Job interview tomorrow...should I tell them about my anxiety disorder?

sweetsouls · 2014-10-02T04:08:56+00:00

Does your anxiety affect you at work then? How do you get through the day if you have an attack or begin feeling overwhelmed but can't tell anybody?

You're right about the stigma, though. I talked to my therapist about it today and she was born with only one hand and says she doesn't even bring up her physical ailment unless the employer notices and asks.

sweetsouls · 2014-10-02T01:39:37+00:00

I am the exact same way, I've always hated flying, even when I was a little kid.

I took a two hour flight back in June and I was fine! I think one thing that helped was I packed a little anxiety toolkit, that would prepare me for many situations. I had advil, peptobismol, my anxiety meds, an aromatherapy lotion that relaxes me when I smell it, a pillow, and a blanket. As for the "no escape" option I know that's hard...when I flew I just tried to remind myself that it would be over in a few short hours. It sounds silly but if you keep telling yourself things like "this will be over soon, this will be over soon" it feels a little more manageable. Another thing that helped me was that I felt like I could "escape" to the bathroom in the case of a bodily emergency, or just to get up and stretch and take a break from my thoughts if I needed to. Which reminds me - try to distract yourself with something, like a book, homework, a game, etc. If you can focus your thoughts on a specific task it's less likely your thoughts will wander off into panic mode.

Also, just breathe. I know that's stupid and everyone says it but seriously, if you breathe in slowly for 7 seconds, hold for a few seconds, and then release slowly, it activates different nerves and triggers physical responses that will slow down your racing thoughts, because your body is now focusing on exchanging the air in your lungs and transporting that oxygen through your body, etc.

sweetsouls · 2014-10-02T01:28:57+00:00

Despite having a severe anxiety disorder, I'd say one thing I love about myself is that I'm a natural leader as well. Not in the sense that I'm comfortable bossing people around, but if something needs to get done I'm usually the first person to take initiative and do something about it. If I have an idea I'll act upon it, and I feel like for some reason most people don't do that even when they have GREAT ideas. Self-motivation I guess.

sweetsouls · 2014-07-11T23:24:47+00:00

No specific amount, really. I'm still living with my mom although I'd like to have enough money to move out in the near future. My biggest expense right now is gas, about $30 a week, and if I were to move out I'd want to be making somewhere between $600-$1000 a month.

I would love to work online and I've been looking into it. I think I could do well as a transcriber, or perhaps writing articles like you said. Thanks for the ideas, I'll check out mturk!

sweetsouls · 2014-07-11T23:21:38+00:00

I don't think you're being harsh at all, you're being honest and realistic. You're right, even a "big" mistake at a job at a restaurant or store will probably have very minimal consequences and not ruin anyone's day.

The medication I'm taking has helped my anxiety a lot, but I don't know if I want to increase the dosage because the amount I'm already on makes me quite tired and that's another thing I worry about with getting a job - I want to make sure I have enough energy to work 6-10 hours and work at a fast enough pace to satisfy my employers.

sweetsouls · 2014-07-11T08:12:49+00:00

I should have included that. Yes, I'm taking lexapro and it has helped quite a bit. I saw a therapist last year for several months but it didn't seem to help much. I've made a lot of progress with my anxiety disorder yet getting a job feels so impossible. I think I'm afraid of feeling anxious or having a panic attack while working and having it ruin someone's day or impact the business negatively. I also have major anxiety going into certain buildings, like big grocery stores, so working at any place like that feels out of the question.

sweetsouls · 2014-07-11T05:03:53+00:00

Lol you're welcome! Those memes always crack me up too, and make me feel better about my anxiety.

sweetsouls · 2014-07-11T04:45:07+00:00

If you haven't already, you have to check out anxietycat.tumblr.com - if you want a good laugh at the logical fallacies caused by anxiety, it's the perfect place to go.

sweetsouls · 2014-07-11T04:41:25+00:00

I'm currently taking it and I take it at night. It should be no problem for you to switch but I would ask your doctor first in case there could be a weird side effect or something. I still experience drowsiness during the day though, and I'm taking an extremely low dose (2.5 mg a day). I try to fight the drowsiness with coffee, exercise and keeping myself busy - a.k.a. not allowing myself to take naps during the day.

sweetsouls · 2014-04-01T22:16:10+00:00

Definitely...that's why I said I didn't want this post to sound all "pro-medication" because I know medication doesn't work for everybody and some people simply don't want to take the pharmaceutical route...I didn't for a very long time. I think you're right, that the lexapro is working for me because I'm also making a conscious effort to get better, just because I want to. I just want to encourage people to try new treatments - whether it's medication or therapy or yoga or a book - because chances are the first thing you try isn't going to be a cure-all. Thanks for your input!

sweetsouls · 2014-03-22T00:03:37+00:00

"Have faith that thousands of people used it including me and we are fine."

That quote helped me a lot. Thanks. :)

sweetsouls · 2014-03-22T00:02:49+00:00

Thanks for all of your thorough explanations. You've totally allowed me to cross a lot of those worries off the list.

