Very bad day

[judipat]

Hi

Just need to advice and support.
I have had the day from hell!! I finished a 10 hour day which has been non stop and very stressful (i'm a social worker for older people). I got home and just burst into tears, felt exhausted, had chest pains and my brain felt totally numb. Then I start getting anxious about what all this is doing to me health wise and the pains and general anxiety is just getting worse - cant stand it any more.
I've now taken two strong painkillers and a diazapan which I'm hoping will knock me out. I just cant deal with it. I'm already feeling sleepy and just want to go to sleep and forget about it. If I drank, I think I would have downed a bottle by now!!!
I know this is not the answer, however, I sometimes feel I just cant cope with it.
Anyone else feel like this???

Judi

[lauren6]

Hi Judi, Definitely have had days like that. I had a morning like that, had to wait somewhere for 2 hours to be seen, to get some financial thing straightened out. While waiting, I started to get jaw and temple pain and still have it despite taking ibuprofen.

What helps me sometimes is that I want to feel like I can reverse this mood. I get very bummed when I am in pain. I know that stress brings it on, it's a pattern with me. I try to not let it ruin my night, my life. Even though I went to work, I have been in such a state of tension all day. I came home and baked muffins and the pain subsided. Have my favorite music on and am playing around on the computer.

Social work is a very draining job. I left that after many years, people in this field do get burned out with case loads and demands. Maybe you can find breaks where you can just go off, have some privacy and listen to an iPod or so some relaxation thing even for a few minutes. Are you afraid that you won't be able to continue this job? What are your actual thoughts? That's what's more important than the symptoms..I know, they hurt as do mine...but we have to get to the cause and try to lessen it, alleviate it in some way.

[Valka]

Hi Judi,
this all sounds very familiar. I can imagine your job being really stressful, a friend of mine is a social worker and she's constantly anxious/exhausted from work.
It sounds like you need a technique to calm down after work. Is there anything you could do when you get home to get yourself into a better frame of mind and relax physically? A routine to defuse yourself might be helpful, like always taking a warm bath, listening to calming music, doing breathing exercises or something that tends to calm you down. I know the feeling when you just want to fall asleep and get away from it all, but I think you'd also get more out of your sleep if you managed to get yourself to a better place before falling asleep.
Hope you feel better in the morning x