Anxiety and Flashbacks

[Thumper25]

Hi, I’m a new member. A couple years ago, I was harassed by a coworker at a former job. I know I have anxiety and difficult emotions from it but idk what to do about them. The memories of the things he did sometimes flood in like repeating waves and get out of control and I usually loose control in these situations and hurt myself. I don’t have a therapist nor do I have private insurance. I haven’t talked about it in depth to anyone irl, only some over crisis chat lines and I didn’t tell them the whole story. It’s pretty bad and when I’m alone in my thoughts and memories of it, I sometimes feel scared. I don’t know how to heal from this.

[guynfl2chat]

Good day

I can remember my first anxious attack in High School..I sometimes put myself back in that situation to try and work through it but it's usually not helpful. I suggest you work on your current feelings and sensations..accept them.dont over think them. They exist today and they are getting your attention. Try and use a relaxation app or quiet meditation. It's difficult to understand why we get anxious or discomfort and we spend way to much to time on the why.. instead focus on the present and how you feel now. Breathe, distract, free your mind from some of the negative thinking. Everyone is different. Some days are worse than others and that is ok.

[goldieoldie]

hi,I sorry to hear about your experience with a co-worker...please try and not blame yourself ,its not your fault,and it only serves to conjure up more negativity,and so you beat yourself up metaphorically speaking.....I think it would help you to get it out of your system ,I have had several vey bad experiences in my life when I was very young ,it has blighted my life and made me a kot more wary of men---but thats my feelings and now that Im much older it just makes me feel sick at the thought of male behaviour in general,especially paedeophiles,===thousands of females are out there having had at least one or more similiar skirmish ,usually of a sexual nature or even bullying ,;unacceptable behaviour ect-if you wish to air your feelings --PM me

[Thumper25 in reply to goldieoldie]

I’m apprehensive about telling people in depth because i kinda feel bad to put that on them because it was such a horrible situation. The man was very interested in me when I he first met me and heard I was new. He asked me to get drinks with with and alluded to it at another time. I declined. Within approx a week, he started to disrespect and control me and target me in all sorts of ways. There were multiple incidents where he would come up to me and take my work away from me. I’d tell him respectfully to leave and that I don’t need his help and he would ignore it and just keep on or stand really close to me and made me feel uncomfortable. Then he started getting into my business in other ways, he would criticize me for things he wasn’t even a part of. He was very manipulative so he would use dramatics when doing so to sound real convincing. He was simply and sick, horrible person who wanted to control me. It seems to me as if he made a complete 180 switch when he realized I didn’t want to be with him and decided to harass me.

[b1b1b1 in reply to Thumper25]

Try to find a therapist or some type of mental health counseling. If you live in the UK I would think this would be available through the NHS. I am not sure how to go about this in the US. Post again with this question and some others may have ideas for low cost therapy in the US.

[Midori in reply to Thumper25]

Oh Thumper, There is one such man in nearly every office, who thinks he can get away with abusing the younger female workers. Many of us have experienced unwanted sexual attentions and the backlash when we make it known we don't appreciate it.

Please don't blame yourself, it wasn't in any way your fault.

Cheers, Midori