Does anyone else have the same problem

[sharon35]

As some of you may know ive been off work for 6 weeks now with anxiety started with panic attacks at work and got worse.
Im due to go back to work on monday but ive been really panicing about it for the last few days crying and feeling really sick and down and ill to the point i cannot go back.
I know the best thing to do is go but im in such a state its not possible.
I feel like my world has come to an end over this, its a job at the end of the day and not my life, i so happy except for this work thing. Ive got no reason to feel like this but i do and cannot stop it.

If anyone is in the same situation please can you help me please please please.

Sorry for going on but i dont know what to do. xxx

[Kell]

Hi Sharon,

Try to see the positives in that it is only the work situation that causes you anxiety. My anxiety is almost constant apart from some relief which I seem to feel later on in the evening.
Have you had any counselling about your anxiety? Perhaps as your anxiety is focused on a specific issue then some form of counselling such as CBT may be beneficial.

Kel
x

[sharon35]

Hi kel,
ive got to see a well being person tomorrow afternoon so they can advice what the best form of councselling will be best.
i have panic attacks in supermarkets but i seem to handle them because i know i can leave whenever i like.
Do you work Kel?
xxx

[Kell]

Hi Sharon,

That's good that you have an appointment.

Yes I do work. I'm at work now. I'm trying to battle on through as my anxiety is not limited to work so I think that it would be worse for me to be at home as I would have to occupy myself. I'm lucky in that my work is supportive. I'm not exactly great to be around. I'm normally quite vocal & a bit silly at work as there is good camaraderie here but since my anxiety flared up (B/H Monday) I have been as quiet as a mouse. It's hard work as my anxiety lingers in the background & then flares up constantly throughout the day.

I just wish I was like everyone else or at least back to how I was before. There was no reason for my anxiety to flare up but once it takes hold it's so hard to shake off. This has been part of my life for nearly 10 years now.

Good luck at your appointment

Kel
x

[sharon35]

Oh Kel you sound just like me, have you noticed that people with anxiety are usally out going and the soul of the party so to speak.
Well liked and thought of.
I think im the funnist person alive some times i make myself laugh!
Then theres other times like this that we just shrink away from everything and everyone.
I hope your day isnt going to bad and you can find something to smile at.
Ive just come to the conclution thats lifes to short to worry about what other people may think. Im not ready to go back to work so what will be will be.
I think we should all think of our selfs abit more.

Thank you once again Kel. xx

[Nigel]

Hi Sharon,

I’m sorry that you’re still having a hard time with this. What happened to that little spurt of positiveness the other day :winks:

There’s a very fine line between not being ready for something and avoiding something. I’ve been told off for doing emu impressions at times, and I know, for me, it gets harder the longer I put it off. Now what’s that old NMP motto :unsure:. But at the end of the day there’s only one person who can really answer that, and whatever you decide is the right answer.

“i have panic attacks in supermarkets but i seem to handle them because i know i can leave whenever i like.”

That made me think... Feeling trapped and without an escape route plays a big part in experiencing panic, so is it possible to work near an exit where you can discreetly slip out for a while if needs be? Would that be reassuring.

BTW, I read this somewhere the other day :winks:

“Im hoping going back will make me feel better, best to be there panicking then sat at home worrying about panicing. sounds really bloody silly that does. ha ha ha”

Take care,
Nigel

[sharon35]

Yeah Nigel i know but ive tried to calm my head down and the only way i can do this at the moment is not going back and letting myself recover to a point im not going to wake up crying and panicing just at the thought of going, sounds really silly.
Ive felt a little better today knowing i dont have to go back.
I feel like two people at the moment ive got the postive one saying oh come on lets go for it and the other one going no bloody way on this earth am i go back.
It did make me laugh at what you wrote about the little bit of postiveness i had the other day. thats what im like at the moment ,one step forward 20 back. lol

Thank you so much for replying again. xxx

[fairyclairy]

Hi Sharon,

You sound just like me... I struggle so so much at work! Iv had these panic attacks and anxieties since I was 11 yrs (now 22yrs) but my job is a struggle... iv not taken any time off because of it, but i had to reduce my hours to part time just to give me the strength to get through it!
My work are so supportive of it, but i still feel awful there.. I work wed mornings, thursdays and fridays... so tues night im panicking, im saying to myself 'i cant be ill for three days now because iv GOT to go to work'
In work, i feel trapped there.. i feel if anything happened or if i got ill, id HAVE to stay till 5pm... whereas like u, i get my panics else where but i know i can leave those situations... i cant just leave work with no explanation!

