Scared to work!

TiredOfThis2 · ‎02-10-2018

Hi there i feel so alone i havent worked in so many years. My last 2 jobs i had one was cleaner/trolley collector for coles and another was for some random company as a pick packer. I have been on centrelink for a long time. Sorry this thread isnt going to be too easy to understand since my thoughts are all jumbled. umm the pick packer job i lasted 30 minutes i then suffered a severe anxiety attack. And the coles job seemed to be okay up until 2 hours had passed and then i started feeling sick in my stomach like really nauseous, my boss liked me and asked if i could do another hour but i declined and chose to go home i let him know about my panic attacks and he was understanding. Though because i was too wimpy to call up and quit i had to get my mother to do it. I am now stuck with this problem i want a job but when i think about actually working i tear up and feel light headed and sick to my stomach. My job agency consultant has found me a cleaning job which is only 2 hour shifts and even that makes me feel uneasy, sick and just wishing i could continue my life at home. I am on medication for when my panic attacks get too bad. I really dont know what else to do. (I've already used up my 10 psychologist sessions for the year).

thanks for reading.

baet123 · ‎03-10-2018

Hi TiredofThis2,

Welcome to the forums and thanks for posting and sorry to hear that you feel the way you do and that you have been struggling for a while now. You are extremely brave for posting and I can tell that your a strong, resilient and determined person and that is amazing. Many people strive go through their whole lives without building resilience and determination and these are amazing qualities you possess. Trust me when I say this, you are not wimpy!

You mention you feel so alone? Do you have any friends or family that support you? Have you contacted any employment agencies that specialise in connecting people searching for employment to organisations who hire workers with mental health conditions?

Who is prescribing you your medication? Your GP or your psychiatrist? The medication you are on might not be working so I would consult your health professionals and consider changing the medication or the dosage. As you are probably aware, medication doesn't impact everybody in the same way.

Have you looked into the reasons for your anxiety and panic attacks? Do you only experience these symptoms in social settings? Have you tried gradual exposure techniques with your psychologist?

What are some of your favourite hobbies? There are so many social groups that you can join which would be great for increasing your social network. I think joining social groups linked with your favourite hobbies/passions in life will be an amazing experiences for you as you will find like minded people and people who share common interests with you. Platforms such as meetup and we3app may be worth considering.

Hope this helped and look forward to hearing back from you again shortly.

All the best,

Nick.