Need some advice

GI822 · Post by **GI822** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:00 am

My anxiety has worsened in the last month. I was doing fine up until June and then all of the sudden, my anxiety worsened to the point that I am uncomfortable being at work. My work is literally 7 minutes away from my house. I have been struggling the last few weeks going. I always go and make it through the day but it's always feeling sick. Sometimes I get up enough positive thoughts to make it maybe one day out of the week without feeling anxious. My question to myself is, do I take a short leave and work on my anxiety so I can go back and not feel so stressed and nervous or do I keep pushing through it and work hard and try to solve the problem that way. My boss has been very understanding and there have been times where I needed to leave early or come in late due to feeling anxious. Today for some reason was bad. I didn't want to go in the morning so I went in around 10 am and left around 12 pm. I don't want to keep doing this so I'm not sure whether to take a break or not. My concern with taking a break is I will feel so used to being home then when it comes time to go back I'm afraid I won't want too. Has anyone else dealt with a similar situatuin?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:08 am

I am going through something similar and have also missed a lot of work. I have begun to dislike my job a great deal and am finding it impossible many days to go in. I worry about my job and finances constantly. I feel overwhelmed and paralized most of the time, and have the same questions you do. What do I do?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:14 am

Hey,
I know exactly what you're going through. I was working when i was anxious and every day was a struggle for me. I was waiting for the weekend just so i could relax and not think about going to work and all the stress that came with it. I quit my job thinking it would be the best thing to do as it would give me time to overcome my fears and stress. But unfortunately it got worse. I got used to being at home, not taking any risks, feeling so insecure.. Now i'm trying to get back (baby steps), and do what i can to have a better life. I believe that stress wouldn't go away if you quit or took time off. Its what you say to yourself that would make a differece. Do you like your job?Maybe thats one of the reason you get anxious? Because you dont like it? You have to decide that you want to feel better. Only then will you start feeling better. Hope i helped in any way.
Good luck!!!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:18 am

I can relate to your situation, and speaking from someone who's been through it, I can certainly tell you what NOT to do. I took a leave from work (about 2 months) and started on a low dose of pamelor. This really worked for me at the time. I was able to go back to work and things seemed alot better. My supervisor, however, decided she wanted to know why I was gone (HR told me I didn't have to tell anyone) and so she made my life hell at work from then on....wish I'd have had the program at the time. Anyway, about a year later, the anxiety came back (I was already off the meds thinking I didn't need them) and I just QUIT my job. Not my smartest move, but hindsight is 20/20. I have been moderately agoraphobic ever since. Long story short, a leave of absence would be ok, and work on the program, meds, whatever works for you and/or try to stay at work and keep doing what you're doing (as long as your boss is ok with it - that's a bonus) As we know in the program, it shall pass. But what I've learned through this WHOLE journey, is do whatever works for YOU. And hang in there, you're (we're) stronger than you think you are!! Take care -- Laura

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:19 am

Hey cat26, I do like my job a lot that's why I don't understand the sudden feeling of being anxious. What you went through is my fear that if I leave for awhile that I will never get better and the anxious feelings will follow me. I guess I need to keep working on it as much as possible. It just stinks to be at work when you are trying to do a good job and all you can think about is anxiety. Thanks for your advice, it really helped. Good luck to you as well. Also, joplin I hope cat26 helped you as well.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:21 am

Hi LadyLJA,

I'm sorry your boss made it so negative for you. I am in HR so I don't understand why your boss made you tell him/her, that really should have been kept confidential. I think I will stick with it and work through my anxieties. To me I look at taking time off as quiting, even though it's not, I guess it was the way I was raised. To work hard and you will succeed so I guess I need to worked harded at it. Thanks for your advice!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:51 am

No problem, just remember you control your thoughts! you can work on it and if you like your job its great! maybe you expect to much of yourself? whatever it is believe that you can do it and the anxiety will go away

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:30 am

I got so bad at work I decided to take time completely away from work.My boss recommended Lucinda's course and I worked ot it while off work.It took me two and half months to get well enough to go back to work and it was worth every minute of it.A funny thing happened while I was off work and that was I became completely comfortable with the thought that I could go and work anywhere in the world.Once you feel like that ,the world is yours and you know you are recovering.Godspeed !

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:41 am

I had some problems working, too. Mine wasn't just the anxiety of going to work; it was the symptoms... I was dizzy. So dizzy I felt like I couldn't drive. I had no idea the dizziness was anxiety-related. I thought I had something physically wrong. After I figured out that it was anxiety, I just went back to work.

The best advice I can give you is that in the program we are told to PUSH THROUGH IT. The more you allow yourself a comfort zone, the smaller your world will become. BUT if you go ahead and do what is causing your anxiety despite the fact that you feel anxious, you will start to eliminate the anxiety.

For example, today I am feeling a little more anxious and tense than normal, so I feel kind of spacy. I swore to myself that this week I was going to hit the treadmill every day, but I was worried about exercizing today with the way I feel. I reminded myself to PUSH THROUGH IT and I did it anyway. I wound up doing 30 minutes on the treadmill (that's a lot for me).

Never give up! Just do it!
Sandina

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:23 am

Cool thing is you love your job, which can only mean your anxiety is not "at" your job but it is just being carried over because your nerves are just real tender right now. Staying at work and being focused on your work while at work is mega important in controlling what is controlling you, the anxiety. Going to work is like making yourself fly on an airplane, set in a traffic jam, ride in an elevator etc., until we face it, walk through it, again again and again, we just never really get any better. Its tough - I know.

While your at work and you begin to feel anxious ask yourslef "what am I thinking about right this moment that is causing me anxiety"...then write it down. You may find a pattern of things not even related to work but you will certainly find a patern of thinking negetive, low self esteem producing, self judging thoughts, judging in general thoughts. Its gotcha cornered and your ready to back out of that corner which is so powerful.

Go back to work tomorrow and work the whole day, give yourself praise you got through it, buy yourself an ice cream on the way home to celebrate, set a goal that you will work the whole week and when Friday comes buy yourself a new outfit for your triumph. But no matter what stay at work! Best to you, I know its tough, you can do it.

RB