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Anxiety is crippling me

Forums Banter Anxiety is crippling me

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    • I started a new job 3 months ago, it involves lone working and sleep in shifts. My anxiety has just sky rocketed and I’ve ended up calling manager whilst on shift and having panic attacks and it’s completely debilitating and embarrassing. I have realized that it’s the lone working and all the responsibility that comes down to me. I have asked my manager if there are any vacancies within other services that we offer where I will be working within a small team. If however she comes back saying they don’t, I honestly don’t know where that leaves me. I can’t afford to take time off work or find another job but I also know I can’t continue within this role. I absolutely love the job itself but I’m struggling with being on my own and all of the responsibility that comes down to me.

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      tom

      @tom

      Participant

      Make an appointment to see your GP. It is possible to get help with anxiety.
      What is your employer’s ‘Lone Worker Policy’? Read it carefully and check the procedures that must be followed in case of any incident, make sure that those procedures are available to you, rehearse what you would do in the case of an incident. If necessary rehearse until you can do it almost in your sleep, that will help to build your confidence. Try to remember that your employer has confidence in your ability, or you wouldn’t have been given the job.
      However, rather than ringing your manager, if you are having a panic attack, is it possible to ring a family member/friend? Your manager’s role is to be there for you in case of a work related incident, rather than to help you to deal with your own issues.

    • Firstly you seem to have identified the problem, don’t underestimate how difficult that can be to do! You have asked for a change, also big tick, that leaves you with management of the current situation so it is at least bearable, a trip to the GP would be a good idea, also google iapt in your area as they are often self referral and will run short course cbt/mindfulness type stuff which will give you some more tools in the box. In the meantime I’d suggest the mindfulness book by mark Williams.

      Have you struggled before or is this a new thing, it can be a bit scary either way but also we can’t expect all situations to suit us :), I’m awful a lot of the time but love being left here on my own, it’s quiet and I can just get on.

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      elly

      @elly

      Participant

      I would talk to your manager and tell her how you’re feeling? She might be able to help. Also, try 5htp from Holland and Barrett, it’s a form of tryophan (kind of a seratonin type thingy), which is natural, it’s excellent for anxiety etc, and does not have any side effects.
      Hope you get it sorted soon. Big hugs.

    • It’s something I’ve suffered from pretty much my whole life, I’m on several medications and have had various therapies etc. They knew about this when I was interviewed, I was very open and honest about it all. I went back to GP last night and she was lovely, she’s increased my medication and advised I take some time off to sort myself out. My manager gave me an ultimatum yesterday and said “we need t know by tomorrow if you are staying or handing your notice in”. I have told my manager that i am signing off for a week as i cant make a decision like thst when i feel so anxious. I dont know if my anxiety is making the job a challenge or if the job tself is challenging me and causing anxiety. If thst makes sense? t It didn’t go down well, been told I’m costing them money and it’s not fair. I really don’t know, I appreciate I havent given them a decision but I feel like if I do right now then it would he to leave as my anxiety is telling me to get away and escape it all but if I can sort it out in my head and process it then maybe actually the working alone etc won’t bother me.

    • @mark1 Well it seems they aren’t too bothered about helping you resolve the situation. Are you on probabtion period? Is it the sort of meds that will have an instant impact on increase or ssri/snri?

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      sam

      @sam

      Participant

      @mark1 They should be referring you to occupational health before asking you about resignation really….unless you brought resignation up?
      Taking the time to work things out is good – if you can figure out what’s triggering it then you might be able to find ways to manage it. To be fair to your employers, if you can’t give them something to go on then they’re going to struggle to put anything in place that will help.

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      Phil

      @phil

      Participant

      You’re allowed to be ill!

      If you disclosed it during the recruitment process (was there a health form to fill in?) and you’ve been open and honest about it, they should have automatically had a conversation with you about making any reasonable adjustments before you started in role. Have you had an Occ Health referral? It’s absolutely not ok to say to an employee who’s off sick that they’re costing the company money and being unfair!

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      elly

      @elly

      Participant

      You’re allowed to be ill!

      If you disclosed it during the recruitment process (was there a health form to fill in?) and you’ve been open and honest about it, they should have automatically had a conversation with you about making any reasonable adjustments before you started in role.

      This!
      Although if, as I expect, you are on a probationary period, your employer will be able to say that your performance hasn’t been good enough at the end of the period, you should ask for a referral to occupational health and *take someone with you* when you go. If you are not a member of a union, join one now. Your employer should have discussed ‘reasonable adjustments’ with you before you started work and unless at that point you told them you didn’t need any, you need to discuss with them what you need, occupational health should help you with this. I am guessing that you are working in a care home, they are notorious for employing people and terminating their employment at the end of the probationary period, when their salary would increase, so don’t feel too bad, OP, they find anything they can against you.

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