Work/Life Anxiety would like Advice Please

[Livinlavidaloca]

Hello everybody,
I'm currently off work due to anxiety. I've been having feelings of intense anxiety and heart palpitations which becomes most prevalent at work.
It started when I had a panic attack a few months ago when I was working over 60 hours a week and not getting much sleep as I was doing two part time jobs and volunteering at the same time. It happened during a really hot day where I'd been working the night before, I was standing in an assembly (I was working at a school) and suddenly I felt like I was going to faint so I went into the bathroom and hid for half an hour, I then nervously continued with the rest of the day but I've never fully recovered from that experience and still feel anxiety on a daily occurrence.
Since then one of my jobs stopped paying me for no obvious reason; the course that I was volunteering to get on withdrew my application for no obvious reason and whenever I've tried to contact either they don't reply or they say it's my fault and I'm wrong.
What kept me going during the long days and weeks was when I felt like giving up, I thought that if I worked hard and carried on it would all be worth it but now I'm in the worst position I've ever been, I'm working part time in a supermarket and even working a full day I'm earning half the amount I would working a full day at my previous job and it's a lot less rewarding. I feel like such a failure and this feeds into my anxiety and I've tried applying for other jobs but so far I've been unsuccessful.
I just don't know what to do....

[PunkyFish]

Hello everybody,
I'm currently off work due to anxiety. I've been having feelings of intense anxiety and heart palpitations which becomes most prevalent at work.
It started when I had a panic attack a few months ago when I was working over 60 hours a week and not getting much sleep as I was doing two part time jobs and volunteering at the same time. It happened during a really hot day where I'd been working the night before, I was standing in an assembly (I was working at a school) and suddenly I felt like I was going to faint so I went into the bathroom and hid for half an hour, I then nervously continued with the rest of the day but I've never fully recovered from that experience and still feel anxiety on a daily occurrence.
Since then one of my jobs stopped paying me for no obvious reason; the course that I was volunteering to get on withdrew my application for no obvious reason and whenever I've tried to contact either they don't reply or they say it's my fault and I'm wrong.
What kept me going during the long days and weeks was when I felt like giving up, I thought that if I worked hard and carried on it would all be worth it but now I'm in the worst position I've ever been, I'm working part time in a supermarket and even working a full day I'm earning half the amount I would working a full day at my previous job and it's a lot less rewarding. I feel like such a failure and this feeds into my anxiety and I've tried applying for other jobs but so far I've been unsuccessful.
I just don't know what to do....

Hi

This post sounds a lot like me! I've been off work with anxiety for a few weeks now. I was diagnosed a few years ago with it but the past few months or so my anxiety has became worse and worse. I tried to force myself at first and tried to act as normal as possible and carried on going to work until like yourself I had a massive panic attack in work. I thought my anxiety and low mood would eventually go but it just got worse and worse. This happened until I snapped at work and have been signed off on the sick ever since. When I was first signed off I was put on medictaion and I was at my lowest I've ever been with my anxiety. I felt like such a failure. I hate my job and my wage is rubbish is rubbish so I know how you feel. I've applied for every single job going to get me out of my current job but any interviews I have I've been unsucessful. There are so many job rejections that one person can take. However the key is not to give up

Getting a new job for some people seems so quick and easy for some people and for others it takes time and a lot of hard work. But you will get a new job. Carry on applying for jobs that you feel you will like and eventually somebody will say yes to you. Have you been to your GP regarding your anxiety? a GP is a good stepping stone to find ways to how to cope with anxiety and is the best person to speak to if anxiety is having a daily impact on your life. You're not a failure at all, it's just your anxiety telling you that you're a failure.