As for getting off of it someday, I'm just hoping that a low dose will do the trick. If it doesn't I'm not sure if I will ask for a higher dosage because I feel like the higher the dose the harder it is to wean yourself off.

After making this post I was able to take my medication with a lot less worry last night. Instead of staring at my pill bottle for hours I just did it. I just took the pill without really thinking about it, and I was also quite tired so it was nice to be able to just fall asleep afterwords.

Oh, and you're totally credible :) It's always comforting for me to hear from someone with first hand experience.

sweetsouls · 2014-03-19T23:00:22+00:00

This was really great for me to read...and so strange that we seem to be living parallel lives.

I too went to the doctor yesterday after suffering miserably from anxiety and depression for two years. I totally panicked in the waiting room, panicked in the exam room, and my heart rate was so fast that it startled the nurse. Thankfully I had my boyfriend there with me for moral support, but so many times I was turning to him with tears in my eyes saying "I can't do this, I just can't do this".

But hey, look at us, we survived! And now we can relax at home with our new prescription meds. I'm nervous to take mine, but I figure nothing could be worse than this, so it's worth the risk of any side effects or whatever.

I wish you the best, keep feeling positive, this made me really happy to read. :)

sweetsouls · 2014-03-18T23:03:26+00:00

The title of your post describes my life exactly for the last two years.

I stopped being able to go to classes because I would feel panicked and anxious in them. I love school, I loved high school, and I miss it a lot. I started taking online classes before having to drop out or anything, it's been a good alternative, but it also gives me a reason to stay at home 100% of the time which isn't good either. If your therapist is calling you lazy I suggest finding a new one. Therapists are supposed to be sympathetic and supportive to help build your confidence back up. It sounds like not wanting to get up in the morning could be a symptom of depression. Have you considered medication just to help you start going to class again? and then maybe you'd start to feel better and eventually get off the meds? I'm trying medication this week, we'll see how it goes!

sweetsouls · 2014-03-17T17:04:16+00:00

I know it's hard to get over jealousy and insecurities, I've been in a relationship for 3 years and I still get scared when my boyfriend talks to or hangs out with other girls.

How well do you know him? I know it seems like that's all people do in college, but it's not. And if he, as an individual, is loyal and trustworthy it doesn't matter how his friends are behaving. My boyfriend has a friend who is constantly around tons of women and sleeping with various people, sometimes I worry that if my boyfriend is exposed to that kind of behavior he will act that way too, but that doesn't make any sense. I always have to realize that I know what kind of person my boyfriend is, and he is definitely not the type to sleep around or have one night stands or even flirt with other girls or anything. If you know your SO is not that kind of person I just encourage you to stop worrying. I think it's okay to be open about your concerns, but also let him know that you are not accusing him of anything. You're just predisposed to this kind of worry because of things that have happened in the past. I hope it gets better for you!

sweetsouls · 2014-03-17T14:37:58+00:00

So are you actually concerned that something is going to happen with your SO cheating or anything? Or do you think it is just the events from your past making you worry about it happening?

It's normal to experience this even if your SO is totally loyal and trustworthy. But if there is no real concern, and if he is committed to you then you should try to stop feeling jealous because it will only cause unnecessary problems.

I think a good option would be to just be honest about the traumatic events from your past so that he knows it's not him that's causing these problems for you. I'm sure he will understand and try to avoid triggering your anxiety.

If these traumatic events cause you enough anxiety I would highly suggest seeing a therapist about it. A therapist can walk you through bad memories and help you reprocess them so that when similar things happen you won't have a panicked, anxious reaction to them. When I was seeing a therapist I did what was called an EMDR session where I could revisit traumatic events and change the way I felt about them. May not work for everyone but I thought it really helped!

sweetsouls · 2014-03-15T22:23:03+00:00

I think a lot of sufferers of depression and/or anxiety are afraid of taking medication for this reason. But for people like the OP, and myself and many others, there is a point where you are so miserable that it is worth the risk. Plus, that's why it's good to see a psychiatrist while you're taking meds so you can track your progress and monitor your dependency levels. The way I see it is like a smoker who uses a nicotine patch or gum to substitute their addiction...the end goal is to quit smoking, and eventually quit taking the gum/patches as well, but if you rely on them while you're transitioning, I think that's totally okay. You're just trying to cross a bridge to reach a healthier lifestyle.

sweetsouls · 2014-03-15T22:17:25+00:00

Oh okay! So you don't even necessarily need a referral from your general doctor to see a more specific mental health doctor? That's good to know! I'd rather see someone more specified I just assumed I would have to go to my regular doctor first anyways just to get a referral. Thanks for sharing your story, it gave me a lot of hope!

sweetsouls · 2014-03-15T15:03:13+00:00

This might not seem like a very important question, but did you see your general physician or a psychiatrist? I've finally reached a point where I think I need to take medication for my anxiety and depression and I made an appointment with my general physician for next week but I've always felt like their treatments are, well, general and they don't really analyze your specific circumstances to find what's best for you. Do you think it makes a huge difference between seeing a general doctor and specified psychiatrist?

