Anxiety about starting work - please help!

[trq&skq]

I recently finished college so now I'm on the hunt for jobs. However, I'm anxious about actually getting one. I suffer from IBS and I get nauseous when I'm nervous and uncomfortable in unfamiliar settings. When I was at college, I'd stay at home ill most of the time but now I'm going to be starting work, I'm really going to need to attend otherwise I'll get fired. How am I going to manage? Do any of you have this problem or used to have this problem? Any tips or advice would be very helpful. I've got a doctors appointment on thursday so hopefully she can help me out with this so I can function like a normal human being and get things done again.

[NoPoet]

Hi, I made this post in a similar thread which may be useful to you:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showpost.php?p=1041466&postcount=5

Sounds like you may have issues with uncertainty. You're treading new ground and this could be causing you to experience a general fear of the unknown. The best advice is to teach yourself that you can trust and rely on yourself to handle whatever comes your way.

Whenever your fears creep up, repeating "Whatever happens, I can handle it" to yourself (in your head or out loud) over and over again can help. Positive mantras, where you constantly repeat hopeful and optimistic things to yourself, are a major weapon against anxiety. I would recommend you say them out loud if you get some privacy as it's more reassuring to hear your own voice saying it at first. By repeating these things over and over, your mind takes them in and remembers them as facts, and that's really the best way of breaking up all that anxiety.

EDIT: You may be better off simply saying "I'll handle it" over and over in response to imaginary fears about the future, and "I'm handling it well" in response to current stresses. Make sure your language is positive and try to frame it in the present tense wherever possible. "I am recovering more each day" is far more useful to your unconscious mind than "I will recover", for example.

[vicky23]

haven't got any tips or advice but I very much know what you are going through, I have very similar issues with ibs and nausea with anxiety. I'm also looking for a job but it is a very scary prospect!
great response and advice from psychopoet as always :)

[trq&skq]

Thank you, PsychoPoet. I've started telling myself that "I'm okay" and that "I am in control" whenever I start to feel nauseous. I always try talking positive to myself as a way to distract my thoughts from negative things. However, I'm scared that that won't work within a more stressful environment such as work. I have emetophobia which means I have an irrational fear of throwing up in front of people I'm not comfortable with. All this really upsets me because 2 years ago, I was a very relaxed and laid back person. I really didn't see this coming. I just wish things were the way they used to be.

[HurricaneUpper]

I'm going through this too. Got an interview on Monday but I feel far from ready for all of this.

[robin70]

Hi all
I have left my job of fourteen years and just started a new job. Im in my second week now. I suffer from anxiety when under stress and I anticipated feeling anxious whilst gaining confidence in my new job. I feel constantly sick, i cant sleep and I feel like im going to make a fool of myself. Ive felt like this numerous times before and got over it. Infact it anoys the hell out of me as it is a total waste of time. The only good thing about it is that I lose weight.
My advice is go for that job interview, start the job, the anxiety will pass and you will gain more confidence. Thats what I keep saying to myself.

[trq&skq]

Hey, I've managed to get myself two interviews and one of them is next week. My doctor prescribed me Sertraline about a week ago and I'm relying on that to help get me through all this. The nausea isn't as bad anymore but I'm still worried my IBS is going to play up during the interviews. I doubt I'll get hired anywhere if they witness me in a fit of panic running towards the closest bathroom. I just hope everything works out for the best and that I'm not as anxious as I think I'll be.