[Livinlavidaloca]

Hi

This post sounds a lot like me! I've been off work with anxiety for a few weeks now. I was diagnosed a few years ago with it but the past few months or so my anxiety has became worse and worse. I tried to force myself at first and tried to act as normal as possible and carried on going to work until like yourself I had a massive panic attack in work. I thought my anxiety and low mood would eventually go but it just got worse and worse. This happened until I snapped at work and have been signed off on the sick ever since. When I was first signed off I was put on medictaion and I was at my lowest I've ever been with my anxiety. I felt like such a failure. I hate my job and my wage is rubbish is rubbish so I know how you feel. I've applied for every single job going to get me out of my current job but any interviews I have I've been unsucessful. There are so many job rejections that one person can take. However the key is not to give up

Getting a new job for some people seems so quick and easy for some people and for others it takes time and a lot of hard work. But you will get a new job. Carry on applying for jobs that you feel you will like and eventually somebody will say yes to you. Have you been to your GP regarding your anxiety? a GP is a good stepping stone to find ways to how to cope with anxiety and is the best person to speak to if anxiety is having a daily impact on your life. You're not a failure at all, it's just your anxiety telling you that you're a failure.

Hey, thanks so much for your reply, I really appreciate it!

It's a tough cycle because I feel like the longer I have off the harder it will be to return. The time off is making a huge difference for me but I worry I'll return to old ways if I go back to my current job. The job rejections are really difficult but I try to think that my loss is somebody else's gain and they must have been deemed more worthy for the role than myself.

I appreciate your kind words and I've spoken to my GP about seeking help and he's recommended some talking therapy which I'm looking forward to.

I think feeling like a failure is such a common symptom with anxiety because it can take away your ability to function normally. Another time I used to feel intense anxiety was during driving tests which is very normal but the anxiety caused me to not follow routines properly and to ignore signs and signals which I would register driving normally but after 4 attempts I eventually passed and the same feeling of being a failure was lifted on that occasion.

[georgewing]

Well dont foce yourself so much because you will go in depresion or other bad things .Take it easy a stay a whyle at his job to recover a little after this such eforts that stressed you a lot .I advise you to not be disperated because this will attract other stress in your life .try to be calm and pozitive and the good things will come to you ,

[Livinlavidaloca]

Well dont foce yourself so much because you will go in depresion or other bad things .Take it easy a stay a whyle at his job to recover a little after this such eforts that stressed you a lot .I advise you to not be disperated because this will attract other stress in your life .try to be calm and pozitive and the good things will come to you ,

Thanks for your advice, I don't think I can stay at my current job because it's a constant reminder that I'm a failure and I should have enough skills and qualifications to find something better soon because I've had a few job offers but I think if I come across as desperate then recruiters do take advantage.

I also feel like I've got to prove all the people who've said I'm not good enough wrong and go out and achieve something and once I've done that I'll prove all my friends wrong and actually get a girlfriend!

[SLA]

First of all, you have no reason to blame yourself. You burnt yourself out, and over did it.

Anyone... ANYONE would be susceptible to having a panic attack after working for so long.

Secondly, you only need to prove your worth to yourself. Do what makes you happy, and what you think you are capable of.

And don't take job rejections personally. It is easy to, because it seems like a personal rejection. When the reality is there are a multitude of reasons why someone doesn't get a job, and they are usually nothing to do with you.

[Livinlavidaloca]

First of all, you have no reason to blame yourself. You burnt yourself out, and over did it.

Anyone... ANYONE would be susceptible to having a panic attack after working for so long.

Secondly, you only need to prove your worth to yourself. Do what makes you happy, and what you think you are capable of.

And don't take job rejections personally. It is easy to, because it seems like a personal rejection. When the reality is there are a multitude of reasons why someone doesn't get a job, and they are usually nothing to do with you.

Hi, Thank you so much for your message! You're so right about not having to prove myself to anyone. I feel like so much of anxiety and depression comes from people trying to live up to certain standards and expectations. I've supported people with severe disabilities who wouldn't ever realistically be able to have a job but they're still capable of being happy and spreading happiness.

I think I've linked having a big salary to being successful and being successful to being happy but that's not always the case.

I shouldn't really be complaining because I'm in quite a fortunate position really, maybe going back to doing something that's rewarding for me, even if it's only on a voluntary basis will help improve my mental state.