scared i will never find proper employment

[GirlAfraid23]

I want a full time job & to do well in life - make a home for myself, a car etc.
But I cant imagine it will ever happen with my anxiety.
Make it all go away :(

[theharvestmouse]

You have to do it one step at a time, otherwise you would never even bother to get out of bed if you thought about everything. Anxiety makes it harder but it is possible to work full time even with this illness. You need to take steps, rather than think about everything all at once.

Its tough at the moment, a lot of people are struggling, so you are not alone. Don't give up before you start.

[GirlAfraid23]

I have been to uni, got some experience behind me but really want to be a writer/author, but I know its unlikely to ever happen for me.
I have had some articles published online but I would love to do it full time.

[melvin]

hi mate
iv had panic attacks and health anxiety for many yrs . but iv never let it stand in the way of what i want iv run my own business for the last 5 yrs i have to travel up and down the country every day but i just get on with it . im sure you will find employment and do well in life

[Groundhog]

When I talk to students at school about their aspirations I always tell them anything is possible if you want it bad enough......and of course if you are willing to work at it (which a lot of youngsters aren't). If you want to be a writer and you have had positive responses to work already published then it is within your grasp, it won't happen overnight and you may have to work in a dead end job to attain it but sometimes sacrifices have to be made. I'm a teacher - I haven't always been one and when, many years ago, I decided that was what I wanted I took a job as a general 'dogs body' in a school, over the years I took a degree and all the training offered - I worked for free gave up my own time on a regular basis and just generally made a 'polite' nuisance of myself untill someone gave me an opportunity and here I am now it wont happen overnight and may take longer with the old anxiety anchor weighing you down. there's a saying about the longest journeys starting with the first step and its very very true

[flossie]

I have been to uni, got some experience behind me but really want to be a writer/author, but I know its unlikely to ever happen for me.
I have had some articles published online but I would love to do it full time.

I know exactly how you feel but I'm going to kick you up the bum now.
Read you own post. You are obviously feeling very negative about the world at the moment but it doesn't have to be this way. You want to be a writer. So be a writer. You have already had work published online so you can't be bad at it. Only your negativity and believing that you can't do it is stopping it from happening. You don't know if you can achieve your dream if you don't try. Many people write for years before they are published so keep at it and one day it may just happen for you. Keep writing.

[macc noodle]

I have been to uni, got some experience behind me but really want to be a writer/author, but I know its unlikely to ever happen for me.
I have had some articles published online but I would love to do it full time.

Wow - what an achievement in itself.

This should give you the belief that you have the skills and that you have interesting things to say that people want to read.

Why not start a blog ? Write about you and your life - tackling anxiety or living with anxiety?

Contact you local newspaper and see if they are looking for any freelance writers.

In fact, why not advertise your writing skills on a freelance website ?

See if the BBC has an trainee journalist schemes in your area - I know that it is very competitive - but if you don't try then you will never know ...

There are lots of positive things you can do and be confident that you have a skill that is transferrable into a work environment when you are strong enough to do so. In the meantime, getting as much experience by offering your services to local papers etc will make your CV look better and will show your motivation to improve yourself and work hard towards a career in writing.

[mikewales]

One of my friends is an author, and has had 3 books published, with a 4th on the way ( proper ones made of paper you can buy in bookshops, not online ones lol ), but, to get to the point where he could get published took years and years - he worked in a bookshop for most that time, plus loads of menial jobs over the years.

By all means follow your heart and try to become a writer, but it isn't something most people ( even freelance ) just wake up one morning and become. It may be better to look for some other kind of work, and do the writing in your spare time, at least that way you are earning money and also getting yourself out and doing some work.