So recently I've been very anxious (starting at a new school and the first day sucked) anyway I've had a couple episodes (?) that might be panic attacks. I feel like I can't breath and start hyperventilating and repeating I can't under my breath. I feel hot and kind of dizzy and overwhelmed with worry. Is this a panic attack or just extreme anxiety? Should I tell my therapist?
If you have a therapist, you should definitely tell and talk about it. That's what therapists are for. My advice would be... 1. Stop thinking. Whatever you are thinking, just stop. 2. Admit to yourself you're anxious. You're anxious, you amplified what is happening in your head 100 times. 3. Concentrate on the feelings in your body. Just concentrate on them, maybe name them, and observe them, watch them flow through you. 4. Then , you can start to breathe with your abdomen
Hard to say what it is but as someone who has felt that way I would say the thing that helps me is to figure out whats wrong, give it BRIEF moment of reflection & then let it go. (By brief I mean usually like half a minute does it for me, but everyone is different) Find something else to distract yourself with. Easier said then done, I know. But I find that if you can accept why it's happening that makes it easier to not think about. If you ever feel that way again & can't think of anything that specifically triggered it - it could just be physical thing (adrenaline or whatever), that's what I was told anyways. Either way if you do have a therapist, I would second the opinion that it's worth talking about to them, they are a professional & will probably have a lot more to say.
