Q: Many people who are experiencing an anxiety attack feel as if they're choking. This can be one of the scariest symptoms of an anxiety attack. You feel like you cannot breathe and that, in turn, can increase your level of panic. In such situations it is very important to do your best to draw slow, deep breaths. As your body and your mind constantly influence each other, breathing slowly sends signals to your mind that trick it into a state of relaxation. Frantic breathing will just tell your brain that you are in danger and will increase your panic. Feeling like you might throw up is a common sensation when in a shocking and stressful situation. What you need to do in such occasions, in order to send calming signals to your brain, is sit down comfortably and try breathing deeply. Nausea due to anxiety is not stomach related and can dissipate quickly. Avoid closing your eyes, as this will make you concentrate on the feeling of nausea even harder. Instead, focus on somebody else or on a detail of your surroundings. Doing so will help distract your brain and will help the nausea go away faster. A pounding heart and shooting pains in the chest, neck, or head is common with anxiety attacks. This symptom resembles a heart attack very closely and so it can be incredibly scary. In this scenario, lie down and breathe deeply. The pain will go away when your body becomes more relaxed. If you do not have a serious heart condition, you can rest assured that it is in fact an anxiety attack coming on. Still, the best course of action here is to lie down. Sudden feelings of hot flashes or cold chills are a common physical symptom a panic attack. You might start sweating heavily or tremble, as this is caused by adrenaline being released. These symptoms usually go away in a few minutes. Some people tend to get very hot while others get very cold; it all depends on the person. Luckily, it rarely leads to more serious consequences, like fainting, because it usually passes within minutes. You may feel this as a "pins and needles" feeling. Like other symptoms, this feeling is very unpleasant but passes rather quickly. What you should try to do is sit down, breathe deeply, and rub the part of your body that is feeling numb. This will improve blood circulation and will send signals to your brain telling it to focus on that part of the body, easing the symptoms. It is important to remember that these symptoms do not mean you are seriously ill, but rather that your stress levels have become too high and these symptoms are your body’s way of showing you that you need to work on reducing stress. A panic attack can come on suddenly and appear to be unrelated to anything. It can also come on due to fear or worry about what might happen if you have a panic attack.  If you have never had a panic attack before, you may think you are having a heart attack or think something very serious is happening. Many people may call 911 or visit the ER when they get their first anxiety attack, since the symptoms can be scary. About 25% of people who visit the ER with chest pain are actually experiencing a panic attack. If you do visit the ER during a panic attack, the doctor will give you an EKG to monitor your heart to rule out a heart attack or other heart complication. He or she may also provide medication to help you calm down. Panic attacks will usually reach their peak, or the most intense symptoms, within 10 minutes of the episode. Most anxiety attacks will end within 20-30 minutes.
A: Concentrate on your breathing. Distract your brain from feelings of nausea. Feel your heart pounding. Notice chills or hot flashes. Massage parts of your body that feel numb. Take note when the symptoms appear. Get treated.

Q: Every morning, take a shower. Wash your hair, brush it out, and keep it styled the way you like. Put on deodorant. Even if you’re already friends with the boy you desire, poor hygiene will hurt your chances by showing him you don’t care about yourself. A little makeup, perfume, or cologne can help. If you choose to use these, put on just enough to accentuate your features, such as a suitable lipstick and eyeliner. Don’t let makeup appear thick or perfume smell overwhelming. When you know you’ll be around him, dress to impress. Pick out your best clothes or buy some that fit your figure. The clothes you wear should not be tight, but they should fit you well. Good clothing also helps increase your confidence, which makes you appear more desirable to him. Even after you start spending time with him, make yourself look presentable as much as possible. Wearing stained sweatpants is easy but it shows you aren’t trying to look good for him. Practice walking around your room. Keep your head up and your back straight. Take small steps, neither too fast nor too slow. When you sit, maintain your posture, never slouching or hunching. Also, don’t cross your arms, or else you’ll appear closed off. Once you can do all of this in your room, go ahead and try to maintain good posture in public. Practice speaking out loud at home and to a mirror. Your voice should be loud and clear. Eliminate unnecessary pauses, as these will make you sound timid or uncertain. Know what you want to say and say it.  If you speak too fast, slow down. Add breaths between sentences and give time for others to listen and speak. Once you feel comfortable at home, try speaking confidently to friends and strangers.  Add in humor to emphasize your confidence. Don’t overdo it, but every once in awhile it’s okay to joke with the boy or someone else around you. Start out by speaking into a mirror, then move on to practicing this on friends, acquaintances, and strangers. Approaching someone is difficult, but it’s even more intimidating when you’re interested romantically. Start out by asking for or offering help, commenting on a shared experience such as a school class, by complementing, or by making an observation, such as about what the person’s eating for lunch. Examples include “I found that class really difficult. What did you think of it?” or “I see you like the sandwiches here. I’m not much of a turkey type.”.  As you get him to become more comfortable with you, progress the conversation. Learn more about him, such as his interests. Return the trust, but don’t go overboard. If you already know him, you’ll have some familiarity with him, but you’ll still need to talk and build more of a connection. By talking to him, you should be able to find out what he likes. Now connect the two of you by finding activities you can share. If you both like bowling, for instance, you’ll be able to talk about bowling and then go bowl. Don’t think of this as a date. Instead, focus on having fun together.  Being willing to try the things he likes is a good idea, but pretending to share his interests makes you look false and like you have less individuality. Go out as friends. You need to create moments that help you grow closer, which won’t happen if you come on too strong or overanalyze your interactions. Even if hiding your personality seems to be working, it’ll hurt you in the end. At some point you’ll have to show him who you are in order to work towards a relationship. Now is the best time to reveal yourself and judge whether he will get along with you. If you like pop music, clothes, romantic comedies, and video games, for example, allow this to come out naturally. Don’t hide your true self. Physical contact is a great way to make him associate the pleasant feeling of touch with you. Choose opportune times, but let your contact appear unintentional. When talking to him, touch his hand or wrist. Stand close to him in crowds. Brush against his shoulders while passing. When you’re first starting out with him, keep touch brief and not too intimate. You want to build his interest and coming on strong can make your affections seem less valuable in the long run. At opportune times, lock onto his eyes. Eye contact is difficult since it will often make you feel vulnerable, but it is powerful. At a party, pick him out of the room and meet his eyes for at least a moment. When you’re talking or doing something fun, meet his eyes and linger for a moment. The eye contact in these moments should feel intense. If it doesn’t, that’s a sign that you still have to work at getting closer to him.
A:
Clean yourself. Dress well. Correct your posture. Speak with confidence. Start conversations. Find common interests. Be yourself. Gently touch him. Make eye contact.