panic at the doctors - (re work)

[mandie]

Hi

I have been off work for the past 10 days due to several panic attacks at work.

I have been feeling quite good with no more panic attacks, just mild anxiety but nothing like before.

I had my regular 2 week appt at the doctors tonite. I was in waiting room for less than 5 minutes when out of the blue i started to feel panicky. i got up and went outside for fresh air.

I came back in and felt on edge until i was called in.

I am due to go back to work on monday and i really dont want to go. I just dont think im ready. My doctor is quite happy to sign me off but i feel the longer im off the harder it will be to go back.

I work in a doctors surgery and he is sure this is why i felt panicky in the waiting room tonite.

I cant think of any other reason for the panic.

My doctor has suggested i change jobs because working there is really not good for my health anxiety.

I feel so upset at this set back, i always used to feel fine at the doctors and now feel this is another place where i associate fear.

Iv been on edge all evening, lite headed, tingling, dry mouth and shooting pains in my head.

I feel im back to square one and feel like crying.

love mandie x

[SueBee]

Hi Mandie,

I think your doctor is right, work is obviously the problem for you so maybe it is time for a change.
My doctor said the same to me and he was right. I took time out sick because of severe panic attacks which at their worst would come in waves and last all day. I used this time to look for another job. I found one and resigned from my old one.

The change in me was immediate, no more panicking, no more dread of having to go there again. It was like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders ....... amazing relief!

Listen to your doc, take more time if you need it and consider moving on. I know its a scary prospect but if I can do it, anyone can!

Hope it works out for you :hugs:

[mandie]

Thank you Sue for your reply.

Did u get the panic attacks only in work or did it effect you in other places.

love mandie x

[SueBee]

Hi Mandie,

I was more depressed while I was at work rather than panicky. Once I decided I couldnt go back the panic set in. I worried about not having money and all the implications that go with that. Basically, if I could could come up with the worst case scenario then thats what was in store for me with no job ..... I was 100% convinced of that at the time. Its the dreaded 'what-ifs and maybes' that we suffer from during a panic episode that are hard to deal with and make the panic worse.

I have to add, NONE of my worries have come true, I've just wasted over 7 weeks off work panicking about things that didnt happen!

Don't be scared to change your job, see it as an exciting opportunity to do something different :hugs:

[mandie]

Thank you Sue,

Iv been wanting to change jobs for so long, i think now is definately the time

love mandie x

[Meewah]

Hi Mandie

I thought this was my problem. It may be for you, but for me I had lost interest at work and found I had panic attacks at work which are really terrifying but after much deliberation and self analysis I discovered it was the rest of my life, that is the things around me that I could not control that were causing my anxiety and the boredom of the job was giving me the thinking space to dwell on these problems. I was going to give up work etc.. but when I made my discovery I gave work a try again on the assumption that if I did not the anxiety had once again carved my life. I thought hard about the benefits of my job the good points and what I could learn about myself with the bad points. I actual fact it has become my therapy. I put my all in to work now and most of the time because I am busy I lose myself in work but in the quiet moments I use them to practice relaxation techniques that I can use any where, breathing exersises, softening my thinking about problem customers. It has really helped. The only problem is I feel panicky if I am not at work so I lost overall but it has proved that where I thought my problem lie, the didnt it was just my focus for them.

Hope this makes sense.

Mee