Panic Attacks Support Group
A panic attack is a period of intense fear or discomfort, typically with an abrupt onset and usually lasting no more than thirty minutes. Symptoms include trembling, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, sweating, nausea, dizziness, hyperventilation, and sensations of choking or smothering. Panic attacks can be very sudden, appear to be unprovoked, and are often...
I've been off for some time now about 3 weeks now because of my GAD and I was just recently diagnosed with nocturnal panic attacks. With this time off I've been selfish and just working on me with my last week coming up before heading to work, I don't find that I'm ready to go back or feel like I'm ready too. I explained it to my therapist like this if I were to go back now I would be 4 steps back from my progress that Iv'e made in the little time, and if I give myself some more time and when I go back to work it will be 1-2 steps back if I have a bad day. Just there is something telling me not to go back to work too soon or all this progress that I've made will be for nothing and I've work already so hard. I'm just stuck on how I'm feeling about the whole situation, has anyone else gone through this?
I have GAD and I have been there. I think it is really important to take the time off that you need, or you will continue to slip back. I didn't work for about 3 months after having a major meltdown from work stress. The time off was extremely helpful. I saw a therapist, a psychologist, I exercised and ate well, I did creative things, I even started a small side business that kept my focus on something other than my anxiety. I was accommodated into a less stressful job and have been there over a year now, making great strides in my anxiety levels and quality of life. But I had a setback this week. I slipped a bit and had a bad anxiety episode. I took 2.5 days off and went back today, only because I felt I thought I was ready. But if I felt today the way I felt yesterday, I wouldn't have gone.
I think it is very important that you listen to your gut. You have a good idea of when you will be ready and when you aren't yet. You need to communicate that to your health care practitioner, because if you are not ready, you will not get better. Self care is extremely important with GAD, so is rest, real rest.
Peace to you and listen to your body/mind. xo