Hey @Betty123 welcome back! I'm new round here, nice to meet you 😊
Hmm sounds like your friend is concerned, it's nice they care enough to ask. But it also might have taken you a bit off guard by the sounds of it. Seems like there's some stuff you're trying to manage, especially with unpleasant memories coming back, and panic attacks to boot. Thought I'd comment a bit on what your dad said - in a way, yes a panic attack is in your head, because it is not a result of something else going on, medically speaking. But the thing is, it does manifest physically. Heart racing, feeling shaky or nauseous, shallow breathing and stuff like that, is all normal part of the body going into a state of 'survival mode'. The mind and body are very much linked so saying it's all in your head can sometimes minimise the fact that you're also feeling it in your body!
Deep breathing can definitely help - my go-to breathing technique is the 4-7-8 pattern: breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 7 counts, breathe out for 8 counts. The reason it works is because our breathing changes our heart-rate - the heart goes faster when we breathe in, and slower when we breathe out. Doing a few of those could help slow everything down for you if you start to feel panicky. During a panic attack the body releases all sorts of hormones and stuff, adrenaline being a big one. Something you can remind yourself is that panic attacks never last forever - eventually those hormones will work their way through the system and you will start to calm down. So they can be slowed, but at times it is just a waiting game. They can also be worked on so they don't have so much of an impact, but that takes time, and is usually best done with the help of a professional.
Do you have someone at the school, or like a therapist who you can speak to regularly about what's been happening for you?
