Should I quit my job?

[Smink]

Hi everyone, I’m working in a new job at the moment and finding it really difficult because of some social anxiety. I did the first week and then had a mental breakdown at home and had to take the next week off. I have been in only one day since then and I took today off again.

I want to quit but I feel like I’m just running away from my problems. I find it really difficult to talk to others in the office particularly this girl who I started with. I’m so self conscious all the time and never know what to do like to get lunch with her or not. I usually get lunch on my own and don’t want to talk to anybody.

I’m torn because I need to be working and not staying at home, I need the money, all the people there are nice, and I don’t know if I could go back to working in a restaurant. The contract is only for a year so I have a time that I know I’ll be getting out. It’s really boring and not what I want to do for a career, I might go back to college next year. But like I said, I need to work before then.

I’m currently looking for a therapist to work on the anxiety but I don’t think I will have one for at least a few weeks. I want to avoid medication at all costs.

My GP says that I should really only tackle these issues at work when I have the tools and support, and I don’t really have this yet. My theory is that I’ll be able to start a new job again some time once I’ve worked with a therapist for a while, but until then I will be really struggling with anxiety and it will be damaging for my health.

I’m not too sure, though. Should I just suck it up and power through? I feel like when I tell myself that I’m damaging my health it’s just my soft side making excuses for myself.

Thanks

[designguy]

I suggest finding a therapist that specifically treats social anxiety disorder, if there isn't one near you there are online programs available. There is also a lot info on youtube about it. For whatever reason you have learned some beliefs about yourself that aren't true and need to relearn now productive ways of perceiving yourself and others. SA can also be caused by low-self-worth and low-self-esteem so it's critical to improve and heal that part of yourself. There is also a lot info on youtube about that. There wasn't a SA specialist near me so I did a online program from the socialanxietyinstitute.org

[Smink in reply to designguy]

thanks very much designguy, this has been very helpful. I will see if I can find a specialist for that area specifically