Question:
I have had Panic attacks since I was about 13. My family doesn't understand,
and the pressure just keeps rising for me to get a job. I do not have a problem
with working, I just have a problem with anxiety. Any advice on how I can get through this?
Answer:
Not that I am any great expert, but I have anxiety attacks too a lot of
the time and though I manage to get by, its difficult at times. Starting a
new job is very stressful in the first place, so if you have anxiety
attacks, its even more stressful than usual. But its natural to be anxious
when starting a new job. There is the fear of what if I don't like the job,
what if they ask me things I don't know, what if they don't like me, etc.
etc. Starting new jobs was never something that bothered me, but people who
are anxious are bothered by different things.
I notice you seemed to post this message at 11.04 a.m. this morning (or
should I say Wednesday morning) so I presume you got through the first day
OK. Maybe you can try not to worry about the job you just started. I always
used to think that I will do the best I can, and if the worst thing happens
and I don't like it, or it doesn't work out for whatever reason, I can
always leave and even though its stressful to be unemployed, I will get
another job just like I got this one. I always think what is the worst that
can happen and that would be the things I just mentioned, but so what.? A
lot of what you feel is fear of this and that and things that might never
happen . The anticipatory anxiety is often worse than the actual anxiety.
Just try to be friendly and open at your new job and you will gradually get
to know people and you will drift towards people who you can make friends
with. It always happens that way. Tell yourself you will do your best and
keep repeating it over and over till you at least half believe it and settle
for that in the meantime till you gain more confidence..
It seems like the medication you are taking is not helping much with anxiety
attacks. Do you see a psychiatrist or psychologist regularly? I am not on
any medication right now, but I have been on medication in the past and I am
one of these people that seem to be super super sensitive to lots of anti
depressants that I have tried, so I don't want to take any medication right
now. Maybe at a later time. I don't miss all the awful side effects I had,
even at the very lowest doses.
I drop in here sometimes. I like this Newsgroup for now anyway, because its
quiet here, and I don't want to heavily involves myself on a daily basis,
but I read many of the messages on alt.support.anxiety.panic. Its much
busier than here and a lot of people there seem to be very supportive. Maybe
you might want to take a look there to get more regular support. But post
here too if you feel like it.
I just made a huge advance to my condition last week when I left LA and
went to Japan for a week in a small group. A few months ago this would
have been seemingly impossible. I felt my condition come on only a
couple times the entire trip (mostly quiet-time alone when I was
jet-lagged). What did help was the excitement of being in a new
situation and putting my mind to work on all the wonderful things going
on around me, which totally got my mind off my sensitized awareness to
my anxiety. Next to my homeopathy program, this was the best thing I
could have ever done to help overcome my disorder.
I am not sure that would work for everybody, but I'm glad it worked
for you. I do think that getting your mind off continual introspection is
one of the main keys of feeling free from fear and panic, but the problem is
usually people can't do this on a sustained basis. But visiting another
country could cause you to take your mind off your problems and make you
feel better.
I realize that my condition has become a lot less severe
than so many others- and it's certainly something you can't conveniently
label as behaving a certain way.
Initially (in March) my condition was so bad, I was afraid to leave my
house for fear of PA. It's been a lot of work to get to where I am now,
just wanted to share it.
Your thought on sustained control is correct. I have found myself
slipping more easily back into those anxiety-prone modes now that I have
returned and am back to my regular schedule. This is particularly what
makes me aware of how important it is not slip back into where I was.
I am sensitized to all the effects of those original panic attacks, and
the longer in time I can go with them in the past, the less apt I am to
have them re-occur- provided I'm working to keep myself in a good place.
There doesn't seem to be any quick fix to my problem, only a concerted
long-term effort to control it and try to solve it by eliminating things
can that aggrevate it (stress, poor diet, etc.)
