I don't want to go to work

[Hypo]

I have three shifts booked for the next three afternoons and I don't want to go in.

I have had chronic reflux for ages which has got me really down. My HA is through the roof, I keep having panic attacks and I don't feel safe. I want to stay at home with my husband and let him look after me. I don't want to do adult stuff.

I don't get paid sickness. That's not a huge concern, we could manage without it if I took the week off. I would however let people down as I'm covering shortages.

Just want a moan really!

[dizzy daisy]

Me too. :( I've PM'd you

[Traceypo]

Only you can make that choice and decision, I see your argument on both sides.
There's times when my anxiety has been bad and I've dragged myself to work shaking and heavy breathing to be relieved I did it and it helped me to be more 'normal'.
There's also other times when I simply haven't been able to face it and hid on my sofa all day feeling sorry for myself.
Did either situation make my fears come true - no, but I did end up missing 4 months of work as a couple of days turned into a couple more etc until I had become fearful of work and boy did it take a lot to get back there, (luckily I get paid).
Your choice, your call. Xx

[dizzy daisy]

I'm the same Tracy, I drag myself in dizzy and shaking sometimes as some days I can distract myself and feel normal for a while. Sometimes it works and sometimes I just spend the day feeling like death :(
For me, I try to get myself in because I don't want to get into the habit of not going in as that will create more feelings of stress I suppose xx

[MyNameIsTerry]

I was the same. No matter how bad I dragged myself to work because I knew how this dance goes. Stay off, build up more fear and want more time off. My anxiety just then decides to concentrate on how I feel and make it about everything outside of work.

However if the point comes where you need extended time off to work on yourself because it is too severe and only getting worse, there can be little choice but to take the time.

It's always a hard decision but if you can push through it, it's better in my opinion.

[Phill2]

I have three shifts booked for the next three afternoons and I don't want to go in.

I have had chronic reflux for ages which has got me really down. My HA is through the roof, I keep having panic attacks and I don't feel safe. I want to stay at home with my husband and let him look after me. I don't want to do adult stuff.

I don't get paid sickness. That's not a huge concern, we could manage without it if I took the week off. I would however let people down as I'm covering shortages.

Just want a moan really!

If you let it beat you once it will beat you every time.
I found going to work much better than staying at home worrying.

[dizzy daisy]

That's like me- I'm worried if I don't go I won't want to go again.
I'm now shaking as had a horrible night if feeling generally unwell so didn't sleep much. Now I'm sickly, trembly and IBS type symptoms - arrgh
Xxx

[MyNameIsTerry]

When I had my first breakdown, before it really happened, my GP told me to take some time off work as it was a stressful job and he thought it might get me past it. I did have more anxious times during then and lost some confidence. A few panics later over the weeks and I was getting worse until a breakdown finally came for me.

I had a year off and I got back into work. It was very hard those first few days. The first day I was shaking like a leaf in the car outside the office. After the first week I settled in a bit more and things became a bit more routine.

Within 6 months my old confidence at work had come back. I was back to meetings, running things, dealing with people much more senior, etc.

It can be done. I'm torn on this issue because I know from experience that there was no way I could have stayed once my relapse went ape. The pressure of the work and the infighting was too much for me. Everyday was a matter of 5-6 times in those toilets trying to calm down. But if you can stay in, it's worth it.

The trouble with going off is that it's an avoidance and it will breed more fear. If you spend that time off work trying to deal with your anxiety and not shrinking into agoraphobia, then it may be nemeficial. But if like me you end up stuck in the house struggling and the anxiety turning on the rest of your life, it can mean a hard slog back to work again.

[Hypo]

Thank you for your thoughts.

I am going to go in and see how I go. Worse comes to worse I will have to go off sick. It might take my mind of me and I think worrying about letting people down would cause me more stress. If I have a huge panic attack I will have to leave as I won't be able to do my job but I would be really embarrassed to tell someone why I have to go.

Im going to lay on the couch for a while before I go in as I slept like rubbish last night and had a panic attack which lasted half of the night!

