Job Anxiety and Depression

skeptical19 · Post by **skeptical19** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 5:03 pm

I'm 26, new to the program and have battled anxiety/depression for 3yrs now, and honestly, I am using it as a last resort with alot of initial skepticism. I am in week 2 and have not yet experienced the miracle results that I hear people often mention but I am still determined to complete it....All of my thoughts and attacks have always been tied up in work situations whereas the rest of my life is bearable...no matter what I do professionally, I always experiance anxiety to the point where I fear I won't be able to be self-sufficient or successful in life b/c I won't be able to hold down a job long enough to advance my career..everyone, including the one doctor I allowed myself to see recently, tells me all these things will go away once I settle down, find the job I want, get married, etc, their diagnosis is that I'm just setting my standards too high and that there's really nothing wrong with me...every day is a struggle to fight my negative, destructive , fearful thoughts and outwardly I do a pretty good job of hiding the battle that is waging a war in my mind...Can anyone else my age relate to this, these feelings of not being sucessful an fearing you'll never get there in part b/c of anxiety/depression OR can anyone a little older maybea give some hindsight of wisdom. I refuse to be a failure b/c of this "thing" that we call anxiety/depression, but how do I stop it other than to keep pressing on? Can ANYONE relate?

drg · Post by **drg** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 5:16 pm

Wow! Not sure where to start on this one. I guess to start with, it sounds like the Program is just what you need as far as thought processes go. But, it's not an overnight thing. It takes time. I have had anxiety most of my life, but didn't know that that's what it was or that it was a problem. I just knew that I wasn't happy and I felt worthless the majority of the time.
I have been through the Program three times in the last five years. I had experienced anxiety in different forms, different levels and for different reasons. A lot of this has been taken care of. Now I have a new situation bringing anxiety into my life, so I'm repeating the Program and also seeing a Psychologist to get through this difficult time.
As far as "feelings of not being successful and fearing you'll never get there in part b/c of anxiety/depression" goes. Yes, I've been there. I'm not there anymore. Things DO get better. Put some faith in the Program and in yourself. If you believe in God, put some faith in Him, too. With all of these things, you can make your life better. But, you must also have some patience.
Hang in there. Take care, too.

Liz W · Post by **Liz W** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 7:44 pm

I am in the same boat. I am 21, will be graduating in December and need to find a job to support both my mom and I. I have been on the program for 3 weeks now, but will be returning it due to financial problems. It hasn't been a "miracle" worker for me either, but it has helped. I think the program makes you think a little deeper.

One of the things I fear about my job is that I will have panic attacks while I am there and everyone will know something is wrong with me. I've had to quit 2 jobs because of my anxiety and it's becoming more and more frustrating.

I will let you know how things go for me.

WW · Post by WW » Wed Sep 10, 2008 8:32 am

Skep and Liz, you have to give it time. Nothing is gonna cure you in a matter of a few weeks. For me the answer was learning to counter my thoughts in a TEA form and relearn how to look at things from a more objective standpoint. Within a few months my life started to turn around and my anxiety started to disappear and i have not looked back. Liz, if money is a problem for you go to your local library and read the book titled Been there, Done that? Do This! by Sam Obitz and start doing the TEA form exercise everyday. It takes effort but if you do them everyday I think within a couple of months you will be feeling a lot better and more in control of your life.

shimdan · Post by **shimdan** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 12:26 pm

Please work with this program. due to fear anxiety and depression I lost a chance at a wonderful career and thus stuck in dead end jobs. Now I am 56 and filled with many regrets. Please please don't let this mess up your life. That is why I am so glad to see when a young person recognizes this because I had no had idea what was going on when I was young and had no idea how to cope.

WW · Post by WW » Thu Oct 09, 2008 5:32 am

I hope you guys are doing something to help yourself and being patient with it and of course feeling a bit better now

WW · Post by WW » Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:26 pm

Skep and Liz how are you both doing? I hope you have made progress over the past few months and I'd love to hear an update from each of you?

lilchrissy · Post by **lilchrissy** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 6:48 pm

Self-help is the best and usually longest lasting relief. My life changed during my cbt group and I still do the TEA form exercise every morning and they work great at managing anxieties.

mikelontherun · Post by **mikelontherun** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 12:12 pm

i can totally relate, i hate my job, i hate my commmute every day, i never want to see new york city again. But i am stuck. I dread every single day of work.

WW · Post by WW » Mon Apr 20, 2009 7:20 am

Originally posted by mikelontherun:
i can totally relate, i hate my job, i hate my commmute every day, i never want to see new york city again. But i am stuck. I dread every single day of work.

Mike I can certainly sympathize with your situation and the way you are feeling. However, the way you think about it "dreading" etc only make you feel worse. You need to counter those emotionally loaded thoughts in your head to at least make it more tolerable until you can find a new job. Why make a bad situation needlessly even worse on you?
I hope you find a job you like better soon