Anxiety

[saraxx24]

Hi everyone! This is my first time ever trying anything like this. Looking for support online.

I’ve been dealing with really bad anxiety for probably about 2 years now. Depression has come and gone but the anxiety is always there. When it first started two years ago, I was waking up every single morning to throw up. Just the thought of going to work would make me anxious. Mind you, I work a very simple job. A lot of it is talking on the phone and that’s what works me up. I don’t know why I get this nasty pit feeling in my stomach whenever I have to make a call, or answer the phone. I’ve worked here for almost 5 years now and this only started 2 years ago. I was throwing up every morning and unable to eat anything throughout the day. My appetite was gone. I was calling out a lot because I could not get myself out of bed. Everything in my body told me to not get up. If I did make it to work, I would spend the first 1-2 hours going back and forth to the bathroom because of a mixture of nausea and diarrhea. A few times I couldn’t do it and I would show up to work for an hour just to leave early.

Things are different now. I would say they are somewhat better. I don’t feel the urge to throw up in the mornings anymore, I just wake up with a stomachache every morning that eventually subsides after about 30 mins at work. But my appetite is still nowhere to be found. I can’t eat in the mornings because everything makes me gag. Nothing sounds or looks good. If I do get something to eat, after about two bites I’m repulsed by it and can’t finish, regardless of what it is. I can’t finish ANY of my meals. My friends make fun of me because I’ll eat a quarter-half of my plate, they think I’m crazy. But halfway through my meal my body decides it doesn’t want it. I don’t know how else to explain it.

Pair this with the social anxiety I feel, my days consist of going to work, then going straight home to my room. If there’s food at home that I can actually digest then I’ll eat. Otherwise, a lot of the time I just don’t eat anything. I feel so anxious about interaction with other people that I can’t even go to the restaurant down the street to get some food. Instead I just don’t eat. Don’t get me started on hanging out with friends. If there’s someone there that I don’t know, I can’t do it. I’m so scared of meeting a new person.. which is so irrational and I know it is but instead I just make an excuse as to why I can’t go. I’m scared to be in social settings, I don’t know what to do with myself and just feel anxious the whole time. The only thing that takes away the fear is drinking. But I don’t want to have to drink before every single event to be able to make myself sociable.

This is a long post, but I don’t think I’ve ever written all of this down before. Or even said it out loud. Not sure what I’m looking for here... but, that’s me.

[jocie609]

Well first of all thank you for sharing your truth with all of us here!! Yes it can be quite a weight off of your chest to even write it down and read it to yourself. I am glad that you have made progress with your anxiety concerning regurgitation and being able to get out of bed to go to work. It definitely is a journey and it can get very hard sometimes so keep coming here and sharing with all of us...

[Hidden in reply to jocie609]

Thanks for all your great advice and care for us all. 👍😊

[Hope_epoH]

Hang on... You will get better. We will all get better... You are a strong person and you can overcome this.

[CatIsMyCopilot]

Thanks for sharing. I'm sorry you have to deal with the constant nausea. Are you trying to treat your anxiety in any way?

[Lynl]

Hi , welcome , and first I want to thank you for sharing , snd there is a way out of this , first , your stomach and mind have to get relaxed , but I want to give you a couple tips that are “not” drug prescriptions , first when you get up instead of thinking of getting sick and social anxiety , lay in bed for a few minutes on your back stretched , put one hand on your belly and one hand in your chest, take five slow deep breaths through your nose and let out your mouth . Think about only positive “ I know it’s not easy but fight like hell to ignore the negative” but think about how you would like your day to go , if you believe in God , pray, then do a couple of stretches , take time to get a relaxing shower with nice essential oil body wash like lavender or ginger, also , make some chamomile tea in a nice thermal bottle to take with you snd have some whole grain toast , now you just gave yourself a mini body reading spa and prayed your intentions for the day by pampering yourself snd it only took a small amount of time . Pack a bland lunch add protein and fruit or yogurt , small meals and try this day by day, a therapist may be good . Prayers for a great day from here on❤️Give yourself you time. Papaya herb pills are settling on your stomach all natural. Go for a small walk at lunch if you can to regroup for second half of the day

[saraxx24 in reply to Lynl]

Thank you so much! I’m going to try all of this

[Lynl in reply to saraxx24]

You won’t regret it , it actually feels great knowing your helping yourself in a positive way . And you start talking to more positive people . Some days you may feel like you don’t want to but if you do it anyway you feel a sense of accomplishment . Keep in touch . You Got This 😊

[Lazy_dog_lover]

Welcome to the group. Sometimes you will get questions back. Sometimes you will get inspirational hugs. It is a safe place to talk. Don't worry about the length of a post.

I usually start with clarifying questions. 1) have you ruled out medical issues for the morning illness? Acid Reflux. Gall bladder. Other stuff. If you are not eating, you are missing essential nutrients, which may be upsetting your system.

2) If you are on meds, are these listed as side effects? Call you doctor for either adjustments or adding an anti-nausea med. 3) Think back 2 years. Did something change inside our outside of work which has now made work a trigger? 4) What do you do for a release of anxiety energy? Exercise...yoga...meditation... kick boxing (which is really fun) 5) How do you sleep? Is it restful? Is it broken into small chunks?

Some days it sucks to be us, but it is who we are. We work through it, together.

[JapaneseFuton]

Welcome and hoping you will find some strength on this site. I have received only kindness and concern. I am all to familiar with the “stress diet” as I have nicknamed it. ( I had several people compliment my weight loss at the time and that was my comedic response to a serious issue.

All of the responses have addressed every suggestion I have thought of. I hope you can find ways to feel better.