Life Advice - Recovering from Mental Health Setbacks?

Hey guys - I'm hoping that by sharing part of my story I can jump start a discussion focused on recovery and success stories with mental health challenges, as well as hopefully generate some advice from some of you guys on how to turn things around for myself. Posting this anonymously due to the stigma of the issue.

I've struggled with mental health issues (panic disorder and GAD) for the better part of a decade. Before college, I never struggled with anxiety, friendships, or anything socially when I was younger. I studied hard, loved going out with friends, playing sports, etc., and overall was a pretty well-adjusted kid. Everything changed dramatically after starting undergrad. I went to a large school (think Michigan, UVA, etc.) and I was completely out of my depth. My first year of undergrad was a nightmare - I could barely function being away from home and was constantly anxious. I had my first panic attack during orientation, and things pretty much spiraled downwards from there.

Being in a multi-thousand-person student body was overwhelming. I went to a small high school out of state and I had no idea how to reestablish myself socially in the new environment, which exacerbated all of my problems. I started avoiding every occasion that required social interaction, whether it was small group lectures, org meetups, or house parties, as this would trigger huge surges of adrenaline (racing heartbeat, breathlessness, derealization, and other fun stuff), and consequently slowly began to withdraw from social activities throughout my freshman year. When I came back home for summer break, I could barely count on one hand the people I'd met. Freshman year was a colossal failure and it made me realize how constrained my life was becoming as a result of this unwelcome change in my personality.

In my sophomore year, I sought help from our counseling services. They quickly diagnosed me with an anxiety disorder, and suggested I try longer term CBT off campus, as well as beta blockers for short-term relief. Beta blockers gave me my life back temporarily - I was able to attend group discussions, interviews, presentations, and social situations without the physical symptoms of anxiety. With occasional therapy check-ins and the support of that medication, I was able to limp my way through college. Despite all the challenges internally, I managed to thrive academically and graduated near the top of my class with two degrees.

One of the major achievements I'm proud of in my life was sticking out my undergrad years. I thought of taking a medical leave of absence, but pushed through because I knew that it was a necessary prerequisite to the career and lifestyle I wanted, even if I was deeply challenged in the moment. However, the rocky start really hindered my personal development, and I really struggled socially and professionally ever since. I managed to meet some good people here and there, but on the whole spent most of my time in undergrad alone studying, which was 100% the wrong approach. I felt that by channeling that loneliness and unhappiness into getting a high paying finance job out of undergrad it would in some way compensate for the fact that I'd spent so much time suffering, and that it would all be worth it if I could break into the industry (spoiler: it did not).

Fast forward to the present day: after working in banking for a couple years, I found myself perpetually dogged by the same old anxiety issues. I tried to fight through it for a while, but recently had to leave my job as a result of the continuation of my college problems. Right now, I'm at a point where I can't travel overseas or take a plane without worrying about "what if I panic," "what if I forget my Xanax in the hotel," "what if I get sick abroad," etc. and find myself playing constant mental games to fight against this voice in my head. I couldn't deal with the pressure of presentations at work without worrying about panic symptoms. Even more frustrating, I can't even sit through a full Broadway show with my girlfriend's family without worrying about being close to an exit in case I feel uncomfortable or have random surges of adrenaline. In summary, I'm increasingly feeling like I will permanently be a "crazy person," and I'm tired of allowing my life and career to be derailed by this disorder that seemingly came out of nowhere when I was 18.

I'm taking therapy seriously for the first time in a long time for the past 6 months, but sessions are slow and I'm feeling frustrated with the lack of progress to date. I've been in and out of therapy for multiple years now and felt that I've never really cracked the case so I’m hoping that I can gather some additional nuggets of wisdom from professionals who have overcome this.

Which brings me to my question for the group: has anyone struggled with panic disorder, GAD, or other anxiety disorder and come out the other end of it while working in banking, PE, or another demanding job? I'd love to hear any suggestions you have for getting life back and I'd really appreciate any suggestions - either reading materials, therapy approaches, or lifestyle changes - that you felt dramatically improved your quality of life and got you back on track. I keep hearing that recovery is possible, but I just haven't found the right tools yet. Any advice is enormously appreciated.