If your medication doesn't work or makes you feel worse instead of better, it's not the right medicine for you, call your doctor. If your anxiety is so bad that the thought of putting in a resume or job application makes you throw up, you might want to see if there is anyway you can get disability, or find a way like meditation or exercise that let's your mind calm down enough for you to do the things you need or want to.

I work with anxiety and PTSD and have for decades, and without medication. So, if I can do it so can you.

In fact, working gives me a sense pride and accomplishment, not to mention money which greatly lowers anxiety. Working also helps me focus on other things in life like helping others, and meeting new people. It also gives me an increased sense of self-respect.

Which is very important to those of us who suffer from anxiety.

So just tell yourself you can do it, and see how much better you'll feel once those paychecks start coming in.

Meg, many people who truly need to go on disability, can't afford to wait nearly 30 months for approval. It took my son 28 months to get his, and the process was so overwhelming and stressful it's unimaginable.

George70101
Thanks for your comments. I'm wondering if you experience any physical symptoms from your anxiety? I usually end up throwing up, and unfortunately it isn't just once it can last for a couple of hours, when I have really bad anxiety. I don't think that my new boss would appreciate me throwing up all the time.
I am unfortunately not like you, I can't live with the anxiety without medication because it is 10 times worse for me. I have had CBT, so I know how to handle my anxiety and sometimes the techniques work and sometimes they are no help at all. I'm sorry but not everyone is the same not everyone's anxiety levels are the same so for you to say that if you can work so can I, just isn't realistic.

I envy anyone who can take medication for anxiety, I've tried but I can't. SSRI's make me so I'll I can even get out of bed, much less work.

My physical symptoms were panic attacks mainly. My psychological symptoms are much worse. They generally involve isolation, lack of focus, a poor memory, lack of patience with others, mood swings, insomnia, but thankful no depression. These feeling have become worse since my son passed away last September, due to his long struggle with his bipolar illness, where he left me tens of thousands of dolllars in debt, with his school and medicial bills.. Now I'm alone for the first time since early 1977, when his mother and I started dating.

My PTSD come from the fact I was in combat in Vietnam as a teenager. And never received any V.A. care, support, or understanding for. I think I've had enough of this.

George70101
I am so sorry for your loss. And thank you for serving our country I think its sad the way we treat our Vets everyone who has been to war I think should have some type of therapy when they get back home, that is no way to thank the men and woman who fought for our country. I'm glad that you don't have any physical symptoms because it really does make it hard to live your life normally. You feel like there is certain places you can't go because you may get sick. Unfortunately I have the physical and mental symptoms which sucks!!

George, I'm sorry for your loss. And I know people who have had to go through the process of signing up for disability and I know it's stressful and time consuming, but if it's someone's only option they really should try to get that help.

Also, I completely understand about the SSRIs, I can't take them either. That's why I tell people if it feels like their medicine isn't doing what it's supposed to then they need to talk to their doctor. I ended up in the psych ward last month because I started telling my docs in January that I wanted to go off my meds because it felt like they weren't working and might actually be doing more harm than good. Instead of prescribing me the lower dose so I could start weaning off they upped one of my medications and told me to keep taking the other. I ended up with severe mood and personality changes because of this, I had a month long migraine that I had to go to the ER for treatment for twice because it got so bad I couldn't stand or function.

That's why I always encourage people to be vocal if they think there is a problem with their meds. If they've been on it two weeks and they feel worse instead of better, something is wrong.