New to Anxiety

[Barney]

Hello everyone

Having had both parents die over the last 4 years and my mother in law earlier this year, I'm not sure if these are contributing factors or if it's all work related. I am experiencing pretty much all the symptome listed such as pounding heart, difficulty in catching my breath, pain in shoulders, tremors, feeling sick and a feeling of dread. My GP recommended two weeks off work and things have improved somewhat. My main concern is that if this condition is mainly work related is it going to get worse as soon as i'm back. I am on medication and hopefully this will help, but what can I do to help myself. Short of changing my job, which is not easy these days, I don't really know what to do. I would be grateful for any advice from anyone in a similar situation.

Thanks in advance
Barney

[diane07]

Hi Barney

A huge warm welcome to nmp.

You'll get loads of advice and support here and make some lovely friends along the way.

Best wishes

[puglove]

Hello Barney :)

I also just joined yesterday and am trying to get my head around everything. Both my parents also died afew years ago, I don't feel my anxiety is connected, but at the moment I suppose anything is possible. Good luck, the site seems really helpful!

[kittikat]

Hi Barney, so sorry to hear you are having a bad time at the moment. I have been off work now for 6 weeks, same symptoms as you, and my GP has just signed me off again until the new year. As you say, it's not easy to just change your job these days. Hopefully the meds will help you but please don't go back to work until you are ready as you may find yourself unable to deal with it even though you say you are feeling a bit better. What meds are you on? I am on diazepam as SSRI's made me worse and I couldn't handle the side effects. I hope you have a supportive GP, mine has been great and even said I would NOT be going back to work until he said so :huh: I have also just stopped feeling guilty about being off as those feelings certainly don't help. Take it one day at a time and if you aren't ready...don't go back or you'll be back to square one before you know it. Good luck :)

[happycamper]

Hi Barney,
I'm convinced my anxiety symptoms started with both my parents being diagnosed with cancer, twice each within the last 6 years, didn't have anything anxiety related than the normal stuff in my 35 years before then.
I think things like this can sap someone of all their coping mechanisms.
Been working hard to try and resume 'normality' over the last 18 months, this site has helped greatly.
P.S. My young son is called Barney!

[jeezo678]

Hello everyone

Having had both parents die over the last 4 years and my mother in law earlier this year, I'm not sure if these are contributing factors


YES. 100%.

I can tell you`re a bright enough chap and you know that you`re being a bit paranoid and are looking for a `route out` of the mental anguish here.
What you`re feeling (chest/feeling sick/breathing) classic anxiety symptoms.

Bascially you`re doing this to yourself and as horrible as it is, its a ba$tard to get out of. BUT, it can be done. I`m talking from experience here mate. Same situation as you. A few close family deaths (mum first) and i started thinking, "Well its in the genes, I`m next". Its easy done.

Thing is. How old were your parents and how old are you? Sounds crazy but how I dealt with my episode was "Well she died at 46 and I`m only 31 so I have at least 15 years before I`m at that age". I started thinking of it as a `life expectancy thing` giving myself at least the same age. Thing is , NOW I`m approaching that age and have recently started worrying now and then but have now moved my own `mental goalposts` and i`m dealing with my future a bit better.

Try to look at things from another angle. I also found taking up a totally new hobby or having a new interest took my mind off things to the point of the anxiety fading away completely for long periods.

[Barney]

Thanks everyone. In a perverse way it helps to know I'm not nuts and other people suffer very similar symptoms.

[Veronica H]

Hi Barney
:welcome:to NMP. I am so sorry for your loss. You are definitely not nuts and have been through some real stressors in a short space of time. You have done all of the right things so far and need to give your nerves time to recover without adding fear to the mix, which keeps the nerves sensitised.
There is a brilliant book by Dr Claire Weekes;SELF HELP FOR YOUR NERVES published by Thorsens ISBN 0-7225-3155-9.This is available from the NMP shop. Dr Weekes was a physician and scientist. She was a fellow sufferer (nominated for the nobel prize for medicine) and really understood this illness. She took the mystery out of it, and devised a simple programme for recovery. I can't recommend this enough.( It is a bit old fashioned, but still so relevant).
Here is a link to her site;
http://www.claireweekes.com.au/


This will get better. Veronicax

[soulsearcher]

Hello Barney

Welcome to this great forum I am sorry to hear of your loss. I was in a similar situation So I hope I can help you in some way. well I will try to be quick but i was in a job and was getting stresses out I did not really like the job, but it paid the bills at the time.
I got a lot of stress in the job and it came to a head when I got rather drunk and went over the top on the drink and ended up in a bad state,any way soon after this I lost my mam to terminal cancer. Then things just went worse from there on stress levels were very high I could not do my job any longer as I was a bit depressed so went on medication. that helped still on it to this day. I Received counselling and it helped me a lot.
Then I lost my mams brother soon afterwards. This knocked me off par a bit but Now I am getting there the story goes much deeper but i wont go into it:) I would keep in contact with the gp and try and find a new job that's if you don't like the one you are in and most of all try to relax If you can get someone to massage your shoulders to help with your tension this should help you if I can help you in any way please ask or anyone else for that matter

Good luck Gareth

[Barney]

Thank you everyone for your comments. It really does make a difference knowing your not on your own. Has anyone had experience of occupational health at work. Are they there to help you or the company?