JonSolomon
12-23-2013, 02:20 AM
Hi guys,
Newb here, so excuse any massive naivety on my part.
My girlfriend of around two years has just relapsed into having anxiety attacks. She used to have them a few years back, but they queitened down to the extent that I'd never seen them until a couple of months ago. She started a new job in June, but doesn't like it much (call center work, not for everyone I guess) and started having anxiety attacks. In recent weeks they've become more frequent and she's kept having to come home from work. She's talked to work about it, and they provide 6 free counselling sessions for her and have recommended that she go see a doctor, which I'm hoping she'll do. The people she spoke to have said that she's now included her place of work into her anxiety cycle (excuse if the term's wrong) and that she'll need a decent amount of therapy. I was really happy that se was confronting the fact that she had a problem (which takes balls in itself). However, now she's talking about quitting her job, which would both put us under a massive amount of financial pressure as well as messing up my work schedules (I'm a copywriter, and work at home).
My attitudes to mental health are a bit dinosaurish. I lost my mum to cancer a couple of years back when I was 25, and was depressed for a while, but sort of battled through just about OK. I guess I can't always get into any mindset of any attitude that's not just sucking it up (which I know's daft) and doing the right thing. To me, it seems like quitting the job is almost running away from the problem, and if she switches jobs I don't think she'll go through with counselling. I've always been understanding, and never have a go or anything, but I'm getting more and more frustrated with the whole thing.
Our relationship, as normal, is great. I love her very much and tell her that a lot, but sometimes she doesn't even seem to listen, and a lot of the time she seems to look for bad things and almost wants things to go wrong.
I guess I'm looking for any advice from either people who've personally dealt with anxiety, or have loved ones who have. I really do want to help, but after looking after mum for a couple of years I'll admit I feel a bit exhausted.
Any and all advice welcome, thanks guys. Excuse the war and peace essay!
Newb here, so excuse any massive naivety on my part.
My girlfriend of around two years has just relapsed into having anxiety attacks. She used to have them a few years back, but they queitened down to the extent that I'd never seen them until a couple of months ago. She started a new job in June, but doesn't like it much (call center work, not for everyone I guess) and started having anxiety attacks. In recent weeks they've become more frequent and she's kept having to come home from work. She's talked to work about it, and they provide 6 free counselling sessions for her and have recommended that she go see a doctor, which I'm hoping she'll do. The people she spoke to have said that she's now included her place of work into her anxiety cycle (excuse if the term's wrong) and that she'll need a decent amount of therapy. I was really happy that se was confronting the fact that she had a problem (which takes balls in itself). However, now she's talking about quitting her job, which would both put us under a massive amount of financial pressure as well as messing up my work schedules (I'm a copywriter, and work at home).
My attitudes to mental health are a bit dinosaurish. I lost my mum to cancer a couple of years back when I was 25, and was depressed for a while, but sort of battled through just about OK. I guess I can't always get into any mindset of any attitude that's not just sucking it up (which I know's daft) and doing the right thing. To me, it seems like quitting the job is almost running away from the problem, and if she switches jobs I don't think she'll go through with counselling. I've always been understanding, and never have a go or anything, but I'm getting more and more frustrated with the whole thing.
Our relationship, as normal, is great. I love her very much and tell her that a lot, but sometimes she doesn't even seem to listen, and a lot of the time she seems to look for bad things and almost wants things to go wrong.
I guess I'm looking for any advice from either people who've personally dealt with anxiety, or have loved ones who have. I really do want to help, but after looking after mum for a couple of years I'll admit I feel a bit exhausted.
Any and all advice welcome, thanks guys. Excuse the war and peace essay!