| Many people associate a panic attack and public | | | | evenmore anxious about having to meet with the |
| speaking. They usually havehad an anxiety-producing | | | | school counselor, but she knew thatshe was not going |
| public speaking experience. They may test that | | | | to be able to graduate if she could not figure out some |
| pastmemory of public speaking again, but often the | | | | way toget through this class. |
| same anxiety reaction results. | | | | The school counselor was very familiar with the signs |
| People who have to speak publicly on a frequent basis | | | | of apanic attack and especially withstudents feeling |
| and suffer from panicattacks are always searching | | | | uncomfortable about speaking in front of their friends. |
| for a panic attack remedy. | | | | To help |
| Amber's Story | | | | Amber get through her next day of speech class the |
| Amber had many risk factors for panic attacks when | | | | counselor recommended that |
| she entered high school. Hermother had a history of | | | | Amber stand up in front of her family every time she |
| anxiety as well as her older brother. Amber | | | | wanted to talk thatevening. |
| wassuccessfully able to avoid a speech class until her | | | | So Amber told her family what she was trying to do |
| final semester of school. Inorder to graduate, she was | | | | to help get over her fear ofpublic speaking. At dinner, |
| going to have to take speech. | | | | Amber stood up every time she asked to have an |
| Although she had never received a diagnosis of panic | | | | itempassed to her. Before bed, Amber stood in front |
| attacks or an anxietydisorder, Amber had always | | | | of her parents and brothers anddid a pretend speech. |
| dreaded taking a public speaking class. Just the ideaof | | | | Although speaking in front of her family was a lot |
| standing up in front of a class of her peers caused | | | | different than speaking infront of her peers, it did help |
| Amber to feel dizzy andnauseous. | | | | her get through the next day of class withouthaving a |
| When Amber walked into her first day of class, the | | | | full blown panic attack. Amber was extremely |
| teacher could see how nervousshe was. He came up | | | | uncomfortable during herspeech class but was able to |
| to Amber after class and discussed her obvious | | | | focus and get through the class. |
| discomfortwith this public speaking class. Amber | | | | As the semester continued on, Amber asked some of |
| discussed her physical reaction to havingto speak in | | | | her friends to come to herhouse the night before she |
| front of her peers. She explained to her teacher how | | | | had a big speech due. She would then practice |
| she was: | | | | herspeech on her close friends and family until she |
| * Extremely Anxious | | | | was able to get through itwithout an extreme amount |
| * Dizzy | | | | of anxiety. |
| * Nauseous | | | | The technique Amber used to overcome her panic |
| * Short of Breath | | | | attacks is called systematicdesensitization and is one |
| Amber's teacher recommended that she visit with the | | | | of the most widely used remedies for people |
| school counselor beforetheir next class meeting. | | | | sufferingfrom panic attacks. |
| Amber was embarrassed by her reaction and was | | | | |