I panic when playing live!

[stigmata]

I'm a long-term online winner, and I am finally attempting to make the transition into live play.

However, a big problem I have is that I have always been very uncomfortable interacting with people who I don't know. In particular, groups of people and even moreso, having to talk, interact and confront groups of people that I do not know

Now, I know most people aren't particularly comfortable with such scenarios, but I'm pretty bad. My heart starts racing, I clam up, and I find it difficult to speak or think properly. In a sense, I suffer from a mild social-phobia which can produce panic attacks in extreme situations.

Of course, this is a trait that really doesn't bode well for playing live poker. I have only played live once and I found the situation deeply uncomfortable. When involved in a hand, I'm spending too much energy being nervous, and not thinking clearly. Moreover, the nervousness is exacerbated when bluffing, or in difficult situations, and my pulse alone may be a major tell. After the live session I was exhausted, had a stress headache, and found it difficult to play for more than a couple of hours.

So obviously I need to sort this problem out. Here are some things I thought of already:

1) Getting used to the environment. I'm pretty sure that with time, things will get easier.
2) Try to regulate breathing & heart rate. Even when playing online I find myself getting excited when involved in a big pot/bluff. Therefore I should be able to practice this on a daily basis.

The normal, clinical way of approaching this type of problem is through exposure, cbt or drugs. I can't be bothered with cbt, and I can't get hold of beta-blockers. Therefore, I guess I need methods to just "get used to it", and get confident playing live, ASAP.