Severe anxiety, how do I overcome it?

I have the same problem. I used to be terrified to be around people and answering the phone could cause me to have a panic attack. I had generalised anxiety from the time I was about nine until I was about fifteen. Im mostly better now but sometimes certain things will get me anxious again and trigger panic attacks.

For me, I got better without medication. It was just that I came to the realisation somehow that the people I was scared were thinking horrible things about me were probably far more interested in themselves. People tend to spend a lot of time thinking about themselve. I also realised that the people who I wanted to spend time with did not think nasty things about me, they loved me and respected me for the person I was, and that anyone who was thinking badly of me was not worth worrying about as they are not the sort of people I want to be around anyway. Sometimes I still fall back into my old way of thinking and when I do I just have to remind myself it doesnt matter and maybe take some time alone to calm down a bit.

Its not something you have to do alone though. I did because I was too scared to talk to anyone about it but what I realised later was that its nothing to be ashamed of, anxiety is really common. You should find someone you’re comfortable with to talk to about it because its really hard to get everything in perspective yourself when its all so warped by irrational fear. It may help you to go on medication like benzodiapenes or seretonin reuptake inhibitors which is something you can discuss with someone like a councillor, therapist etc. Hope you’re feeling ok! Its not a nice way to feel but you can get through it!