Severe anxiety, advice much apreciated!

sarah.93.kel

Hi,

I'm a 24 years old and was diagnosed with Severe anxiety and health anxiety disorder when I was 20. I was barely functioning at the time and I have worked hard over the years to over come it.

I've just left a job I've been in 3 years because for the last year I'd been working with someone who was causing me hugee stress. I was tired all the time, suffering skipped heart beats and heart palpatations. Aches in legs and arms, terrible circulation, and crippling anxiety. I'd lost so much weight, down to 6.5 stone now. It got to the point i was having panic attack after panic attack all day long and could no longer to go in so i made the decision to hand in my notice.

Two days later I was offered a job in a lab (i'm a science graduate). Although I wanted to take some time away from work to work on myself and try get my anxiety back under control, my parents pushed me into taking it. They don't understand my mental health problems and said people can't just be out of work for no reason.

Now my anxiety is an all time high. From one stressful job straight into another. My anxiety terrifies me (I fear one day my palpatations will be too much strain on my heart) and I'm afraid to lose anymore weight. I've lost all hope of getting better and to be honest I question the point of living like this. All I want is advice from people who have been in a similar situation.

Do I quit the job? What happens if I quit? What do i do for money?? Do I sit around the house and draw dole? (I don't want to sit around) Can I do volunteer work? Can I get a disability benefit for my anxiety? All outcomes terrify me, but I feel like I really need some time to get my head together. I just want to know the process of leaving work because of anxiety

Will I Am Not

You’re still extremely young in work terms. Take time out and see someone with a view to getting better and back into work when the time is right, however long it takes.

Your well being is the most important thing right now. People do get over anxiety. It’s not the end of a normal life like you seem to think it is.
I really hope everything works out well for you but you must take the first steps to get yourself on the road.

koumi

In a similar situation but older, so less options in terms of work and employment anyway. I agree with the above, you are young enough to take time out, you can apply for illness benefit and possibly use the time to get some constructive help in terms of counselling or therapy which might help you find ways to manage your anxiety better.

I recently applied for disability allowance although I doubt it will be granted, in the meantime I'm in application for supplementary welfare, which I don't suppose is much but if things get bad I joked I would go and street beg, which I think might be preferable to trying to seek work under the circumstances. (and I hear there's good money in it too)

I'm hoping to be able to be functional enough to find work of a rehabilitative nature combined with therapy and possibly medication over the next year but currently doing my best to just take care of my health. Perhaps a chat with your doctor would be helpful. Best of luck

Shoobs86

Hi OP,

I absolutely know where you are coming from. Anxiety is terrifying; and being afraid makes the anxiety worse. I got to the same point as you; panic attack after panic attack until I was physically sick from the feeling of adrenaline in my body. I'm trying to think now, what changed? I'm 31 now, and this condition started when I was around 19. At that time, a friend pushed me (literally drove me there) to a counsellor. I know, that's the last thing anyone wants to hear and it sounds ridiculous when you are so anxious you can't think, but I can honestly say she saved my life. My GP tried to help, but he was very against any medication.

After finding a counsellor I liked (don't be afraid to say something if you feel it's not the right person) I made huge improvements and I really did feel much better.

More recently, I had a relapse and was back to the same point again - no sleep, sick all the time - only this time I was in pain as well. I have since seen a specialist in Galway for chronic pain, and as part of the treatment he put me on a very mild antidepressant and something for anxiety. I find it extremely helpful.

In terms of work; the first thing I would do is find out who the HR person is and meet them and tell them about your anxiety. They may be able to help; maybe reduce your hours a bit or reduce your responsibility level. I have asked to go to a 4 day week and they are considering it - it's not as scary as it feels to tell them. Write an email, even, if talking to them is too much. The next thing I would do is talk to your GP about supplementary income allowance, or long term illness benefit or disability. Your GP might be able to shed some light on it.

If you are interested in a counsellor, try to get one who is accredited from this list https://iacp.ie/page/therapists?co=&cat=&x=21&y=5

Most will do a discounted rate if you are out of work.

I hope this helps a little bit; would love to hear back to see how you are doing.

Gremlinertia

Both myself and my partner have issues with anxiety, it's another all consuming invisible problem that people of my parent's generation always called "suffering from nerves" which always make me angry.
The most important relationship you need to have now is with your doctor to see how to help you. If anxiety makes it hard to talk, write it all down and let your doctor read it, that's how I started with my doctor years ago. Best of luck to you, there's an anxiety and depression thread that a good few people post in too, always there for a rant..