Anxiety Support Group

Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...

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Severe Work Anxiety!!!!!

Misty82
Misty82

Hello.  I'm having a really rough time right now.  I have been dealing with anxiety for most of my life now but currently I am even more anxious due to unexpected things happening.  My exhusband is probably going to prison for a long while, leaving me fully financially responsible for our 4 children.  I was lucky enough to have his full financial help for over 6 years but soon, Ill be responsible for everything. 


The issue is, is that I have barely worked ever.  Ive had a few jobs here and there but I always quit after a few months due to my severe anxiety.  Which is part of the reason why he was fully financially supporting me since the split.  Now, I have to figure out how Im going to work when I am litterally horrified to do so.  I got a job at my boyfriends work for a few days a week.  I'd be basically a store clerk working by myself.  I am so anxious that I won't be able to absorb any information on how to do my job because I litterally blank out when I'm anxious. I come across as stupid because I can't pay attention when Im in that state of mind.  


I also have problems learning as I think I learn a lot differently then most.  It takes time for me to pick things up and absorb it.  I need repetition before I could understand things.  Im afraid tehy will tell me how to do something and I wont understand.  Ive had problems in the past working for a bakery where I was told I wasn't doing my job right, even though I was trying hard.  This made me feel very stupid and uncapable.  Im afraid of letting them down and people saying Im dumb.  Does anyone have any suggestions how to overcome work anxiety?  I start soon and Im terrified.  Im litterally feeling sick from all this but I have to work to support my kids.  I just don't feel mentally capable to do it or maybe its just my confidence.  I don't know.

hyperpgal
hyperpgal
I have work anxiety--and to be honest-the only thing that is working for it this year is medication. lexapro helps me get to work-without it I think I'd have to quit.
Tired
Tired
Talk to your doctor to see if you can get medicine that might help.
arfie
arfie
My suggestion is to keep right on doing what you are doing with this very post. Getting those anxieties into words and sharing about them can go a long way towards helping to manage them.

Gentle support while you work through those anxieties, play by play. You are not alone. Vent freely. Vent often. Listening. . .
Community LeaderMid
Mid
Write it out. Here's the thing about how you learn and making it effective in the work place-get comfortable with the best methods that help you find and remain calm, and use those for learning tasks on the job. I keep a small notebook to write down information and that helps me to maintain calm during the sharing of the instructions.

You can do this.

Knowing you are able to do for your self and your children will go a long ways to help you find the confidence to keep one foot in front of the other.
Misty82
Misty82
Thanks for the responses! As for medication, I have I’ve been on anti anxiety medication at one point for 10 years and kept switching cause it wasn’t working or making my anxiety and depression worse. Medication if it works is great but I haven’t found one that works for me and it’s a long process that I don’t really want to take right now.
I’m mostly worried because I can’t remember things easily which can cause more anxiety. I’m afraid others won’t understand at work and get annoyed with me. I just don’t pick things up quickly. I’m also very socially awkward and I’m going to be interacting with lots of people.
Bobby5000
Bobby5000
I'm a boss and I can say 95% of people can do the job if motivated. Suggestions.

1. First few days are hard. Create a list of procedures, suggestions. Review it at night. Have a notebook to keep track of things. .

2. Smile and be customer, oriented. Read a book on customer relations, such as Evenson Award Winning Customer Service: 101 Ways to Guarantee Great Performance..

3. If a customer is angry, first listen. Work on steps to address his problem.

4. Get in on time. A family member had a organization duties in a hospital and would come in 15 minutes early so that the schedules would be organized when people came in.

5. Get in the habit of smiling and agreeing with your boss. Occasionally candor is needed but get in the habit of getting along with your boss and coworkers.

I THINK YOU CAN DO IT! BEST OF LUCK.
mariG
mariG
Accept that it will be tough at first (maybe way less than you think), but keep convincing yourself that you CAN do it.
Write down everything you need to do and study it. Visualize yourself doing these things, practice talking to yourself, or whatever you need to feel more prepared.
Try not to be too tough on yourself, and you will start getting the hang of it soon

That's what I have to do every time I start working somewhere new.
Tired
Tired
Keep a pad of paper and a pen with you at work to write things down.
It doesn't matter what they think. And if you don't understand something
just ask again. It's ok. I have had social anxiety disorder all my life. Plus never learned how to socialize when I was growing up. Just do the best you can. I spent many of my working years not really talking to anyone at work. Not socializing. Just talked when I had to interact. I don't know what they thought of me. But I survived working for a living. Keep a picture if your kids in your head to motivate yourself. Goodluck.
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