New job anxiety-afraid to look

[Mosel]

Is getting-a-job anxiety usually a general agoraphobic response to something unrelated to work environments per se or is it more likely to be related to prior actual experience(s) in a job?

I've tried thinking of jobs different than my previous jobs. I've moved repeatedly to find new work, only to quit and move again. I now have a business at home, which partly due to the economy, is all but done. The pragmatics of having to pay my bills/running out of money is setting in and my anxiety is skyrocketing.

Well, the obvious answer is get a job. Well, the obvious answer back is for some stupid reason I can't and it's been a long time problem. I need to find out why and move on.

[lizishere2stay1]

I think that it would be associated with general agoraphobia, and what may have occured in previous jobs. It is usually the places where panic and anxiety hurt the worst, and where you feel like you cannot just escape that people tend to avoid. Like yourself, I have a problem with holding down jobs as well. You might want to look in to filing for disability. That is what I am about to do.

[Mosel]

Thanks for the reply. My wife has suggested that I try filing for disability too. Call it a man thing, or something, but asking for a hand-out so-to-speak makes me feel dependant and kills the self-esteem. I wish you luck and please PM me on how you went about it, success, etc... I may still have to seek that assistance.

Occasionally I get in this frame of mind where considering being in an office doesn't bother me. Then, in the middle of thinking about it, wham. Being in an office instantly gets taken off the table as an option. I wish I could trace my thoughts and see if I'm actually thinking about something specific or it's just sort of a general recall that has nothing really about being in an office, whatever. I can still remember the fear and apprehension I felt 35 years ago with my first job. This crap can be a life long problem.

[Topcat]

Can you not look for a job based outside? I was made redundant last year from a job I had been in for 10 years and they knew about all my hang ups so I was so worried to look for a new job.

I did find another job, in a completely different environment and for the first few weeks felt so anxious, I had IBS and wanted to run away but I kept pushing myself to go and now I love the job and have noticed that I am actually worse on my days off for anxiety and stress, whilst at work I am so busy I dont have time to think or worry about my symptoms etc.

[drertudge]

Thanks Steve, we are still playing around with some other forum templates to see if some look better than others so be prepared for some changes again