new job, convince me to try it!!

[lifeissweet]

hi everyone

i have got a new job, induction on monday, after having been at home for a year. i have been managing with pa's without meds this time (years ago i was on anti-ds), the jobs in a care home...ive never done this kind of work before, so pa's or not, id be unsure if id like the work, but i think i need to challenge myself and get out to work now, cause too much time at home with kids to worry and need something more to occupy my mind.

anyway for the past few days ive been having a battle in my head, one minute im going and im sure i wont panic, then next minute i cant possibly go cause i just know i will panic.

its about 10/15 min walk there (which is always when im most likely to panic), then once im there then thats another battle, do i actually go in the door?? cause once im in there i need to stay there for 6 llloooonnnggg hours..to me that is a long time to try and not panic.

no-one there knows, cause i thought i wouldnt get job if i said.

im scared ill feel the sudden need to leave, and then itll be all awkward and i cant say or i cant get out. i know ill be ok if i am busy, but at induction i do a full shift but basically am just watching others...and if the thought that i am "stuck" there for 6 hours pops into my ead i know i will start panicking.

please help me!!!
i know i want to go, but if i go theres a danger ill panic and ill feel so useless i cant even go to work for a day!
please help me with how i can cope while im there. normally id got o toilet if i needed to "get out" for a minute, but the staff toilet is a main one, and is one of the big disabled style ones, and i never lock the dorrs on those ones cause im terrified of being trapped (the public toilets with cubicles im fine tho)...anyway, thats worrying me too cause i have escape for a min while i get yself together x:unsure:

[ana]

Hey!
I think you should definitely try the new job! If you give up now, or any other time you feel like "I can't do this, this will make me panic, I will feel horrible if I do that, etc." then you'll end up feeling helpless and scared to do anything but to hide from unknown situations. And how can you ever get better that way?
I understand how you feel, I've been feeling like that for 7 years. Whenever I had to go out I would imagine the worst possible scenarios (there will be too many people, I'll start panicking and there will be no one to help me...but then again, how can I start panicking in front of all those strangers, they'll think I'm crazy, OMG I'm going to end up in a hospital, or die...).These scenarios of mine would trigger my panic. My own thoughts would make me panic, not the actual situation!
If you convince yoursefl you will panic, the chances are you probably will.

Trust me, you will be proud of yourself once you go through with this. :yesyes:

If you start feeling panicky, just focus on something else. Anything to distract yourself. You can, for example, focus on somebody's clothes and imagine where they've bought it, how much did they pay for them, etc. Sounds silly, but it works!
I used to do this trick all the time when I was in High school (with 34 people in a smally classroom:scared15: ). Nobody knew about my panic issues as well.

Give it a try! Good luck!!! :hugs:

[honeybee3939]

Hi Laura

I would definatley go for it too!:yesyes:

I didnt work for quite a few years due to Agorophobia once i started to get better i got a job in a care home too. Believe me hun it was one of the best things i ever did. I had been stuck at home for a good few years and got myself stuck in a rut:ohmy: . I remember the first day i started i was so scared, just like you thinking i would panic etc but i didnt:yesyes: , there was so much to focus on i didnt have time to even think about panic:yesyes: . The job was so rewarding too.

Try telling yourself "I will be fine, nothing bad will happen" "if im ok at home why should been somewhere else be any different!":)

GOOD LUCK and please let us know how things go.

Love
:hugs:
Andrea
xxxxxx

[pooh]

Hi Laura

first of all congratulations on getting the new job. And remember you must have gone through an interview to get there which can be pretty scarey so you have all ready achieved a major thing.
Secondly, when it comes to anx and panic, TRUST ME, you are entering a field of work where virtually every employee has some issue or other, it's often what attracts people to the care field. So if you feel uncomfortable believe me you won't be the only one. ( I work in social care too)
Everyone feels scared and nervous about there first day these are normal feelings. But if you feel the anx rising a little too uncomfortably definately employ the distraction techniques. Chances are though as honey says you'll be too busy to even think about it. What you are doing right now is building yourself up to go one of two ways with your thought patterns. Whenever a negative thought enters your head over today and tomorrow tell it to go to france that you can and will do this, because Laura YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

let us know how you get on and we'll share care stories honest they are hilarious.

Pooh x

[lorac]

Hi Laura

Congratulations on getting the job. I think you should give it a go coz if you don't you will never know if you can do it or not. It may do you the world of good being out there doing something for others and take your mind off things, if you don't like it you can always walk away.

Let us know how you get on.

Carol

[helenclaire]

Hi Laura,
Just want to say " SNAP" i have my induction on Tuesday and i am so scared.

I am having the same doubts you are about whether i will be able to cope, i feel excactly the same as you, i know it will do me good and i really need to do this, but there is so much going through my mind, it would be so easy to just not bother, but i know that i will feel worse if i do not give it a try, as i will never know if i could do it or not.

So i shall put on a brave face and see how it goes.

Hope everything goes well for you on Monday, let us know how you get on.

Helen:)

[kazzie]

Hello:D

I started my new job about 8 weeks ago and I was terrified:ohmy:

It involved quite a bit of complex training at 3 different branches with different people and I was fine:D

You will make it thru the door I promise you:hugs:

By the time you have been there an hour you will be determined to stay:yesyes:

If you really feel the need to escape for a min just say you are feeling faint and nip out for some air:whistles:

Please tho give it a go I will be thinking of you

Let us know how it goes

Kaz x:hugs:

[helenclaire]

Hi Laura,

Hope everything goes well for you today, i will be in the same position this time tomorrow and i am really nervous already.

I am determined to try, but i really wish i didnt feel so bad.

Good luck

Helen:hugs:

[pinkpiglet]

Hey Laura,
i recently went back out to work after spending two years at home with my little boy. The longer i stayed at home the more anxiety I had about getting a job. I was putting more and more distance between myself and the rest of the world. Anyhow, i applied for a job, had the interview, told them all about my anxiety and got the job! I'v been there seven weeks now and i'm loving it. I now realise that this is just what i needed and i have to be fair and say that in the long run it has helped ease my anxiety. It's like therapy!
Now, don't get me wrong!
It was very hard to start with, my anxiety was heightened and i felt like a nervous wreck. I did not think i was going to be able to keep it up!
I had several panic attacks, i was often having to nip outside for air, i felt tempted to pack it all in.
The people i work with are fantastic and we have all fitted together perfectly so i think this helps.
I'm still finding it hard settling into a new routine but as far as the job goes 'I'm loving it' .
Good luck with your new job, i think you will be pleasantly surprised and working in a care home can be very rewarding.

:yesyes: :yesyes: :yesyes: :yesyes: :yesyes: :yesyes: