Quit My Job Because of Anxiety and Feeling Very Low About It

[Guest [Fu...]]

Before the onset of my panic attacks in December of 2012 I never had a problem with keeping a job. Since that time, and battles with GAD and social anxiety as well, I've been through several jobs because I just couldn't perform well due to a combination of the anxiety and the side effects from the meds (I'm on 1.0 mg klonopin and 15 mg Lexapro). I wake up in the morning with such severe anxiety about the upcoming day that meditation and medication don't even hello and there majority of the time I actually get physically sick because of the stress. Today I emailed my boss and told her that I just couldn't do it right now. So now I have no source of income again and an just feeling very low and looking for words of encouragement more than anything.

 

 

[[th...]]

working is extremely difficult with these issues.  i just went back to work basically since getting clean 2 years ago as i had been off then in school.  it's very hard.  i know you feel bad but it's probably for the better b/c you know if it's just too much.  better that then driving back to benzos and starting whole process again.  keep at it

[[Fl...]]

Totally get you.  My anxiety is so bad that I stopped working 12 years ago when I was 55. My job was so stressful and I should have quit long before I did.  Have never been able to handle stress and I seem to get stressed out about EVERYTHING!  Have tried every med in the book as well as every non-med thing and spent a ton of money, only to end up taking Klonopin which I am sure is making me worse since I have been on it for 1 3/4 years at the same dose.  Sorry I'm not exactly giving you words of encouragement but at least you can see you are not the only one.  Wish there was a magic bullet for us.

Are you still on the Klonopin and Lexapro?  SSRIs make my anxiety ten times worse.  I feel the same way as you when I wake up every day.

I'm sure the loss of income isn't helping things for you.  I wish I could help you.  I feel for you since I know exactly how you feel.

I am going to try high-CBD marijuana which helps kids with seizures and see if that gives me any relief and helps me get off the K.  It is much less harmful and has been OKed by the doctor.  I don't want to recommend anything for you since I am not a doctor but I do understand how desperate this feeling can be - HELL.😤

 

[[Ba...]]

I know exactly how you feel.

 

I'm on sick leave at the moment but when it runs out next week I'm most likely going to have to tell my company that I'm unfit for work at the moment, so when my current contact ends next month they won't renew it.

 

It sucks doesn't it? The only thing that I keep telling myself is that jobs come and go, but you only get one body and one mind and they have to be your priority.

 

We'll get through this.

[[Go...]]

Totally get you.  My anxiety is so bad that I stopped working 12 years ago when I was 55. My job was so stressful and I should have quit long before I did.  Have never been able to handle stress and I seem to get stressed out about EVERYTHING!  Have tried every med in the book as well as every non-med thing and spent a ton of money, only to end up taking Klonopin which I am sure is making me worse since I have been on it for 1 3/4 years at the same dose.  Sorry I'm not exactly giving you words of encouragement but at least you can see you are not the only one.  Wish there was a magic bullet for us.

Are you still on the Klonopin and Lexapro?  SSRIs make my anxiety ten times worse.  I feel the same way as you when I wake up every day.

I'm sure the loss of income isn't helping things for you.  I wish I could help you.  I feel for you since I know exactly how you feel.

I am going to try high-CBD marijuana which helps kids with seizures and see if that gives me any relief and helps me get off the K.  It is much less harmful and has been OKed by the doctor.  I don't want to recommend anything for you since I am not a doctor but I do understand how desperate this feeling can be - HELL.😤

 

Hi. I am in what sounds like a very similar situation. I am 55, have been at my job for 20+ years (considered to be a very good employee), and am highly doubtful that I can cope once I return to work following FMLA. I'm curious, I can't help worrying that I'm (and my family) will end up essentially destitute. If you don't mind, how did you manage for all those years financially? (I think I'm going to be turned down for short-term disability, and would presumably be turned down for long-term disability (not that I even want disability, I REALLY want to go back to work!).

[[Fl...]]

