Work-related anxiety... Please help!

[Jsp]

Hi guys,

I'm going through a lot of anxiety right now and would like some advice...

I dropped out of uni at the start of the year in order to work and clear some debt. I've been getting good grades, and originally planned to go back this September to sit my final year.

So now, I've been unemployed since the start of the year and the debt is piling up even worse. I know I can get out of the debt myself if I put my mind to it, but how do I find the motivation for that while I'm filled with constant negative emotions and anxiety?

One big thing that holds me back is work anxiety. I held down a part-time bar job for over a year, and thought this would help me get over it, but apparently not. It's a self-perpetuating cycle - the longer I avoid work, the worse the debt gets, the worse the anxiety gets, and so on. I think its related to my social anxiety - something I've dealt with always, but has got a lil better since I've got older.

I just have no idea how to get out of this rut!!! I'd go back to the doctor, but he referred me to a psychiatrist who bounced my appointment. Apparently I 'don't qualify' - even though I've tried 3 different antidepressants for my anxiety, depression and insomnia. The 45mg Mirtazapine I'm currently on doesn't even work anymore. My doctor tried to protest this, but there's not much he can do.

What do I do? I feel very frustrated with myself, as I cannot just STOP feeling anxious and depressed, even though my life is currently demanding that I can't be this way.

[Mindprison]

Hi JSP

I'm not sure what advice I can give but I can certainly relate to work related issues as I had my fair share last year and I ended up having to quit from the stress. Feeling anxious while doing something that is required to pay bills, clear debt or whatever is always a downer and I know it can make you feel hopeless at times.

I imagine the anxiety of various different things are just melding together right now and making things ten times worse and I don't understand why the psychiatrist bounced the appointment because you might even fit the criteria more than I do, and I have a psychiatrist!

I've been on Mirtazapine for 9 months now and i've found them to be absolutely useless on the highest dose and a minor help with my sleep on the lower ones. No one drug will work for everyone and despite being on 3 different ones already, i'm sure there will be at least ONE out there that would be of benefit to you. It might be worth talking to your doctor about, even if he can't do anything about the psychiatrist, surely he would be able to try you out on something different to see if it was of any help?

Have you tried Cognitive Behavioural Therapy? It's not for everyone but if you've never tried it before then it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot.

Also if the debt is causing you significant anxiety, why not give your local Citizen's Advice Bureau a try? Most of them have a debt advice department and they may be able to relieve some of the burden while you get all the anxiety problems sorted out.

It's very easy to feel frustrated and lost, but i'm certain people here more educated than myself on matter like this will be able to help more than I can, I just hope this was helpful in some way.

Stay positive, you can do it!

[beatroon]

Hi JSP,

I think Mindprison has offered some really good advice here. I totally relate to feeling like 'how do I get out of this rut' and it does sound like you have some big stressors, so the first thing to do is to be understanding of yourself. These are real-life issues, you're allowed to feel upset about them, but ultimately you do have to find some new strategies to cope, and that's probably about breaking the problem down into smaller steps. I think the CAB sounds like a really good idea. You could also consider contacting a debt management service, which the CAB can probably suggest one of. I had a friend who was in a lot of debt and the debt management people worked with his debtors to arrange a reasonable repayment plan. It wasn't an instant fix but it made him feel in control, and importantly he knew that he could tackle the problem.

Good luck, we're all rooting for you!