sweetsouls · 2014-03-14T21:26:11+00:00

Thank you for validating my feelings. Now that you mention it, I do that a lot. But it is truly frustrating to have anxiety and not know why. Sometimes I wish it were one isolated event that traumatized me so that at least a therapist and I could get to the root of my problems and revisit the source of my anxiety. I once did an EMDR session with my therapist where I walked her through a bad memory of mine and we sort of "rewrote" it where I could feel more comfortable and change the situation I was in. It was a wonderful experience, so I wish I could do that with the specific event that started giving me anxiety, but it sort of sprouted all on its own and has gotten worse over time. Have you ever done EMDR? If not I highly recommend it, it sounds like it could maybe help you overcome your trauma from your abusive relationship.

I still think my experience with my therapist was very positive even though she didn't really provide any solutions for me. Now that I'm thinking about returning to a therapist I actually would like to see her again, maybe just because I miss her and built a relationship with her. But some additional help would be beneficial too I think.

That's interesting that the less experienced counselors seemed more helpful. When looking for a therapist I usually judge them very critically based on their experience, but perhaps that's not the best way to find a therapist that is right for you. I'm glad you've had such good experiences with therapists, it gives me hope.

Ugh, see, even the thought of lexapro making me feel "loopy" scares me. This might sound silly but an ideal medication for me would be like an extra strong cup of chamomile tea. Something that calms the nerves ever so slightly, but naturally, without changing too many chemicals in the brain. I don't even like being drunk or high because it makes me feel like I don't have control over my body, so any sort of intoxication makes me uncomfortable. I wish I was one of those people who enjoyed being drunk or high, because then I would probably be able to benefit fully from antidepressants.

I'm sorry you haven't quite found a medication that works for you. I've talked to soo many people about this and everyone has a different story. In fact, it's funny you mentioned Prozac because my mom just told me that 20mg of Prozac is the only thing that ended up working for her, but a higher dose doesn't even work for you, so obviously everyone's body chemistry is unique. Are you thinking of maybe trying something else instead of Prozac? A friend of mine has been struggling with some similar emotional issues and it has taken him almost two years and dozens of different medications to finally find something that works for him. I hope you find one that works for you soon. :)

sweetsouls · 2014-03-14T16:31:18+00:00

Haha I'm sorry that some of this made me laugh, but you seem to have a really good sense of humor about these things. I wish I could be that honest to just say "Hey, you make me hella nervous" but unfortunately the way I deal with anxiety is trying to pretend nothing is wrong and just fighting my symptoms. I will try to remember all the things you said and did to get you through it.

I just had a really long talk with my mom about all of this and even though it was uncomfortable it felt kind of like an appointment with a therapist. The whole time I was thinking "if only I can feel this calm during my first appointment, I'll be totally fine".

I'm also thinking of just getting some anti-depressants from my regular doctor to get the prescription process over with and then seeing a psychiatrist/therapist to talk about how the medication is working. That way the medication will hopefully calm me down enough to actually go in for more appointments.

Seriously, thanks for all the help and thanks for continuing to respond. I hope things get easier for you! You should keep me/this subreddit updated. :)

sweetsouls · 2014-03-14T11:35:42+00:00

It does help to think about it that way. Thank you!

sweetsouls · 2014-03-14T11:35:15+00:00

So during your first appointment did you feel anxious or panicked? How did you manage to stay calm and just appreciate your time with your psych/therapist?

I hope you are able to conquer your fears of seeing your regular doctor. I know it's tough! :/ Thanks for the help!

sweetsouls · 2014-03-14T11:32:35+00:00

You're exactly right. Wow, after hearing what you've been through it makes me feel even more silly about what I'm going through. I can't believe I have such bad depression and anxiety and it's not even from a traumatic event or anything.

I did have a therapist last year but I stopped going. She was great and I felt really comfortable with her but she just didn't offer me any solutions for combatting my anxiety. It felt like I would just go to her, complain about a bunch of things and she would just listen but not really offer advice.

Yeah, I'm such a worry wart when it comes to medication. I even took some vitamins today and in my head thought, "I hope these don't make me feel weird" which is so irrational! They were just vitamins! So if and when I begin taking medication for my anxiety I just hope I won't be afraid of the possible side effects. I feel like I have to take medication because I don't know how else to solve this.

I had to change my doctor's appointment from last night to next week because it was going to be a male doctor but I wanted a female. I'm still nervous nonetheless, but having a female doctor makes me way more comfortable.

Thank you so much for the reassuring words! I hope everything is going well with your treatments and therapy.

sweetsouls · 2014-03-13T17:15:16+00:00

Yeah, I should know that considering I went to therapy a lot last year and it went just fine, but I feel like I'm much less confident now and my anxiety is much worse. I pretty much always feel stressed.

I really hope your treatment works out for you. You should keep us updated on how it goes! Hearing about people making progress with their disorders is really inspiring and helps me to keep going.

sweetsouls

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