What do you guys think?

[woodsy]

Hi there, James here again! I just wanted to see what sort of advice you lot could give me and ur opinion on this matter...


I began my first job at the age of 16 last november, i was really nervous when i started. I was actually given the job on the spot and began that evening. By the way, i work in my local woolworths store. When i first started my main job was to shelf stack in the shop, my department to look after was drinks and refreshments.


I started on the wednesday and on the saturday, i was going to be trained to go on the till and work with the public straight away. At this stage i never had anxiety/panic attacks/emetophobia. About 5 weeks into my job, the management were giving me more and more hours, and instead of working just the usual evening shift 5-10pm i was working 1:30-10pm, i would go on the tills until 5pm then have a break then start the evening shift.


One day, i was on the till it was getting busy (because obv it was nearly xmas) the other lady on the till who was serving left me to go do something with a huge queue of people, about 10 to be precise. I had this sudden urge i was going to be sick, my hands started trembling and i went really hot and flustered. This was my first panic attack!! i


At this stage i didnt know what it was so i did go home but came back the next day to do it again! Suddenly it happened again! i rushed off the till to find some one to cover me, again i went home. That evening i went to the doctors and was told it was anxiety!


the management took me off the till and just left me with my usual evening shift- shelf stacking, but every now again i would feel this "panic attack" and run to the toilet to safety which is 4 flights of stairs up the building! My fear of being sick began!


After xmas had gone i was told (as i was only temporary) i was not be to be kept on permenantly and got kicked out at the beginning of this year. About a week after i was involved in a car crash, i wasnt injured and so was no one else yet it was quick a big smash! I was left on the side of the road feeling panicy and sick waiting for my parents to arrive.


Two weeks after that, i had a phone call from work asking if i wanted my job back, jumped at the chance (apparently two of the women had taken a liking to me and begged for the to take me back) So i began working there again, but this anxiety was still really bad, i would begin to wander the shop if i felt any feelings come on or run to the toilet to be alone! (sorry this is such a long story, hope ur still reading)


Now 9 months down the line, i no longer run away and my anxiety has calmed down a good 60% i dont feel so ill everytime i go into work and i have really settled in well!


But one thing still hanging over my head, everytime i do feel ill with anxiety its at work! what should i do? several people have told me to leave and start a fresh, but surely this could flare evrything up again? i think the thing still bothering me is being so far from the toilet incase i was to be sick, and having so many people around me if i were to be sick? Can i have ur advice and thoughts?





Thanks for reading!


James[img]smileys/smilies_39.gif[/img]

[samara's on tv]

I have a lot of anxiety problems. Just about everytime I go anywhere I freak out and feel sick. If I'm alone I'm much better off. This really impairs my relationships with people. I still go places and I still do things though because I KNOW it's just anxiety and it can't hurt me. When I feel panicky and sick I just tell myself "It's okay you're not going to be sick, you're okay." Usually that helps me. I may have to repeat it over and over again but it helps me a lot. I hope you do well at you're job, next time you feel all panicky and sick just try what I do...tell yourself that you are okay and you aren't going to be sick. That's all the advice I have for you.


~Monica

[bexcelica]

i agree with samara. if you try to talk to yourself and tell yourself
everythings going to be okay, it helps. also, try to control your
breathing, slow deep breaths, which in turn slows down your heart rate,
which is a major cause for dizziness in a panic attack



becky

[Babydoll]

the same thing happens to me in class every once in awhile... try to close your eyes, count slowly to 10, and focus on your breathing as you count to 10. Tell yourself, "I'm fine. It's just anxiety. Anxiety will not make me sick." say that to yourself over and over and soon you will realize that this is very true.

[sillygirl]

I have been seeing a therapist for a few months now and she has basically told me that the only way to cure the anxiety is to face it. I am trying to actually let myself panic,to a reasonable extent of course. When I get the "Oh no, what if I get sick?" feeling I try to tell myself that IF the worst happens and I do get sick, it really won't be that bad. I guess this is kind of hard to explain, but the more and more you challenge the anxiety, the less it gets. I have actually been feeling kind of n* for the past week or so (lots of stress and I may actually be pregnant too) so I know it is somewhat real n* and not just anxiety induced. I have been forcing myself to deal with the anxiety and I feel like I am getting to the point where I am doing better. Even when I feel a little n* I am still able to carry on with my day and concentrate on other things besides the emet.


The point of my rambling is I do not think you should quit your job. Leaving may temporarily solve the problem, but it isn't that job specifically that is causing your anxiety. I think, like you said, it is more just a fear of being away from the toilet. In the long run, you will be better off to face the anxiety so that it doesn't pop back up later on somewhere else.

[murphy]

You should not leave your job. You seem to have panic disorder and are very likely to have another attack wherever you work. Sillygirl was right when she said it isn't the job causing the anxiety. I work as a kindergarten teacher. I love it but often have to deal with panic attacks. Today was a total nightmare. A child in my class v* and then throughout the day many students went home v*ing throughout the school. All I have heard all day is "something is going around." I hate hearing that. I have washed my hands 50 times. My saving grace during these VERY anxious times is my xanax. It really relaxes me. I don't think I could get through days like this if it wasn't for it. Talk to your doctor. If you take it when you begin to feel anxiety or panic coming on, a xanax stops it in its tracks. Talk to your doctor. This could really help you. Good luck. Edited by: murphy

[tcsarah]

Murphy, what a lousy day you had yesterday - the stuff of nightmares! It seems like you coped better than most of us emetophobes would have though!


James, I think if you were to leave your job and get another you would just suffer the same panic attacks. It's not actually your job that's causing the stress and anxiety, therefore leaving wouldn't improve things.


I think you should go back to your doctor and explain how anxiety and panic attacks are interferring with your job. S/he will be able to help you, be it with referring you to a therapist/counsellor, or with some medication or maybe even both.


Good luck.

[woodsy]

I did see a councillor but found it didnt help! IT just bought everything up evry time and made my anxiety worse, however she did teach me some good ways of thinkin which helped!

[tcsarah]

Sorry it didn't help you much seeing a counsellor. Everybody is different, and what works for one may not for another. Perhaps a short course of tablets may help? Or what about listening to a few relaxation tapes - relaxation is a technique that has to be learned, and the more you practise the better you become like with everything. Self-hypnosis tapes can sometimes help, by teaching you to relax when you need it, but again this doesn't work for everybody. I've tried so many different things to try and help me relax from hypnotherapy to mediation and yoga! Try as many things as possible because one day you will find one that works for you [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[Galadriel]

I had a sort of problem like this at my job.


The thing was, like you, they kept trying to put hours on me that I hadn't agreed to work, and they would push me sometimes to stay late. This caused me to start to resent work and really dread going in. What really helped was me talking to them, well more like me telling them in no nonsense terms, that I would not be working these odd shifts, and since then it has helped me to feel more in control of things. I think that was my problem I was feeling out of control over when I worked and everything was always up in the air, you never knew what they would try to pull on you the next week's schedual. Being more in control of this has helped me feel less resentful and such. I too work cash register, and sometimes I do stock type stuff. I know its hard working with people like that sometimes, and plus the feeling that your stuck at your register. I just determine that if I needto leave to the BR, I call someone up to open their register and go, and if it were an emergency, I would just close down after the next person and go. I mean thats just that, they can't deny you the right to use the BR when you extremely need to go, or even to go for you to just calm down some. I hope this helps you!