Physical Exhaustion from anxiety

[Lion King]

I am back at work after 4 months off with stress and anxiety, I am on 40mg of citalopram at present, I feel better than I did but I still have to cope with anxiety to a lesser degree. I am working part time to phase myself back into work, but I am finding that I get tired easy and my concentration levels drop and my anxiety starts increasing. I am 2 weeks in and I am hoping that I will be full time soon but I am waiting for the anxiety to subside, but I am makin myself more anxious as I am trying to get over the final hurdle of recovery.

I know I can get there but I sometimes loose focus on the things that make me feel relaxed and confident with myself. Has anyone had similar experiences and how did you cope?

Thanks

Lion king

[sharona]

Hi Lion King

Well done on going back to work.Like you I have anxiety. I have now leanrn't to try to accept it when I feel it coming and it does get better. The more you think about it the worse it gets. It awful I know but I just think to myself I am an anxiety sufferer so what.

Hope you feel better soon.

Sharona

[doodah]

Hello Lion King,

Just wanted to say a very big WELL DONE for getting yourself back to work, and staying there!! I really do hope your anxiety levels lower soon and you get your energy back.

Wendy

[Lion King]

Thanks for your replies,

Whenever I feel anxious or a bit down, I compare it to how I was at the beginning and look at how far I have come, this really gives me a boost. When I have been in a situation and anxiety has affected me I don't take it personally, I see it as the remnants of the automatic negative thought process still existing, but with positive affirmations on these thoughts the better I have become. Its still annoying at times when it does happen but the less focus placed upon it the less it gets in the way and with time they are starting to fade away. I was told quite a while ago that when you start to feel better the anxiety slips into the background and doesn't play as big a part as it did.

Anxiety is a natural process of recognising fear, and the only way to overcoming the fear is by challenging it and putting it in its place! I keep this in mind and find that there is very little I will avoid, good or bad, I put focus upon the purpose of the situation rather than on my feelings!

Hope everyone is well!

Lion King

[NoPoet]

Hi mate, it is not so much the anxiety that makes us tired as the stress it causes... being at work is naturally stressful as well. My last job was so stressful that it felt like someone had rung a gong in my head on Friday nights! You have come a long way mate, keep going, but look into stress-busting techniques!

[Lion King]

Definitely, I could do with some techniques, at the minute I have just been going into switch off mode for half an hour when I get in from work. I have been doing some diy so this has taken my mind off things. I do feel a lot better, I seem to be able to analyse problems at work and deal with them well, I am more assertive and my self esteem is so much higher, I feel I have the armour to take the battle on. Its great feeling well, the cbt has worked a treat, I still have a few more sessions to go so it can only get better!

Thanks Poet, Hope you are well!

LK