raggamuffin
10-01-2014, 10:07 AM
My last day at my job was 6th June. I'd worked there for 9.5 years in an office environment for Play.com. The company was failing and the last few years weren't helping my anxiety. In the run up to redundancy I was drinking daily. 4-6 ales or ciders to give me a buzz. it was the only remedy I had to stop the 24/7 aches, pains and sensations of anxiety that I was going through the past 4+ years. I was quite surprised I made it that long in a job I wasn't enjoying when I was suffering so much discomfort.
The daily drinking continued for 3 months into the redundancy. I felt pretty lost and confused and upset. But I knew it only made things worse. Started getting a constant stomach ache and the hangovers left me dizzy and anxious.
So I kicked the drink and now i've decided to pursue a rather vigorous lifestyle change. I've cut all processed food from my diet. Before this my diet was lacking in any nutrition and I think this contributed to the constant lethargy and anxiety and lack of focus. The new diet is similar to paleo except still eating carbs (wholegrains only). I'm avoiding all meat except lean meat such as chicken and tuna/salmon. I noticed the stomach ache passed within 2 days of this new diet and overall the anxiety aches and pains have severely decreased. I've been cooking all my own meals and i'm getting about 8-10 servings of vegetables per day. I always thought cooking was a chore but in reality I love it. it's frantic, hands own work that keeps your mind so busy that you don't have time for worries or nonsense.
I'm exercising 2 hours a day now, 7 days a week - offroad mountain biking. I get 10+ miles done a day. Where I live is out in the countryside, the middle of nowhere with such beautiful scenery and fresh air. I still get anxiety pains from exercising but I know why this occurs - raised heart rate, adrenaline + other chemicals etc. So truth be told I don't enjoy the exercise at this moment in time but I know that'll change. The past 4 years have been a struggle but I spent a long time seeing Dr's, having tests, going to hospital and gradually read more and more about anxiety and learned why it occurs, the medical reasons for it and the phsychological side of things too.
I feel better for being sober and changing my lifestyle habits. Overall the anxiety and depression was reducing since leaving work. I'm now going to focus on my art and photography and have an exhibition coming up in November. Even if it's not financially viable i'll look for a part time job to tide me over to allow me to invest more money and resources into the creative side of things until it is profitable enough to be my sole career.
I've been looking into going back to university as well. Psychology course - 6 years to become a certified psychologist here in UK. For 5+ years i've been helping friends and strangers with no end of problems - bullying, rape, divorces, relationship issues, money worries, anxiety and depression. people have said i've got the right personality to become a therapist or some such. I never really figured i'd be any good at it, but since being hit with physical pains of anxiety i've realized that actually suffering from such conditions gives you invaluable information that people who've never experienced it could really fathom.
But the student loan company won't fund me for the full course as I dropped out of uni when I first went. So i'd need to save up quite a large amount of money. In the mean time I'm working on my own health and happiness. A friend of mine is doing a similar course soon at college and i'll be buying the books she uses to get a background, in depth understanding of the field of psychology.
I'm really glad things are looking up for me. It's been quite a long time and truth be told I feared being jobless for so long. Working in that office convinced if I lost my job there everything would fall apart. In reality it's been the opposite. After quitting drinking and getting my life more on track i've realized that I actually needed this time out to focus on myself and finally take my anxiety and depression by the reigns and bring it under control. Also found 2 of the most useful anxiety courses so far. A book by Dr Howard Schubiner called Unlearn your Pain. Comes with a meditation CD. It's similar to CBT but it's vastly more in depth compared to the CBT I had with my therapist. Secondly the Calm Clinic Course. Some very simple overlooked ideas and quite hands on in terms of the writing and things you have to do. Personally I think it's quite an eye opening technique. There's a torrent of it on Somalian Bay (wink wink) just search for Calm Clinic.
Ed
The daily drinking continued for 3 months into the redundancy. I felt pretty lost and confused and upset. But I knew it only made things worse. Started getting a constant stomach ache and the hangovers left me dizzy and anxious.
So I kicked the drink and now i've decided to pursue a rather vigorous lifestyle change. I've cut all processed food from my diet. Before this my diet was lacking in any nutrition and I think this contributed to the constant lethargy and anxiety and lack of focus. The new diet is similar to paleo except still eating carbs (wholegrains only). I'm avoiding all meat except lean meat such as chicken and tuna/salmon. I noticed the stomach ache passed within 2 days of this new diet and overall the anxiety aches and pains have severely decreased. I've been cooking all my own meals and i'm getting about 8-10 servings of vegetables per day. I always thought cooking was a chore but in reality I love it. it's frantic, hands own work that keeps your mind so busy that you don't have time for worries or nonsense.
I'm exercising 2 hours a day now, 7 days a week - offroad mountain biking. I get 10+ miles done a day. Where I live is out in the countryside, the middle of nowhere with such beautiful scenery and fresh air. I still get anxiety pains from exercising but I know why this occurs - raised heart rate, adrenaline + other chemicals etc. So truth be told I don't enjoy the exercise at this moment in time but I know that'll change. The past 4 years have been a struggle but I spent a long time seeing Dr's, having tests, going to hospital and gradually read more and more about anxiety and learned why it occurs, the medical reasons for it and the phsychological side of things too.
I feel better for being sober and changing my lifestyle habits. Overall the anxiety and depression was reducing since leaving work. I'm now going to focus on my art and photography and have an exhibition coming up in November. Even if it's not financially viable i'll look for a part time job to tide me over to allow me to invest more money and resources into the creative side of things until it is profitable enough to be my sole career.
I've been looking into going back to university as well. Psychology course - 6 years to become a certified psychologist here in UK. For 5+ years i've been helping friends and strangers with no end of problems - bullying, rape, divorces, relationship issues, money worries, anxiety and depression. people have said i've got the right personality to become a therapist or some such. I never really figured i'd be any good at it, but since being hit with physical pains of anxiety i've realized that actually suffering from such conditions gives you invaluable information that people who've never experienced it could really fathom.
But the student loan company won't fund me for the full course as I dropped out of uni when I first went. So i'd need to save up quite a large amount of money. In the mean time I'm working on my own health and happiness. A friend of mine is doing a similar course soon at college and i'll be buying the books she uses to get a background, in depth understanding of the field of psychology.
I'm really glad things are looking up for me. It's been quite a long time and truth be told I feared being jobless for so long. Working in that office convinced if I lost my job there everything would fall apart. In reality it's been the opposite. After quitting drinking and getting my life more on track i've realized that I actually needed this time out to focus on myself and finally take my anxiety and depression by the reigns and bring it under control. Also found 2 of the most useful anxiety courses so far. A book by Dr Howard Schubiner called Unlearn your Pain. Comes with a meditation CD. It's similar to CBT but it's vastly more in depth compared to the CBT I had with my therapist. Secondly the Calm Clinic Course. Some very simple overlooked ideas and quite hands on in terms of the writing and things you have to do. Personally I think it's quite an eye opening technique. There's a torrent of it on Somalian Bay (wink wink) just search for Calm Clinic.
Ed