Thanks again and I hope you all have a good day :)

[Traceypo]

Good choice hun, I've always found honesty is the best policy with colleagues, they all know about my anxiety, some understand, some don't but it's just as much an illness as a migraine.
Xxx

[MyNameIsTerry]

Good luck, Hypo. I hope it works out well for you. Just take it hour by hour and if you need a break to gather yourself, try to. Perhaps once you get into your day, it will decrease?

The worst may not happen, you could have a ok day.

[Justanutter]

Hi, to add my two penny worth, I'm sat here at work in a terrible state but hiding it. Been off sick on and off for the last few months but back after a phased return.

Terrible trembling and shaking which usually passes off mid-afternoon but terrible hypos now...thought I was going to collapse before. I am eating okay so now my mind is going into overdrive thinking I have some terrible disease, adrenal tumour, heart problem, thyroid tumour...all sorts but I need work to distract as otherwise I would just be on the sofa fretting in the safe zone. I am on a mega dose Vit D at the moment so hoping these hypos are down to that. I took my last valium yesterday lunch time and it stopped it so that proved it was probably just anxiety but I'm here now in the same situation and have no valium so keep nipping to loo to try and calm myself down.. heart is racing and feel on verge of collapse :(

[pulisa]

I really hope that work goes better than you expect, Hypo. I know it's very easy for me to say that as I know how destructive severe and relentless anxiety can be so it's more about seeing if work can distract you in a positive way and not just add to the intolerable anxiety. Good luck this afternoon.

Justanutter, I very much empathise with your situation. Thinking the worst will always just perpetuate the awful anxiety though. I hope you can calm your spiralling thoughts and get on a more even keel very soon although I know it's far from easy.

[dizzy daisy]

Justanutter I'm exactly the same. It's horrendous when it's bad like this. I thought I was going to faint earlier. I'm the same as you despite having clear bloods I convince myself it's something major causing this terrible feeling.
Hope you settle soon.
Hypo I hope your day is going ok xxxx

---------- Post added at 13:14 ---------- Previous post was at 12:53 ----------

Can't believe I'm feeling like this again after doing so well. Someone talk some sense into me please!! Wouldn't my bloods have been out if there was something awful happening? I'm so fed up right now I could cry.
Blood tests I had where FBC, Crp, renal profile, iron, ferritin, thyroid, b12, folate, fasting lipids and glucose. May have been a few more actually. Dr basically said if there's anything going on she was going to know about it from that lot. I know I've kind of answered my own question there but I could do with some support today guys xxxx

[Hypo]

Had a decent shift. I was so busy that I didn't have time to think really. I had arm pain for a bit but it went pretty quickly. It was my elbow so I think that was muscular.

Been home for 30 minutes, now having heart palps and can't breathe again and heart rate has gone fast... go figure. My mum says if it didn't happen when I was working it is obviously anxiety. If it was heart related it would get worse while I was physically active, or I wouldn't stop noticing the signs at least.

I have a GP appointment for my anxiety tomorrow morning, then back to work in the afternoon.

---------- Post added at 20:41 ---------- Previous post was at 20:40 ----------

PMed you Daisy.

[KatiePink]

Had a decent shift. I was so busy that I didn't have time to think really. I had arm pain for a bit but it went pretty quickly. It was my elbow so I think that was muscular.

Been home for 30 minutes, now having heart palps and can't breathe again and heart rate has gone fast... go figure. My mum says if it didn't happen when I was working it is obviously anxiety. If it was heart related it would get worse while I was physically active, or I wouldn't stop noticing the signs at least.

I have a GP appointment for my anxiety tomorrow morning, then back to work in the afternoon.

---------- Post added at 20:41 ---------- Previous post was at 20:40 ----------

PMed you Daisy.


I used to find if i was really busy at work therefore not having time to think about things, then when i was home my anxiety would hit me like a ton of bricks, almost as if it had been storing up all day. I can relate, and on some level we are subconsciously always 'waiting' for these symptoms.
I think your mum is right and that is what i need to keep telling myself, something serious would not just go away or come at certain times when it's quieter you would notice it no matter what x

[AFin26]

I find that even though sometimes I don't want to go to work because I feel anxiety sick, the minute I'm there and I am working and in the zone, the anxiety goes and I can function.

For me, I strongly believe keeping your mind active is the key to this. I totally sympathise as I have taken days off when I just couldn't face it.