Taking time away from work help relieve anxiety, any positive stories

[The_Sensei]

Hi Guys

Just wondering if anyone has some good stories about taking time off work. I have had a bit of a tough year this year with a few personal things and a rapidly changing work environment which has really put me under the pump being a manager at the company who is heavily relied upon at times. I have not taken an extended break in over 3 years.

Over the past 6 months I have developed quite bad anxiety and some slight depression, so i figured enough is enough and have decided to take 6 weeks of work and go on a bit of a holiday.

Just wondering if anyone has any good stories with taking time of work that has helped take away allot of there anxiety.

[blondguy]

Hello Sensei

What an inspirational post and good on you for being so proactive with your health.

I understand where you are coming from as my first mega anxiety started in 1983 when I was 23 and I had no idea what was happening.....I remember that it was awful....and the support at the time was poor.

Just from my own experience having chronic anxiety and working in management I wish I would have taken a break as you are considering. Six weeks would be a wonderful gift for not only your mental health but for your overall health. Your immune system will also benefit immensely as well 🙂

I had frequent anxiety when working in a senior role. I did neglect my health by only seeing my psychologist/GP on a regular basis. I thought every 3-4 months was enough. That was a huge mistake (for me) as I needed super regular counseling....not sporadic.

Having personal issues combined with rapidly changing management issues can be a trigger for even basic anxiety/depression symptoms to exacerbate. To take time out is a sign of great strength. To stay in an environment without a break isnt 'soldiering on'. Its counter productive to our quality of life.

I think you are amazing for having the foresight to know when your health is paramount and our career responsibilities can take a back seat for a while. I felt refreshed and energised after taking several breaks as you are contemplating. (If I may suggest some super regular counseling to also reduce the anxiety)

Just for your info Sensei It took me 13 years to weaken the severity of my anxiety including having breaks when I could. Time away from work was a huge bonus to my recovery. I still see my GP every 4 weeks for a 'fine tune' if my depression/anxiety feels like visiting.

Thankyou for being a part of the Beyond Blue forum family. You are more than welcome to post back as many times as you wish. The forums are rock solid secure and non judgemental too 🙂

You have created a great thread here Sensei

My kind thoughts

Paul

[The_Sensei]

Hi Blondguy

Thank you for the kind words, yeah it was a few months ago where I started feeling things are not right and I did get a big sense of relief that day when i submitted my leave form. I have been seeing a counselor through the EAP program at work which has been helping, but I have also recently seen my GP who wants me to see a phycologist and put me on an SNRI which I am a bit nervous about starting because of the potential side effects most noteably the loss of sexual function.

My doctor also mentioned that it can actually take you quite a few weeks to properly unwind from your work environment.

[swtpotato]

Hi Sensi,

I do not work but I have taken a semester off of uni to manage my anxiety, depression and chronic fatigue and it was great for me. It takes a lot to know when you need a break, and also to let yourself not feel guilty about not being able to work.

It may feel very stressful at first to have so much free time, but this will probably settle. Knowing you are working on your mental health will be a great motivator to set up some structure.

I would recommend regular meditation/mindfulness to help you stop from following your thoughts down endless spirals, and let you appreciate simple moments of time as they are. It is hard work and took me weeks before I got the hang of it.

Eating good food is also a must! I gave myself different projects and hobbies to work on and focused on learning how to enjoy them for the sake of it. You have to eat every day, may as well make it as enjoyable and healthy as you can.

Whatever your hobbies are - creating things, learning things, they all help you to accomplish little but important things and keep your mind off the anxiety.

I learned a lot about myself, learned a heap of coping strategies, and also read plenty of good books. It was extremely difficult and a lot of the time I did none of these things, but with time I learned how to be proactive. I went straight back into it though and the transition was really difficult - perhaps try working part time first when you go back to ease yourself into it.

All just suggestions, do whatever you feel will work for you - then commit! With plenty of time for relaxation.

Good luck!

- m

[Hope_for_the_best]

I have not started working but I encountered an episode of high anxiety in my uni. I was very stressed out with one of the courses because it is important for my career and I could not afford to screw up. I studied very hard up till exams and I got so worked up that I could hardly swallow any food every evening. You may wonder how that happened. I am not sure why even up to now; my muscles were just tensed up and food did not quite go down my throat. To some extent I was glad that it only happened in the evening, so I could still eat a great deal for breakfast and lunch, but the whole experience was awful. I thought it would be over after exams when I reunited with my family overseas, but I was wrong. I still could not eat at nights, and that made my family and friends very concerned. I also had other symptoms like getting startled very easily. They all thought I must be having an anxiety disorder and insisted me to get med from a psychiatrist. I am from a country where people go straight to psychologists or psychiatrists for mental health issues. I decided to see a psychologist because I did not want to take med without trying anything. I told my psychologist all my symptoms and that I was worrying about having an anxiety disorder. It was surprising that she said I was okay and all I needed was to enjoy a holiday without any worries. I was skeptical at first because I believed that I had an anxiety disorder, but I took her advice anyway. I travelled around and went out with my friends as usual. I made myself try something new at dinner so I could have something to look forward to every night. My psychologist was absolutely right! I could not remember when I started enjoying my dinner again. After 6 weeks, I was completely back to normal and fully recharged when I returned to Australia for a new semester. So speaking from my experience a holiday is helpful with anxiety.

P.S. I am not saying that you should not take the med. You should always listen to your doctor and discuss any concerns you have.

[blondguy]

Hi Sensei

Thanks for taking the time to post back. You have done really well by already having engaged your GP and counselor. Your GP has made a good point that it may take 'quite a few weeks' to properly unwind but at the end of the day you are the one with the brain drain that depression/anxiety can produce.

When I was made redundant in January last year I felt a overwhelming sense of relief as I knew in my heart that I needed a good break and some peace of mind.

I have been on an SSRI for 21 years and am happy to use them even though I was very anti meds when my GP suggested that I take them. Our symptoms are all different Sensei but after 13 years of anxiety I really had no choice. I was (and am) physically fit, ate well and exercised too. I had no choice but to start on a small dosage of AD's. They gave me my life back

The meds were never a 'fix all' but they do provide us with a solid platform on which we can heal more effectively using all the various coping techniques that are available....self help....counseling etc. Just in my situation my anxiety reduced in severity by approx 80%. The first few weeks were a bit vague but after that my career performance increased as well as not having the 'lows' I used to have all the time which was a huge bonus

Just a note....SNRI's are the newer version of what I am on...the SSRI's. I am pushing the forum guidelines by mentioning that but its as basic as I can keep it. Your GP sounds like a good one Sensei!

Having a double appointment with your doc is always a huge bonus too as you can ask all the questions you wish as well as having some quality advice too.

I hope some of this has been of help to you Sensei

you are not alone here in any shape or form

My kindest for you

Paul