I took Paxil for 10 years and it didn't reduce my fears, it reduced my anxiety. In order to get rid of the actual fears I had to go to therapy and work very hard at adjusting the way I think about myself and the world around me. I would have loved a miracle pill to just take it all away, but sadly, that is not the way it worked.

Are you working with a therapist or have you considered working with one? They can help tremendously with the fears you have.

I think the biggest thing with anxiety is, it is fear about the things we have no control over. We can't control if someone is going to hire us. We can't control if they will turn around and lay us off or fire us even if we have done the best job we know how to do. Bills do seem so incredibly overwhelming. They are a reality of life of course but they are probably also one of the biggest stressors people have in life. The best thing I can tell you is when you get a job, sit down and write out a budget. Take your time doing it so that you don't leave anything out. Write everything you have to pay and what date it needs to be paid by. Then figure what your expected income is. I always make a budget with a "Plan B" like for example if it turns out I do not have enough money to pay the light bill on this or that date, then how much % of the amount due will they accept and still keep the service connected, and when will the remaining balance be due. Please note, this is NOT intended to be a lecture about money management. (I wouldn't qualify to give you that!) The written budget simply gives you a feeling of CONTROL, which you desperately need in order to have less anxiety. I took Prozac very successfully when I was much younger. It helped me greatly. But nowadays it seems my body has 'turned against it'. It made me agitated when I tried to go back on it, which I was very disappointed about. There are many success stories about Prozac though. Stay on it and give it a fair chance. Hopefully it will level you out! Good luck to you.

I would have to agree that the two biggest stressors in my life are worry, worry , worry and money! As so many others, we live paycheck to paycheck and I worry that if something was to happen to my husband what will I do?

My husband I do the same thing as Sadie does! Every month we sit down with the bills and if we do not have enough money then we decide how much is over due with say the internet and phone bill, we pay that and then try to catch up next month! We are constantly robbing peter to pay paul, and it sucks!

As far as the stress of finding a job, been there done that. I was so excited that I had found a small part time job and only worked 5 days and my anxiety just wouldn't let me do it! I was so disappointed in myself and feel like I let my husband down! I counted all my change back twice for each customer and I was still written up for being $4 short and I know I was not! Being written up after only 5 days made me feel like a worthless piece of garbage, so now my anxiety is even worse about finding a job!

I envy the people on this board that have BAD anxiety, but still manage to hold down jobs, because obviously I cannot do that! :(

Hang in there and give the prozac a chance to work, it may take up to 6 weeks, but when it works it WORKS! Keep us posted on how you are feeling!

Your fears are very similar to mine. I have great fears of not being able to hold down a job again (even though I have many times). It is the fear that stops me not the actually reality of my competence.

I take Clonazepam and it helps, but it doesn't solve my bottom line fears. I just have such a deep fear of taking care of myself financially and I feel only therapy, being active, sharing my story and small steps will help. I write this knowing I have to take my own advice as it is a challenging time for me too.

I don't know what to say as I'm in a similar place as you are, as I believe many people are. Know that this is not an easy time to find a job and be gentle with yourself as much as possible. Easy to say, hard to do! I really feel your pain, it is a hard place to be...

I've never tried Prozac, but I take Ativan as needed. It does indeed help, but not a permanent solution. You're fears are common ones and would make anyone anxious. I do hope you find relief with Prozac. It's an emotional roller coaster that's for sure. You're not alone. Hope you find something that works for you.

I once went to a doctor who said recovery is only 10% meds, 90% is ourselves. I don't know if that ratio is correct but it's something along those lines.
I think the thing is...that pills aren't a cure-all. I take buspar, too, and alone it helped a little but it was like putting a bandaid on a bullet wound. I got ativan a few months after starting the buspar and it's helped a lot.
As far as the ativan goes...it's hard to describe what it does, I guess. I don't know how many people get it prescribed soley for panic attacks but I know I was given it for social anxiety and then was increased when I expressed worries about things like being home at night, etc.
I know that when I first started taking it I kept telling my friends it wasn't working right but the thing is you sort of have to let the pills do their thing and not focus on it. I can tell when it has kicked in but I don't focus on that; I focus on all the things I feel better about doing now that a lot of the *edge* of the fear is gone. It doesn't make it go away completely.
I have a lot of the same worries as you; I am sooo afraid of getting a job. A million things about it, too many to even begin to tell, but don't focus on that right now.
Focus on what you *can* do, the little steps that will lead you to being able to do the things you are now afraid of.
Personal experience; in May I went to a job class-thing but dropped out after being unable to even be in the class, much less get the job.
But now I babysit; I know I can do that to bring in a little extra money, and at first it was once a month and now it's more than once a month and I've even started being able to take care of friend's kids and not just the one family I started out with.
It's just a small step; a little money, a lot of time to do it. But I did it. And I know that if you're somehow able to work through some of the issues you have now, you'll be able to recongize the baby steps and take them too.
Are you in therapy? Therapy has been a big help. But therapy is like finding the right med because some therapists aren't right for everybody. But therapy is really part of it; I think meds alone are fine, therapy alone is fine, but together they're a lot bigger of a help than either alone.

Thank You for all your replies. The Ativan has helped the anxiety but put me to sleep the other day. I am thinking I needed that nap after being on edge for so long. I am not in therapy but that is why I come here. I feel people who have been through it can help. I can't afford therapy but have considered working with one if I could. I don't know why I have a big fear of job hunting. I know others do it and it is stressful. I am not lazy and I know I would be an asset.

Sadie and dazed, I will take you advice about a budget but need a job also. I think scrimping now will make it easier. I would be upset to get written up on a job also but it happens but I know when you have bad anxiety it seems so much worse. I am like caught between afraid of a job but need one I think to help my anxiety but then I will be anxious. I feel like a big baby. It is the fear Aloha and not my competence, I feel like I would be an asset. It's insane.

Thanks RR. I just can't afford therapy without a job, I am so afraid of life in general but especially on this. the doctor said the Prozac will take a while. I am not so much depressed as I was just very anxious. I am going to try baby steps. I am so afraid. I hope we can all get the courage to overcome our fears. I will try my best.

Thanks for the advice. I will try to keep it all in mind and hope it helps make me stronger.

QP