[DCWildcat]

I would advise against "pushing yourself." If the anxiety has persisted for a long time, then stretching your limits won't work. "Pushing," or attempting to flood out feelings generally only works when you have a strong aversion to it and you've avoided the task because of it. E.g., when addressing people who have fears of peeing in public restrooms, making them stand in front of a toilet in a crowded restaurant doesn't work if they force themselves to pee anyway.