First off...Hello! I'm hoping to augment my therapy with some other techniques or things to stave off an unfortunate situation for me. I'm on the doorstep of 50. I think I've always had low grade anxiety particularly in social situations where I have to be front and center. Somehow I've coped with it and worked around it...while faking people out with false confidence along the way. I'm an introvert trying to fake extroversion/Type A and it's taken it's toll. I was able to fake it because I'm 6'6" and was the jock throughout high school and college, so that made me come across as someone that I really wasn't.
Due to some stress around a VERY difficult situation with the mother of one of my children, my low grade anxiety mushroomed last year into all out panic attacks. Basically, when I got into any situation where a room or important group of people were looking solely at me, I could shut down physically or mentally, like my life was in danger. It was embarrassing and shameful and part of the reason where I willingly left a high paying tech job this past April. I've been able to manage things somewhat with Propanolol, a beta blocker. But that is something where I can plan. My issue is if I unexpectedly have to get up and "perform" in front of people, it could send me spiraling.
Having said this, I've also been a semi pro musician as a guitar player. Somehow I have been able to make that happen on stage in front of an audience...I think because I love it. I also think it's because I am a part of the whole and not the focus of everyone's attention. I couldn't be a sole performer. I hadn't gigged since Jan 18 though and that was prior to my first panic attack. I always drank before taking the stage to cut the nerves and put my mind elsewhere. Not something I could ever do at work.
So...here I am. Putting myself out there in the universe to see if someone has had a similar path and if you found something you could point me to that worked to manage it.