DayDreamer
11-20-2006, 08:16 AM
Hi guys.
Not sure where to start, but here goes.
Everyone experiances some form of anxiety in their life, it's what makes us human. I know anxiety is our adrenal glands working overtime and gives us the typical anxiety symptoms... shaking (tremors), blushing, hard to talk (shaky voice), twitchy body, uncomfortable feeling, want to run away etc. These are as you all probably know, symptoms of the 'fight or flight' which was used by our ancestors thousands of years ago when they were faced with many dangers and relied on it daily to get them away from dangerous situation... nowadays we have much less of an importance of this mechanism, but it's still very much there! You have no control over it when faced with a 'daunting' situation, some can be really trivial like meeting other people and some can be quite rational, like bungee jumping for example. It's what people determine as being rational and irrational fears... or as I like to put it... anxious moments/situations!!!
Anyway, i've always had a fear of speaking in public, since I was a kid I was no good at it. I don't know where it started, but I also know it's very common for people to have this fear. The thing is, I don't fear the people, I just can feel the pressure, even if it's only say talking in front of a couple of people, the anxiety can hit me and I freak out...not literally on the outside, but on the inside I kind of implode and it's all downhill from there!
I've just turned 22 and believe it or not I work in sales - you may be thinking, christ, sales!!! Not good for someone with anxiety. Anyway, I have been okay at it for the past couple of years, but it's mainly on the phone and although my voice has come across shaky a few times, I have controlled it a lot and just tried to be relaxed, however, when I've had to go and meet clients I have felt absolutely dreadful! I am okay at meeting people generally, but when it's "business" related I almost put some sort of magical, invisble cloak in and turn into a nervous wreck! It's horrible and I don't know why my state of mind changes and how to alter it. As a hard salesman I'm f-ing useless, but I like to think I'm a likeable person and win people over that way.
Since working here... (god this sounds stupid), I have been unable to carry through tea/coffee to visitors. I simply will be doing something else if a visitor comes to the office. One of my major symptoms is shaking (tremors) and the more I think of it, the worse it gets. Simply, for the better of the company and the people I'm around I can't do it, otherwise it would be a watery mess! I am too ashamed to let people know this and I also worry for my job being incapable of carrying out such a mundane task!
I have been with my girlfriend for coming up to 4 years and she has had some bad stuff happen and has caused her to suffer from social anxiety, really quite badly. She said I have not been a great support at times, which i don't think I have, but I have my anxiety too but I try and supress it. Even recently going out with her to restaurants or shopping she gets terrible anxious/nervous with bright lights about and in turn it makes me nervous too, but I don't show it. The more she goes on about her anxiety, the more I'm aware of mine and the more mine is getting more out of hand. She sees a social worker every week and is on a very very mild anti-depressent. She has got a lot better in 3 weeks.
I'm at the time of my life where I should be really enjoying my work and social life and at the moment I'm feeling pretty damn crappy. I'd love to quit this crappy job and find a better one, but I would breakdown even in an interview room, the anxiety would be just way too intense.
It's funny actually (well sorta), because people I meet say I'm really out-going and confident. In some situations I am. It's just odd I can change.
Sorry for the very long ramblings folks, just wanted to get some stuff off my chest.
On a much lighter note, went and saw the new Bond film last night, Casino Royale and it's superb. Daniel Craig plays Bond brilliantly. Top film!
Also, saw a film with the girlfriend on Friday night which I didn't want to see called The Notebook. I'm glad she made me watch it as it was a wonderfully made film. Definitely one of my favourite films of all time. Seems to hit you right in the gut!
Cheers if you're still reading.
DayDreamer from (not so sunny) England.
Not sure where to start, but here goes.
Everyone experiances some form of anxiety in their life, it's what makes us human. I know anxiety is our adrenal glands working overtime and gives us the typical anxiety symptoms... shaking (tremors), blushing, hard to talk (shaky voice), twitchy body, uncomfortable feeling, want to run away etc. These are as you all probably know, symptoms of the 'fight or flight' which was used by our ancestors thousands of years ago when they were faced with many dangers and relied on it daily to get them away from dangerous situation... nowadays we have much less of an importance of this mechanism, but it's still very much there! You have no control over it when faced with a 'daunting' situation, some can be really trivial like meeting other people and some can be quite rational, like bungee jumping for example. It's what people determine as being rational and irrational fears... or as I like to put it... anxious moments/situations!!!
Anyway, i've always had a fear of speaking in public, since I was a kid I was no good at it. I don't know where it started, but I also know it's very common for people to have this fear. The thing is, I don't fear the people, I just can feel the pressure, even if it's only say talking in front of a couple of people, the anxiety can hit me and I freak out...not literally on the outside, but on the inside I kind of implode and it's all downhill from there!
I've just turned 22 and believe it or not I work in sales - you may be thinking, christ, sales!!! Not good for someone with anxiety. Anyway, I have been okay at it for the past couple of years, but it's mainly on the phone and although my voice has come across shaky a few times, I have controlled it a lot and just tried to be relaxed, however, when I've had to go and meet clients I have felt absolutely dreadful! I am okay at meeting people generally, but when it's "business" related I almost put some sort of magical, invisble cloak in and turn into a nervous wreck! It's horrible and I don't know why my state of mind changes and how to alter it. As a hard salesman I'm f-ing useless, but I like to think I'm a likeable person and win people over that way.
Since working here... (god this sounds stupid), I have been unable to carry through tea/coffee to visitors. I simply will be doing something else if a visitor comes to the office. One of my major symptoms is shaking (tremors) and the more I think of it, the worse it gets. Simply, for the better of the company and the people I'm around I can't do it, otherwise it would be a watery mess! I am too ashamed to let people know this and I also worry for my job being incapable of carrying out such a mundane task!
I have been with my girlfriend for coming up to 4 years and she has had some bad stuff happen and has caused her to suffer from social anxiety, really quite badly. She said I have not been a great support at times, which i don't think I have, but I have my anxiety too but I try and supress it. Even recently going out with her to restaurants or shopping she gets terrible anxious/nervous with bright lights about and in turn it makes me nervous too, but I don't show it. The more she goes on about her anxiety, the more I'm aware of mine and the more mine is getting more out of hand. She sees a social worker every week and is on a very very mild anti-depressent. She has got a lot better in 3 weeks.
I'm at the time of my life where I should be really enjoying my work and social life and at the moment I'm feeling pretty damn crappy. I'd love to quit this crappy job and find a better one, but I would breakdown even in an interview room, the anxiety would be just way too intense.
It's funny actually (well sorta), because people I meet say I'm really out-going and confident. In some situations I am. It's just odd I can change.
Sorry for the very long ramblings folks, just wanted to get some stuff off my chest.
On a much lighter note, went and saw the new Bond film last night, Casino Royale and it's superb. Daniel Craig plays Bond brilliantly. Top film!
Also, saw a film with the girlfriend on Friday night which I didn't want to see called The Notebook. I'm glad she made me watch it as it was a wonderfully made film. Definitely one of my favourite films of all time. Seems to hit you right in the gut!
Cheers if you're still reading.
DayDreamer from (not so sunny) England.