Anxiety Support Group

so, i just recently got back into my theropy, after not having insurance or a job to afford it. and now, after a couple weeks of seeing my theropist again, i got a new job. its a telemarketing job, which is tough for me. i thought that getting this job would be a GOOD thing, that maybe it would help me to overcome the things that make my anxiety so severe...well, i am realizing it was just the opposite. its making my anxiety even more OVERWHELMING, because trying to tackle all of the following at once is becomming a nightmare:
1-talking on the phone.
2-being in a confined space with a large amount of people for a long period of time.
3-doing telemarketing, you have to read a script word for word, and i've ALWAYS had difficulties reading out loud.
4-along with having to read a script, you also have to make sure you pronounce the people's names correctly.
5-you NEVER hang up the phone, which means when one call is done you sit and wait for the automatic dialer to connect to you to the next person.
6-you are NEVER, under any circumstance, allowed to give up on a call. the place i work for doesnt SELL anything, we collect donations for causes such a breast cancer. we hear a lot of excuses, and we are NOT allowed to say "okay, thanks anyway bye."..NO! we have to find a way to keep them on the phone and we have a list of the most common excuses peopl give as to why they cannot donate, we have to look for the excuse on our sheet and then ALSO read THAT word for word to try and convince them to donate.(for each excuse, there is something WE have to say in return.).

and also, needless to say, being a telemarketer, you catch a lot of crap from people. its normally either someone hanging up on you in the middle of the script, or someone cussing you out and THEN hanging up. again, i thought this was going to be a good thing, and its turning into something very bad. i'm not sure how to handle this because even walking into the place i work sets my anxiety off like a rocket. its so overwhelming, and i just wish i knew what to do. i'm considering quitting, because i think it would set me back on all the progress i've made with my mental health, if i ended up with another job termination. i hear that this kind of job rarely works out for people, so maybe if i just tell them its not my thing and that its not working out things might be okay. i AM looking for another job, since i've been home sick with a kidney infection.
it always seems like one thing after another.

any advice or suggestions would be SO greatly appreciated. thank you for taking the time to read my situation.
Posted on 10/29/09, 03:10 am