Those who suffer from anxiety

I am starting a new job soon and haven't worked for over a year. I've also never worked in a corporate environment so I am really scared.

I suffer from anxiety and it used to really affect me in my old job because I'd freeze and never say anything at meetings. I also avoided presentations e.t.c. Physical symptoms bother me most and unfortunately I hadn't known about propranalol at that time when I was working. Anyway, when I start new job I want to make sure I always have a supply of the tablets.

Do you think if I take them regularly in the first month or two, just to control those symptoms, eventually I'll be at a point where I've adapted to the environment and won't need them no more?

Reply 1

Misnomer

8

Do the tablets help you?

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

OP

Original post by Misnomer

Do the tablets help you?

Yeah, big time.

I used to shake when I did presentations, I'd look like the biggest idiot.

My voice would shake and I'd have palpitations but then when I take the tablets, I don't know what the chemicals in them do but those physical symptoms just disappear.

Reply 3

andyboy001

Have you tried finding out what is causing your anxiety mentally?

Are you scared in group environment? Nervous in front of many unknown faces?

Reply 4

Anonymous #1

OP

Original post by andyboy001

Have you tried finding out what is causing your anxiety mentally?

Are you scared in group environment? Nervous in front of many unknown faces?

Yeah, I've been going for therapy for the last 6 months and next week is my last week.

We did a formulation of how my anxiety came about. There are many reasons my dad used to beat me with a belt when I was young as a method of discipline.

They never gave me any positive reinforcement and treated me like a stupid child.

They sent me to a school where I started getting bullied in my early teens and never really gave me mechanisms to deal with the bullying, particularly as they had taught me is to deal with situations via physical means (by beating me with a belt when I had done something wrong).

They also taught me to be really scared of other people, particularly adults. I would get beaten up if I never greeted other adults.

So anyway, when we did the formulation, we discovered that I had developed strong beliefs about myself as a result of all these issues, these beliefs are what lead to my social anxiety, behaviours and thought associated with it. My core beliefs are that I'm stupid, worthless and just a nobody.

The sessions have involved working to try and disprove these beliefs. My therapist has been trying to get me to focus on the positives and also my life achievements. It seems a lot of my thoughts are always really negative.

I don't know what it will take to undo what I have become.

The medication really helps the physical feelings that take over when I start to get anxious when I'm around people.

Reply 5

Anonymous #1

OP

Original post by andyboy001

Have you tried finding out what is causing your anxiety mentally?

Are you scared in group environment? Nervous in front of many unknown faces?

Sorry, I hope you can make sense of what I wrote. I just realised that a lot of it doesn't make sense grammatically but I can't edit it.

I was typing fast.

Reply 6

andyboy001

Original post by Anonymous

Sorry, I hope you can make sense of what I wrote. I just realised that a lot of it doesn't make sense grammatically but I can't edit it.

I was typing fast.

hey is alright, i can understand how you feel when you typed it :smile:

I cannot imagine how your dad beat you up when you did wrong, it can explain why this has shaped you in a certain way.

(Are you still living with him? )

You probably know this already, but people in general are nice, they will not deliberately harm you, but of cos there are minorities the unfriendly ones.

So maybe the first step,
Simply question yourself, ask yourself logically - why are you so scared in front of people? Should there be any reason to be scared? Why should you be scared when nobody is.

(Most of them are open and willing to connect with you if you are interested.)

Second step,
You are scare because probably you don't know a lot of them. I think you will be more confident if you know them better.

And I am assuming you probably having difficulty connecting with people at work, so a simple way to start the simple but effective connections will be,

-Say 'Good morning', 'good afternoon', 'thank you' and 'see ya tomorrow'
-Say them with the best smile you can possibly achieve (possibly showing your teeth if you feel comfortable enough)

This will definitely get people to notice you, and will start giving a good impression and people know you are friendly and polite. This gives a good base for starting a simple connection. More importantly, they will also say them back to you, with a nice smile :smile:

Just try it, take it slowly, You should be able to see something different has changed.

Yes you might still be very very quiet and nervous, but just move out of comfort zone a little bit, occasionally ask your co-worker - hows your day going? (again with a smile) then he will start talking and you just keep eye contact with him, nod and smile. (he will know you are paying attention to him)

hope this helps, i share the same thing as you not long ago, but just keep trying everyday, the effort will pay off and result will be good.

Remember: A social relationship doesn't come by itself, YOU have to earn it.

Sorry for the long reply :s-smilie:

Andy

Reply 7

ktlaurenroe

13

Propranalol worked for my mum, too.
But honestly, I don't think weaning yourself off them will work. Drugs don't make your anxiety go away, when you stop taking them, the physical symptoms will return. It's not a cure, sadly.

edit: just read that you're getting therapy - well, I'd try it then, but if the symptoms start to return I'd go straight back onto it.

Reply 8

Jennie1987

17

Original post by Anonymous

I am starting a new job soon and haven't worked for over a year. I've also never worked in a corporate environment so I am really scared.

I suffer from anxiety and it used to really affect me in my old job because I'd freeze and never say anything at meetings. I also avoided presentations e.t.c. Physical symptoms bother me most and unfortunately I hadn't known about propranalol at that time when I was working. Anyway, when I start new job I want to make sure I always have a supply of the tablets.

Do you think if I take them regularly in the first month or two, just to control those symptoms, eventually I'll be at a point where I've adapted to the environment and won't need them no more?

My propranolol helps me alot. Mine's like a general feeling of anxiety, spiking in new places/situations, with panic attacks though only occasionally now and much more controllable. I also did some CBT which made me feel more confident. I started my new job at the beginning of jan with the last time having a proper full-time, all days of the main week, job being 2009.

Reply 9

Jennie1987

17

Original post by ktlaurenroe

Propranalol worked for my mum, too.
But honestly, I don't think weaning yourself off them will work. Drugs don't make your anxiety go away, when you stop taking them, the physical symptoms will return. It's not a cure, sadly.

edit: just read that you're getting therapy - well, I'd try it then, but if the symptoms start to return I'd go straight back onto it.

I agree with this as I have had a few days where I have skipped the medication and felt the shift, I also know someone who was on medication for years for their anxiety - but honestly they lived a full live while on it. I dont care what others say, its whatever enables you to feel better.

Reply 10

ktlaurenroe

13

Original post by Jennie1987

I agree with this as I have had a few days where I have skipped the medication and felt the shift, I also know someone who was on medication for years for their anxiety - but honestly they lived a full live while on it. I dont care what others say, its whatever enables you to feel better.

Yeah, I mean, unless you really deal with what caused the anxiety and have copious therapy etc, you can't expect it to go away :frown:

I can't comment on the actual drug though, I'm not on it. I want to be but my doctor keeps refusing, I'm too young/not severe enough apparently, urgh. Still, I'd be scared of the effects of being on it for so long.

Those who suffer from anxiety

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