I'm 28 yrs old and I've just joined the community after strugglich with persistent worry and anxiety for a year and a half now. It has been getting better now, however I've had the chance to go for a really nice job position, a couple of months after my anxiety dissorder started. I set a target of 1 year and decided to take on the job and see if I'll manage to work and ease my anxiety. It was very hard at times and I was very close to quitting a couple of times , but at the end I managed to stay for a year and 2 months now. Generally, it has gotten better, but mornings are still the worst, I get heart palps , zoom out, have shortness of breath in random moments and generally started feeling weird about my existence.. I also developed maybe a cardiophobia, because of antidepressants and palpitations (this is my explanation) and am still constantly thinking about my hearth beating the whole time and focusing so much on it, that I cannot really ralax and focus on other things. I stopped doing sports, because my hearth rate increases as expected and this makes me even more anxious. Started doing EFT therary and it has helped me, but still I feel confused and kinda disconected from my everyday life. Now, I have the feeling it is high time to focus on my mental health, though I dont know if quiting work will actually help me or worsen it, since I'd have much more free time for woring and bad thoughts. In the same time I feel like i cannot go to the office every day (I'm working in finance and tasks could be challenging) and pretend like nothing's wrong. I feel like I need to hear other ppl's oppinion, cuz it is very hard talking about my condition to my family , because they cannot relate to it and maybe think that I'm overexaggerating.
Every tip or oppinion will be highly appreciated!!
Thank guys!!
Written by
MirMar
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Is there any way you could cut your hours for a while & see how that goes. I found i couldn't work as many hours due to my physical health & had quite a few weeks furloughed/sick, this actually made my mental health worse. I had far too much time on my hands alone. I now work one full day a week, which really helps. I know this isn't always possible. Could you work from home a couple of days a week?
I'm always worse in the winter, the short dismal days makes it harder to find things to do to distract from overthinking. In the spring & summer i take myself for short walks in the fresh air & on good days i can chat to people.
I hope you find a solution to help your work situation.
Something that helps me get through my day is that whenever i start to overthink any bodily sensations i get up and do something, whether its wash up, hoover the room, go for a walk and really take in everything i see and hear, just try to get on with living in the here & now. Its not always easy but it tells your brain that there is no danger, slowly over time you re-train your brain to not be on high alert.
Hope you have a good christmas & a happy & healthy new year 🎅
Readding your post I can totally relate and understand what you are going through. I have/had Cardiophobia and general anxiety too. My struggles started 8 years ago and at first I did not understand want was ging on and I started avoiding all situations that made me anxious or uncomfortable. This is called Avoidance Behaviour and it is keeps us trapped in our anxious world. I avoided everything that made me anxious apart from work. I did not give work despite want too quit on numerous occasions. Looking back I can honesty say that not quitting work was one of best decisions I made (I am not saying this would work for everyone). I went through ever morning what you are ging through now and it was worth it because is stopped just retreating into my ever decreasing comfort zone.
Now onto what helped me control cardiophobia/anxiety:
Admitting I had anxiety and I need help was the most important step, along with not hiding my anxiety form other. When I started sharing with others how I felt, i could not believe how many others were struggling too.
Joining this site and similar online support groups helped too. it was good connect with others going through the same issues. someone the advice I received was priceless.
Next it was researching self-helps books and what sort of therapy is best suited to cardiophobia. I found Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) was excellent. The Happiness Trap is excellent book for ACT.
Regular exercise was another breakthrough and the most difficult thing to get into because I felt that my I would drop dead if I pushed myself too much physically. I sent 5 years avoiding anything more than a slow walk. If you have been given the all clear from you doctor to exercise the I recommend downloading the Couch to 5K app. there are lost free C25K apps available.
As you will discover form the books if you decide to get them that only way to control our anxiety if to accept it and stop fearing it. Meting our anxiety head on and moving with the fear and body sensations is the only way to move forward.
I have had a recent relapse of my cardiophobia but its been far more manageable this time around because of the knowledge I gained form the above books.
I will finish by sharing a TED TALK by Dr Steven Hays that out on the road to recovery.
Hi, MirMar. I think it's great that you had given yourself a time to stay at your job and that you have been there an extra 2 months!
I had posted something similar to what you have. I have had the same anxiety, feeling like I want to quit jobs (in the past). However, I have recently told myself, that this time, I am not going to let my mind and my nerves stop me from doing what I want to do.
I have just inquired about a volunteer job and am feeling good/hopeful about being able to do the job. I say this, BC I know how you feel w/ job anxiety. I have had many, many yrs of not being able to work, but this time, I am going to look at it more positively.
There is one relaxing exercise that I have learned. You tense up all the muscles in your body, one part at a time. First your facial muscles (jaw, etc.), then move on to your neck and then shoulders and down your whole body until you are at your toes. With each tightening of your muscle, you let out a long breath as you relax that muscle. The goal is to feel your entire body relaxing so you feel more calm.
(You might need to do this a couple+ times a day).
I hope this helps and I hope you can feel better so you will be able to continue to be at your job. You have accomplished so much already!
I wish you the best!
(If I am missing something or have said something inaccurate about the above exercise, someone please correct me.) Thank you.
Occupation is therepeutic, it allows you to take your mind off your symptoms and realise there is more to life and living than anxiety disorder.So you have two choices.
1. Stay at home stewing in bed or sitting between the four walls obsessing and stressing about all the false symptoms that anxiety disorder throws at you every 5 minutes.
2. Go to work, accept (for the time being) the fake symptoms of anxiety disorder which are only caused by over sensitisation of your nervous system, not true organic illness. Accept them, agree to co-exist with them for the moment and get on with a job that brings you self-respect and reward.
By Acceptance you will lose your fear of the symptoms, or to be more precise you will lose your fear of the fear.
Put your energy into de-sensitising your nervous system through true Acceptance which in time will cause your exaggerated fears and symptoms to yield and you will regain your quiet mind.
Stop fighting your symptoms. Fighting only causes more stress and strain. "That which we resist persists".
Extra time only gives anxiety ample ammunition to attack with …
Maybe a “long” short walk almost everyday will help ..I’m 75 and I drag myself out the door “everyday” to ride my bicycle 8 to 10 miles ..it’s very difficult but I always feel better afterwards. I’ve been fighting this demon all of my life and I have no idea how I managed to practice nursing (RN) in the emergency department but it kept my mind on other people’s problems.
Keep pushing forward even though it’s very, very difficult and let anxiety know that YOU ARE IN CHARGE!!! Keep the fight up..🥊..your mental health is at stake!!!
Anxiety can make us think in terms of black and white sometimes when it might not be in our best interest. i personally would suggest keeping your job and also focusing on your healing at the same time, especially if it's a job you like. It's not the job that's causing you the anxiety but how you are reacting to it and the thoughts and beliefs you have about it. You could benefit from learning what anxiety is and how to constructively deal with it, I recommend the DARE Anxiety book and youtube videos, I also found their phone app very helpful. Another helpful thing is leaning and practicing simple mindfulness/meditation so you can realize that you are not your distressing thoughts and that you don't have to believe them and be able to let them flow in and out of your mind without attaching to them. It's also a great way to calm yourself down and be more present in your body and life. it's also helpful to investigate and determine why and where your anxiety came from and why you still have it in order to better focus on any additional healing you may need to do.
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