I know its tough, i sympathie so much.... but try and get back to work! Think of the achievement and how proud you would feel!
These symptoms are horrendus, they really are... BUT they can not and will not harm you! If you can find the strength to get yourself through that door at work, im sure these symptoms will less-en as time goes on!
The worse thing for me is getting through the door of the office.. but once im there, i begin to feel abit better. Anticipation is much worse than the actual thing we have to do!

How are you feeling about work.. do you think you can go back on Monday?

Have you spoken to your manager about this? If not, i would advise you too... i told everyone at work about what i was suffering with and iv only ever gotton support from them! We talk freely about it all and im open to questions etc, it helps me feel abit better knowin everyone around me knows.. because if i did need to pop out for some fresh air - no one would question it xx

[Nigel]

“Yeah Nigel i know but ive tried to calm my head down and the only way i can do this at the moment is not going back and letting myself recover...”

As I said, only one person can decide, and that ok. And it’s not being ‘silly’ at all.

“It did make me laugh at what you wrote about the little bit of postiveness i had the other day.”

It’s true though – I could see it :yesyes:

“...thats what im like at the moment ,one step forward 20 back. Lol”

Not 20! :ohmy:

“I feel like two people at the moment ive got the postive one saying oh come on lets go for it and the other one going no bloody way on this earth am i go back.”

Lets stick with the positive one :winks:
Have you ever watched any of those Paul McKenna programs where he uses that ‘anchoring’ thing to harness positive and empowering feelings?

Take care,
Nigel

[sharon35]

No never seen the paul mckenna programs will try be on you tube? i'll have a look. xx

[Ambers]

Sharon,

The worrying about going to work is so much worse than the actual being there. I looked so silly at work and I def shocked people with my anxst ridden body - usually I would have been so distressed at what people would have thought of me what hey, I must be quite entertaining to watch.

Someone on here recently wrote that when they had a panic attack, they walk went all funny (cant remember now how 'he' exactly described it) and it made me smile thinking about how may legs go to jelly too. Now everytime my legs feel 'jellified' I think about this persons walk (or my image of it) and I start to laugh at the sillyness of this persons walk...somehow it actually helps me, and my panic starts to recline.

If I could I would come to work with you and stay the day ... wouldn't it be nice to have that kinda support, someone who really knew how you felt, how comforting would that be. Obviously I would need someone to help get me to you ;)

Wished I could magic away everyone's troubles.

[fairyclairy]

Ambers that would be great wouldnt it - having someone there who truly understands what we're going through and how tough just walking into work can be!

We can dream cant we :hugs: x

[sharon35]

Oh Amber that would be great! im off to see the well being team today, im even nervious about that but hopefully they can get me back on the raod to recovery.
Im not going back to work im in a right state just thinking about it, i need to get to a more relaxed state of mind first.

Thank you so much to everyone that has replied to my thread. xxxx

[Nigel]

Hi Sharon,

Hope the meeting with the well being team went well and you’re having a good day :yesyes:

There’s probably something on YouTube about that ‘anchoring’ thing – most things are – but it’s quite easy.

You said you can be quite a positive person at times so I’m sure there must be loads of good memories of such times. So the trick is to sit down quietly somewhere and relax, and to think about one of those good times right now. One of your bestest most positivest times. A time when Sharon could take on the world... and win :yahoo:

Close your eyes and relive that memory again now, and make it as real and as vivid as you can. And I know you’re pretty good at this sort of thing because you seem to have mastered doing it with the negative thoughts :winks:

Try and use all your senses to make that good memory come alive even more. There’s probably one you use more than the others. For me I think sounds and words play an big part, but for other people it can be visual images, or feelings.

Then when you’ve made that memory as big and bright and real as you possibly can, and when you can feel yourself feeling as good as you possibly can, suddenly make that memory and those good feelings twice as big and twice as good, and at the same time squeeze the thumb and finger on your left hand together.

Do this a few more times just to reinforce the ‘anchor’ you’ve just created between squeezing your thumb and finger together, and feeling good and positive.

Now try it the other way. Briefly think about that good memory and at the same time squeeze your thumb and finger on you left hand together. Does it bring back some of those good feelings and positiveness?

So this is now a little resource that you can always carry around with you, and whenever one of those wobbly moments happens, simply think about that good memory, squeeze that thumb and finger together, and start feeling some of those good empowering feelings again.

Hope this helps – some people are better at it than others.

Nigel

[sharon35]

It went really well today thank you Nigel im going again in 3weeks and he said to take things slowly one step at a time. so i back in that positive place again.:)
Thank you for the thumb and finger thing, im going to try that one, sounds like it will help.
Hope you've had a good day. :)

[Nigel]

Hi Sharon,

Sounds like today was rather a positive one for you – well done :)

My day was ok-ish thanks. A bit like most days really – rather too much time sat in front of the PC, and a few moments of feeling a bit sad – but overall not too bad.

Take care,
Nigel