Severe Anxiety/Panic - I've had enough

[Stuart Crees]

Hi guys,

I've really had enough now and I don't know what to do regarding my anxiety anymore.

I've suffered from quite severe anxiety for the last 2 years and it's come to a point now where I've been signed off work for the last 2 weeks.

2 weeks ago on Thursday at work, I began getting panic attacks early in the day and throughout the day they got worse and worse, by 3pm I had to go home. Since then i've been signed off work. I went back in today and it was horrific yet again, every person I spoke to I got nervous and my manager sent me home again, I lasted all of 40 minutes.

I've always struggled with depression and Anxiety but about 2 or so years ago I began heavily smoking weed. I think this is most likely the cause of my anxiety being so severe so I quit about a month ago. It's been just over 4 weeks since I last smoked anything and I think this could be something to do with the panic attacks.

Obviously being off work is having a huge impact on me financially but at the same time I don't feel like I can be at work, around people etc. I work in a call centre too, so as you can imagine the anxiety/panic around taking an incoming call is destroying me. I went in and cleared my emails today but this is all I could do, there was absolutely no way I was logging into my phone.

I feel stupid, I feel like i'm letting my colleagues down, I feel useless in all honesty.

At some points recently I even struggled around my own mates. I can't get my words out sometimes when I panic or have an anxiety attack and I don't know what to do with myself. Has anyone experienced the same thing?

I've been taking diazepam (though not often) just to calm me down and the doctor has also prescribed me Fluoxetine. A year or so ago I was prescribed Citalopram which I took for a bit but this was really irritating my skin so they put me on Setraline, which in all honesty made me feel 1000 times worse, so I stopped taking anything at all.

I just want this done with now. I've had enough of being off work, being embarrassed, nervous, panicky, shaky.. you name it.. any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, or even if there's anyone I can relate to.

Thank you,
Stuart

[gypsylee]

Hi guys,

I've really had enough now and I don't know what to do regarding my anxiety anymore.

I've suffered from quite severe anxiety for the last 2 years and it's come to a point now where I've been signed off work for the last 2 weeks.

2 weeks ago on Thursday at work, I began getting panic attacks early in the day and throughout the day they got worse and worse, by 3pm I had to go home. Since then i've been signed off work. I went back in today and it was horrific yet again, every person I spoke to I got nervous and my manager sent me home again, I lasted all of 40 minutes.

I've always struggled with depression and Anxiety but about 2 or so years ago I began heavily smoking weed. I think this is most likely the cause of my anxiety being so severe so I quit about a month ago. It's been just over 4 weeks since I last smoked anything and I think this could be something to do with the panic attacks.

Obviously being off work is having a huge impact on me financially but at the same time I don't feel like I can be at work, around people etc. I work in a call centre too, so as you can imagine the anxiety/panic around taking an incoming call is destroying me. I went in and cleared my emails today but this is all I could do, there was absolutely no way I was logging into my phone.

I feel stupid, I feel like i'm letting my colleagues down, I feel useless in all honesty.

At some points recently I even struggled around my own mates. I can't get my words out sometimes when I panic or have an anxiety attack and I don't know what to do with myself. Has anyone experienced the same thing?

I've been taking diazepam (though not often) just to calm me down and the doctor has also prescribed me Fluoxetine. A year or so ago I was prescribed Citalopram which I took for a bit but this was really irritating my skin so they put me on Setraline, which in all honesty made me feel 1000 times worse, so I stopped taking anything at all.

I just want this done with now. I've had enough of being off work, being embarrassed, nervous, panicky, shaky.. you name it.. any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, or even if there's anyone I can relate to.

Thank you,
Stuart

Hi Stuart,

Good work quitting the weed :) It probably does have a lot to do with how bad your anxiety is. It's one thing I never got addicted to because it just makes my anxiety a million times worse.

It sounds like your nervous system is messed up so you're in a constant state of "high alert". I know this feeling well and it's horrible, but you will get better.

I don't know what you can do about work (as in taking time off) but try not to beat yourself up with thinking you're useless etc. It just adds insult to injury. Try and be kind to yourself.

You need to get your nervous system back in "balance" and one thing that helps this is diaphragmatic breathing. It's not just a meditation thing, it's a physical thing. But it's not a quick fix. Google the parasympathetic nervous system and the Vagus nerve if you're interested.

Anyway, you aren't alone in this. I can relate to how you're feeling all too well.

Take care,
Gypsy :)

[gypsylee]

Here I Googled it myself: http://www.heartmdinstitute.com/health-topics/stress-relief2/58-just-breathe

Seriously, I wish someone had given me this information about 20 years ago :)