Stress Center Peer Support

Hello Everyone!

I returned back to work after being off for 2 1/2 months with my kids this summer. The unfortunate part of this was that I started the program late May and was only a few weeks into it before I took the summer off. A good thing and a bad thing...good because it gave my body the rest it needed. Bad because I left work anxious and most likely needed to be there longer to work on my skills as most of my panic was in work. So I woke up this morning with all the "old" familiar anxious spacey feelings...just like 2 months ago. It was like returning to the scene of the crime! There was the fork in the road Lucinda talks about...take the left and continue with all the anxiety and panic by adding to it with all the negitive thinking OR...let all the feelings of anxiety be there, welcome them, invite them in, give them permission to be there, talk to myself calmly and with compassion and just accept all the spacey feelings. I choose the road to accept and the feelings were there for a good 2 hours..but I could function...people were clueless as to my anxiety, I got busy, I floated, I was functional. I had moments where I wanted to go back to my old habit of panicing..it was weird. I would have thoughts of "Oh my goodness...I feel so weird, I want to run", but they amounted to nothing. I was pretty spacey, but I didn't panic with this feeling..I just accepted it and floated. As painful as it is...I think just accepting and allowing the ugly feelings and thoughts to exist, all the while getting on with your business, is the key to this cure. I'm back to the rat race...I'm back to work full time, kids are in school with all their activities after school, etc....so what I have learned over the past two and half months are going to be an incredible testament as to how I handle the stress symptoms of returning back to the busyness of this current schedule. I have every intention of doing the program again (I'm on week 14) and am optimistic about my progress.

I realize I have so much more work to do but I'm keeping an open mind to my progress.

I want to thank you for being so supportive to me these past few months and I wish you all the best...

Lynn

Thank you so much for sharing this. These types of posts are truly motivational. Be so proud of yourself that you chose the different road. I am only in week three of the program and look forward to where you are at!!! Again, I thank you for filling my evening with some positive thoughts. I wish you the best and much continued success.

That is so helpful to hear. I'm having a tough work day myself and was thinking of taking a leave of absence. But I really wouldn't be doing myself any favors.

Formyboys and Raker...thankyou for your encouragment. I need to tell you Raker...if you can hang in there, the recovery is in doing every day things and if work is an everyday occupation for you...I would strongly advice NOT to take a leave. Boon has been incredibly helpful to me during these past months and she recommended a book called "Freedom from Fear" and in the book, he clearly states to stay in the cool pool and habituate to the temperature. I keep telling myself to do this...stay in the situation, let myself feel the uncomfortable feeling but stay and let it pass. This is the cure. He tells us to just keep repeating and repeating the things that cause us discomfort. I'll keep you posted...but I think this is the key to recovery. Hang in there...you're just a few weeks into it. For me..it was either face the fear daily or face it after 2 1/2 months of being off...same difference...same pain, just delayed. My heart is with you both...remember, we are all in this together!

Sincerely,
Lynn

Way to go Lynn! I am happy for you. You are doing it! I have gone through the panic disorder/agoraphobia before eight years ago and overcame it. Then I didn't know what I know now and my first response was to take time off of work. This was the WORST thing I could have done, it made it that much harder for me to go back.

This time when the panic and agoraphobia reared it's ugly head again years later, I knew what NOT to do. I got the program again. I had extremely difficult days at work. There were a couple of days when I had to leave. Other than that, I would get up and have to go to the back and get some cold water and pace and talk to myself. Sometimes I did this several times a day. VERY uncomfortable, and scary, but I found that if you don't start avoiding and just start applying the skills, it goes away fairly quickly. It took a few weeks before the anxiety went away in the mornings just at the thought of going to work and about 7 weeks into it I was pretty much back to myself at work. Now, I am still working on some other tough areas...but it goes to show that avoidance is the LAST thing you want to do. You are right, you will have to face it...and it will be now or later. You don't just take time off and get over this and go back. (You don't if you have anxiety about going to work. If you are fine at work as far as anxiety and don't feel the need to avoid work, but way overly stressed and need some time off, that is different.)

I wish the best to you all....
AGAIN....WAY TO GO! HANG IN THERE. It won't be long before the symptoms at work just disappear and you no longer even anticipate having them there.

...I think just accepting and allowing the ugly feelings and thoughts to exist, all the while getting on with your business, is the key to this cure.

EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You hit the nail on the head!

Thank you Frances and Sunset....I just got up and off to work I go. I needed a little encouragment this a.m. and appreciate your support. Another great day in store for us! Enjoy your day. Again...thank you!!

Lynn

Lynn,

How did work go today? Wanted to check in on you!

Frances

Hello Frances:
Day three back to work...food shopping after work, carting kids around town with after school stuff, preparing dinner,homework, getting my walk in, etc...I know this is every woman's schedule, but I've had such a quiet, healing summer....I forgot what it felt like to be so busy. My stomach is in knots...appropriate I believe because I am expending so much energy these past few days. I'm doing the best I can with floating with all the old symptoms...but as far as today is concerned, I don't think the symptoms are anywhere as bad as they were in June. I remind myself hourly that I'm still recovering and that this is all OK to be experiencing because it is stress symptoms exagerated because my body is not completely healed. As long as I keep the FEAR out of all of this...I can handle it. I know without fear, my body will completely heal. Frances...thank you so much for all your support and encouragement. This means so much to me. I hope you are doing well and everyday brings you closer to peace.

Sincerely,
Lynn

Lynn,

Wow..you are rocking and rolling! Awesome...sounds like you are handling that busy schedule pretty well. I am so glad to hear it. I know how hard this is....I truely am happy to see you making progress and starting to get relief from it.

Thank you for the well wishes also!

Frances