View Full Version : Anxiety and work
How do you manage your jobs? Are your employers supportive? is it best to be straight with them or hide the anxiety as best you can?
I am on my 3rd day of citalopram and am going to work tomrow, I'm not having any time off. Did anyone need time off to get used to new meds?
Sorry about the thousand questions!:unsure:
Hey :)
I've been very fortunate 2 have an extremely supportive manager... when I was first diagnosed with anxiety, I phoned in sick for work 2 weeks in a row before I got given a doctor's line, which I posted in to my work. It took me a while 2 pluck up the courage 2 phone them and let them know what was happening. They couldn't have been nicer or more supportive, most companies have 2 be as they have a duty of care 2 their staff. I've now been off since June 2010, and I phone once a month 2 keep them up 2 date on how I'm doing, even managed a visit in with my mum just after Xmas 2 have a face 2 face talk with my manager.
What kind of work is it u do? I would be straight with ur manager. Also, I had severe headaches for the first few weeks of being on Citalopram, but they were always during the night, so it never affected me during the day
x
i tried to keep it to myself but my job performance lowered which resulted in "chat" In the chat i told them what was going on (only been in this job 6months, and on Citalopram for about 2/3months) They were very supportive, told me to communicate with them more and not be afraid to tell them what is happening in my world. They also suggested getting in touch with their HR Department who have services to help..
Since i have told my line manager and general manager, they have been supportive. Understanding and we have formed a friendship too. They ask me how i am when i start my shift, if it was a bad day, they would give me loads of jobs to do so that i kept busy and if its a good day then i am more talkative and bubbly which makes my job more rewarding.
Everyone has their off/bad days. You just have to get through the shift. I found working has helped me, because it has given me a routine that i stick too. I never took any time off work because i simply need the money and feel by giving it up, i am therefore letting my anxiety. Also my Doctor advised against it.
Everyone is different though. Whatever works best for you, :D
I've also not had time off work with anxiety - I know it would just feed it and make it worse. I did let my boss know (I work for the NHS) when I went into my current bout of anxiety, and he's been very helpful with me having time out for CBT appointments.
In general, it seems to be better to carry on working if you possibly can, as a major problem with having time off work with anxiety is that it can turn into an aversion to going to work, or worse, agoraphobia, which can be crippling.
I had time off and it turned into a year, my anxiety was very severe and having time off in the long run didnt help. MY work were not very understanding, they said it was ok but never asked how i was etc, i have just been made redundant and i feel my illness counted against me in the slection process.
Things may have gone better at work had i decided to take medication but for me i would prefer to deal with my anxiety myself, harder in the long run but hopefully i will learn to live with it better that way.
Has anyone got any tips for coping with interviews, i have three coming up eek.
Tips for interviews:
* try to find something out about the company/organisation beforehand
* make sure you've had a good look at the job description so that you can ask intelligent questions about the job
* dress smartly, but don't make yourself uncomfortable (i.e. don't go for the killer hells then find you've got to wlk up three flights of stairs!)
* don't forget that you're interviewing them too - you need to find out about your employers so that you can decide whether you want to work for them or not
* shake hands firmly, look them in the eye and smile
* try to be yourself as much as possible - interviewers can see through it if you're putting on an act
* make the best of negative experiences - OK, you had to take a lot of time off work sick, but you used that time to find out more about yourself and re-evaluate your life.
Good luck!!
I have had the odd day off following a panic attack, and then had 3 and a half weeks off due to bad side effects of my medication. My manager has not been supportive at all, in fact I had a disciplinary for been off sick even though I was signed off by the gp. My boss never asks me how I am, she just says Im selfish because all I think about is myself. She also said to me that why do I need a sick day after a panic attack I told her that following a panic attack I feel dizzy and weak and very anxious, she just looked at me as if to say yeah yeah whatever!
Joannaglassheart
08-02-11, 17:54
Sammylou - oh no your work place and boss sound terrible! Try not to let them get you down, you are very brave continuing to work.
Johnny582 - well done about the interviews! Tell me....how did you know when you felt fit enough to go back to work?
I have been off work for 6 months now due to my anxiety. It was getting progressively worse until I decided to start taking some more positive steps towards recovery and see a therapist. I saw my doctor yesterday and he actually advised me to go back to work but I don't know how I can keep a grip on the panic attacks and anxiety, particularly in interviews and the first stages of a new job.
Also what happens if you get bad days/set backs, etc? These happen to me roughly every fortnight and the anxiety can sometimes be so scary. There is no way I would be able to work with under those circumstances, especially with a new job! So then you end up taking days off sick in a new job, which probably wouldn't bode well for the future!!! But then maybe I am just saying all this stuff because I am not really well enough to work just yet? Any advice on this subject?
I'm on day 4 taking citolapram and I had a horrible customer at work. I had a really bad panic attack which I could barely control and it felt like I stepped out of my body. Anyway, I'm home now and still really worked up with a headache now. I am feeling like I can't face work anymore, but have got to go.
The thing is I am renowned for keeping my cool and managing difficult customers, until now. I am the practice manager.
to be honest, i didnt know i was ready to go back. work said if i didnt i would lose my job, didnt have much choice, plus i was stupid when i was younger and got loan, so i couldnt afford to lose my job. To begin with i went in for half days and struggled but i a ear later i am still there, well until i was made redundant.
HOw ever the longer you put it off the harder it will get.
Thanks for the interview tips. I just had my first one over phone, i started feeling really odd increadibly light, almost weightless, then my phone died.....so that went well. now dreading the rest.
oh the joys of anxiety
Greenman50
08-02-11, 20:47
How do you manage your jobs? Are your employers supportive? is it best to be straight with them or hide the anxiety as best you can?
