stage, my heart starts pounding and I can’t stop shaking. Sometimes when I’m actually reading I hear my voice and it’s so shaky it’s so embarrassing and it often just goes completely or I feel like I’m choking . I get small panic attacks whenever I have to read and I don’t know why so it just frustrates me so much and makes me so mad at myself . I don’t want to be like this so is there anything I can do to help this problem? Then when I’m finished reading aloud and if I try to write I physically can’t because I’m still shaking for ages later and everyone’s staring at me in confusion . Please please help me Doctor: Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service. I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.  Some degree of social anxiety is common in the general population. Such anxiety only becomes social anxiety disorder when the anxiety either prevents you from participating in desired activities or causes marked distress during such activities. Both psychotherapy and medicine are useful in treating social anxiety disorder. Consult nearby psychiatric clinic or you can consult me for any further help required.  Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.