My husband was working.  Our kids were almost grown and we had no debts.  Because of my anxiety, I always pinched pennies and we paid off our mortgage when our kids were still very young.  We didn't have kids until we had been married for eleven years and we were making enough money to pay off our mortgage by the time they were about 3 and 5 years old.  I worked for 34 years and my husband is 70 and retired but still does some work here and there.  We both had company pensions all the years we were working so we are managing but not exactly living a life of luxury, even though my husband would love to buy a house in Florida (we live in Canada).  Just the thought of having another mortgage at this stage of our lives when we can barely live on our pension is giving me extreme anxiety.  Anyway, that's how we managed so far.

How old are your kids?  Are they still dependent on you?

By the way, I was always considered an exemplary employee.  I basically ruined my health doing a job that I knew wasn't for me but just didn't want to let anyone down.  My own worst enemy.

[[Li...]]

I've been very near this point. I work from home though, so my freak-outs can remain private. If I wasn't? I don'tk now that  could handle it. I go to school as well and frankly, I'm ready to quit it all and hole up with my parents for a year.  I'm 33, though. And they live across the country. In any case, stubbornness will likely keep me at it (I endure things but I never cure things). So, I think these decisions can be rather brave. Take care of yourself, first and foremost.

[Guest [Fu...]]

If you don't mind me asking, what type of work do you do from home? I've thought about doing that while I get myself together but it's difficult to find any legitimate work.

[[be...]]

If you don't mind me asking, what type of work do you do from home? I've thought about doing that while I get myself together but it's difficult to find any legitimate work.

 

I work from home as well. It has been a paycheck savior to me. I can stop and start anytime I want to. I am a freelance journalist who either writes an article or copy edits one that a contractor has sent me via email. All of my work is just done with WORD and my email account. Once I am finished with the WORD document, I simply attach it to an email. I bill them via email. I never even have to speak to them over the phone. Sometimes I work wearing my jammies.  ~~ Bets

[[Li...]]

If you don't mind me asking, what type of work do you do from home? I've thought about doing that while I get myself together but it's difficult to find any legitimate work.

 

I work in customer service, but I mostly do loss prevention analytic stuff (sounds fancy but it's not) for an online retailer. I used to go to the office but they relocated just outside the city a few years ago and I've been doing this at-home stuff since.

 

Wow, writing that is depressing. I started working there 5 years ago when I was finishing up my first master's, and I never thought I'd still be here. Sigh.

[[im...]]

Before the onset of my panic attacks in December of 2012 I never had a problem with keeping a job. Since that time, and battles with GAD and social anxiety as well, I've been through several jobs because I just couldn't perform well due to a combination of the anxiety and the side effects from the meds (I'm on 1.0 mg klonopin and 15 mg Lexapro). I wake up in the morning with such severe anxiety about the upcoming day that meditation and medication don't even hello and there majority of the time I actually get physically sick because of the stress. Today I emailed my boss and told her that I just couldn't do it right now. So now I have no source of income again and an just feeling very low and looking for words of encouragement more than anything.

 

Sorry to hear that. I am experiencing a similar thing now; although I only work part-time, it's still hell for me especially since it's a job where I have to interact with people a lot. As soon as I crawl back home I will just have some more valium with wine to forget it all, otherwise I keep remembering my whole work day, can't sleep, keep thinking 'what if I've done something wrong' etc.

What I'm trying to say is that, perhaps it is for the best. Although loss of income is depressing, you should get a jobseeker's allowance btw, maybe that particular job was just no good for your health? Maybe you can start anew, somewhere you could feel less stressed? It's not the end of the world, although it it may feel like it, but try to look at it from a different perspective, use the now free time to consider other options that would maybe suit you better. This is what I also think of doing.

[[co...]]

I'm so sorry to hear . There are two things I thought of while reading your post: 1) Any chance the SSRI is making your anxiety worse? I had an adverse reaction to Lexapro. It made my anxiety 10x worse. 2) I wish it was easier to work from home in certain positions. I think it would help those struggling with anxiety so much.

[Guest [Fu...]]

I certainly don't think the SSRI helped, but as of last week I am off the Lexaoro and continuing with my slow klonopin taper. I wish there were more legitimate work from jobs too! I actually spoke with a lawyer today who specializes in disability claims in my state and he told me that for peopl bellow 35 (and especially with mental health isusues) virtually every application is dismissed by the judge. Not sure what I'm going to do for money but it is certainly stressing me out!