you need to speak to both your doctor and your boss. She may be more understanding if she knew your situation, does your work offer any Counselling support assistance? Also I dreaded going to my doctor as I do not has a very good relationship with him but I was surprised and he did give me some support.It may also be worth having a look on the internet to see if there are any support groups in your area.

go on the internet (be safe) but look for a councellor near u! i did and it helps!

i dont know if i would exactly tell your boss that you are having panic attacks, esp when you are in a position where they rely on you being in front of pupils. maybe you can apologize and say that you have some personal issues going on and you are getting them straightened out.

as far as speaking to a doc i tink that is a wonderful idea. either look for one online, get a referral from a primary doc, or call your insurance company to see who they cover.

good luck, and let us know how it goes!

Is any of the anxiety coming from being at work? If that is one of the places you are having trouble, then it might help to open up & explain to them. If I tell people up front, then it sort of displaces the anxiety and doesn't bother me so much. On the other hand--there are still so many who don't understand the condition & your boss may treat you different knowing about it--I guess you have to make that choice.
As the others suggested, I would definitly ask your Dr. about it, or referrral to a therapist--it's best to get it under control early on--it will be easier to deal with.

good luck--write anytime!
Lisa

I echo numbtomyself's advice... find yourself a good counsellor/ therapist to talk things over with (you may have to try a few before you find one that you are comfortable with). A therapist will teach you techniques to cope with your anxiety/ panic attacks.

Some bosses will be sympathetic and supporting.... some will not.. Initially it may be best just to say that you have some personal problems that youre working through...discuss this in more detail with a therapist before going into too much detail with your Boss.
JJ

Do NOT tell your Boss, especially if this is already annoying her. Tell her you have Medical Problems, and leave it at that.....I am a MGR....please listen to what I say....
Then, check your Insurance and see if your doctor can send you to a psychiatrist.....He, in turn, can forward you to a Therapist....
Honey, get RID of your Doctor!! If you don't like him, can't communicate with him, WHATEVER.....he is no good for you.
Remember, YOU are the customer, and you need help......
Used to be a teacher myself......
Good Luck!! Anxiety is the pitts!!
:)

I had my doctor in my corner. I think that's the first thing to do. I did tell my boss, but I have worked for him for years and he has always been a very good boss. I sent him some information on anxiety and I think that helped him understand. He doesn't seem to want to talk alot about it, but he is giving me lots of room. My co-workers don't know and I'm sure they're wondering about the recent uneven distribution of work. I don't know what the leagally perfect thing to do is. Good Luck!

Katie, I taught school for 16 years and quit twice due to anxiety/panic attacks. I am very open about my panic disorder. Most friends, all family and a couple of my principals at various times discussed it. In general, in my own personal opinion, most public school principals are less than understanding about teacher absences no matter what the reason. If you bring up the issue of panic or anxiety and they have never experienced it 1st hand, I find that it is as it is with friends and family; they just plain do not understand it. It usually goes one of 2 ways with me: the person looks at me as if I have 4 heads on my shoulders or they casually say, "Oh, I have had panic attacks before too. I know exactly what you are going through." Personally, ANY DAY of the Week, I'll take the person who looks at me as if I have 4 heads rather than the person who has gotten a little upset over some life trauma and has casually labeled it a panic attack and know understands and knows everything there is to know about the disorder...
My advice: Develop a support group if you do not already have one. Friends and family, preacher, doctor, online anxiety friends, etc. Read about it...study it...share your thoughts, feelings, emotions about it. Figure out your triggers and develop your coping mechanisms...and be open to contant tweeking of this bag of tricks... and honestly, I would say do not tell your boss. The boss most likely just wants your warm body in your classroom every day because it is a problem to them when you are absent. Most likely they are not concerned about supporting you. I will be happy to be a support friend for you if you would like since we have much in common. Let me know if I can help... I have big ears for listening!

I'm in a similar situation where my severe anxiety is causing me to miss a lot of work. My co-workers are sympathetic, but my bosses are not. It's up to you to determine what kind of boss you have. In my case, he just knows I have insomnia (which is true) and stomach issues (which is also true). What he doesn't know is they're symptoms of whatever nervous breakdown I seem to be having.

My advise is seek out medical advice and couseling. This site also helps me. I don't feel so alone or like I'm a unique freak. We're here for you.

Amy Striplin

Most health insurance programs have some sort of free counseling available for work related issues. In my area, the program is called EAP (don't ask me what that stands for). I started there when my anxiety began.