I am on my 3rd day of citalopram and am going to work tomrow, I'm not having any time off. Did anyone need time off to get used to new meds?
Sorry about the thousand questions!:unsure:
I had 2 weeks off when i started the cit , sort of :whistles:, i,m self employed so did "bits" but really wasn,t up to it .
Well done for you getting straight back to work . If you don,t want to tell your boss , don,t for the time being and play it by ear and see how you get on.
can't face it today, dizzy, headache and lightsensitive:weep:
Hi Aislynn
If you're a practice manager, then that is a pretty stressful job as there are loads of deadlines to meet and difficult people every day thrown in for good measure.
I would try and take it a day at a time; as you work for the NHS, are you in a position where you can chat to one of the doctors about how you're feeling? Obviously, they're not in a position to offer treatment, but they should be understanding about the issues as they will see them in their patients every day.
Also, think about joining a union (Unison or Unite will cover you in this line of work), as sometimes it can be very useful to have an advocate when you're not in the best position to stand up for yourself.
PM me if you want to know any more about union membership, as I'm a rep in my line of work.
its actually an opticians practice, would the union help me still?
Hi again
They should be able to, I would have thought, as they do have the facility to cover people who are in the private sector as well. Try ringing up the main office for your region (you should be able to find this online) and ask whether they cover people in your line of work. We certainly have members in places like private nursing homes, so I would have thought that you'll be OK.
HI,
I also just started citralopram yesterday and went to work for the day. I was coping well up untill about 11 and then I had a sudden head rush and then a feeling of pins and needles around my neck and head.
I have not gone to work today and am on day 2 and again have this burning sensation in my head now and again with a tingling sensation.
Have any of you experienced these feelings?
Thanks
day 6, used the snooze button for the 1st time ever! I think I slept ok,but very tired and heavy headed. Very spaced out feeling. I could hardly eat my crumpets, but made myself. I really don't want to take my tablet , but I know I have to feel worse to feel better. Not sure if I can go to work.
I was just coming on here to ask if anyone has any tips for how they cope at work. I had a the whole of last year off of work, due to my very bad anxiety and panic attacks, but just started a new job this week. At first I was absolutely fine, on the first day, but over the last couple of day's I have been feeling quite anxious, especially in the morning's. I need the job, and obviously have no intention of quitting, but I just wondered how everyone else copes when they are having bad day's? And as it's a new job does anyone think I should talk to the manager about the problem?
Difficult one this, as it's a new job. Do you work for a large organisation? If so, try and find out if they have any policies about employee support or stress management. Some big organisations provide access to confidential helplines or counselling which can be very useful.
Otherwise, you could try having a quiet word with someone in HR to ask if there is any support for employees who are having problems inside or outside work (then you probably won't need to give any details).
Or, if you work in a place which is unionised, consider joining the union as they might be able to give you access to some support.
In the meantime though, just take it a day at a time and try to keep busy without getting overloaded - and most importantly, if you don't understand the work or the systems, ask for help.
When I got my first panic attack, it lasted a whole weekend, I obviously didn't know what the hell was going on and was scared still, so went to the hospital then to my GP. I was off work for that week, sorting myself out with GP appointments and I found a Counsellor. I work with my sister and she is a manager so she told the other managers I had had a bad panic attack and had been signed off for a week. Since then (it's been about 6 months), I have not taken any time off work at all. No idea how I have done it, I have had bad anxiety and depression at times, but I just felt I was better distracted at work than at home. Sis hasn't mentioned to work about the depression, just the anxiety. I know people can label you. Luckily for the past month, the meds and new dose I am on, seem to be working for me but it has been tough.
Has anyone gone back to work without meds. I have tried to recover naturally, its been really hard but i think it will be worth it, just wondered how people not on meds cope when having a bad day at work, i just plough on and try to get through it. Is ther an better way maybe?
I had to go to work, the morning was awful, really spaced out and panicky, tired.
But in the afternoon I felt much better, I was able to deal with the news of a ceo visit to my branch with just a smallish panic. RESULT!
Also I feel a bit "lighter", like a weight has been lifted.
I hope the visit happens in the afternoon tomorow, I don't think I make any sense in the morning, I also feel as if I'm very shaky.
I'm really struggling at the moment. I started my new job this week, and I have to go, because I need the money. When I'm there I'm fine, but it's the mornings on my way, and the evening's when I'm at home that I feel the worst. Does anyone else have this? Right now I just keep bursting into tears, and just have a lot of anxiety. I feel awful.
I am so pleased with myself, I had a branch visit from some very bigwigs in my co. I had a little anxiety, but nothing I wouldn't class as normal for the situation.
I've only been on 20 mg of Citalopram for 7 days, the side affects are getting bearable and I feel my anxiety levels going down. Fantastic!
BadReligion
12-02-11, 08:43
Hi,
before christmas my employers made me go and have an appointment with the company doctors about my anxiety due to it effecting the number of lates and absences on my record.
I didnt want to go and fought as hard as I could to get out of it as I wasnt comfortable with strangers having access to my medical records but never the less I went along.
The result was that I am now covered by some kind of disability act that means its near on impossible for them to fire me, I have also had all my shifts changed to a set pattern 8am - 2pm instead of having to work alternate lates and earlies.
If any of you get offered this kind of option I would take it as if your case is genuine there is really only 1 way it can go (in your favour)
This is my first post, just thought it might b helpful to someone.
:)
thanks, thats really good to know:)
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