This is a bit of help for anyone suffering from Severe Chronic Anxiety. First of all I totally understand the fear and embarrasment of having to seek treatment....then one day after being sick and misdiagnosed for years, figured that my life as it was then was just to crappy. To let my fear of what other people may think affect my ability to get help was just BS. I have had panic and anxity attacks for almost ten years. For a while the smoking made it WORSE so for about 6 years I didnt smoke. Then I tried drug after drug from the shrinks...some make it 10x worse. Finally I found something that made life at least liveable. for me it was Lexapro.. few side effects other than tired...and believe me I have tried at least 20 different pills. I never liked xanax....gave me a hangover the next day. Klonopin is more of a long lasting calming agent where xanax hits you peaks and then falls off.....Klonopin just gives a lot longer calm. I smoke almost daily now....it does help with the anxity. My advice is ask Drs if they work on a sliding scale....based on what you make. My drs appts cost me 10 bucks a month...and my Lexapro is free from the company...yes I had to fill out a lot of paperwork...but in the end its worth it. Never give up and there is help out there although its not easy to find. I wish you the best of luck and hope that one day your attacks stop as sundly as they started