Working with Anxiety and Withdrawal

[mstimc]

I'm curious to know what you all think about working while dealing with anxiety and/or withdrawal.  For me, it was a double-edged sword.  I had a technical managerial position as a public-sector manager, so a lot of the work demanded my attention, leaving less mental space for anxious thoughts.  It was also a facet of my life I could, to some degree, control, which channeled my OCD in a positive and constructive way.  So in that way, it was somewhat therapeutic. 

 

On the other hand, my anxiety, especially during withdrawal, led me to catastrophic thinking; that every mistake would mean I'd be fired and I was covering up my imagined incompetence.  (I actually won an award for superior performance during withdrawal, so I know it was just my negative thoughts).  So there were also days I feared going to work.

 

What are you views of working with anxiety and withdrawal?

[sunnysideup69]

For me, it has also been therapeutic. Luckily, before I crashed in 2018, I had already gone to part time, that has been a blessing. I get where you're coming from re catastrophic thinking, I'm more susceptible to stress at work and have to make sure I get lots of rest at home. 

It is difficult on bad days, for sure. I teach kids, some days that distracts me from my negative thinking, but some days when WD is bad, I feel less patient and have to really work to not let it affect my relationships with them. 

To be honest though, it's mostly the other adults who drive me insane. 

[mstimc]

29 minutes ago, sunnysideup69 said:

For me, it has also been therapeutic. Luckily, before I crashed in 2018, I had already gone to part time, that has been a blessing. I get where you're coming from re catastrophic thinking, I'm more susceptible to stress at work and have to make sure I get lots of rest at home. 

It is difficult on bad days, for sure. I teach kids, some days that distracts me from my negative thinking, but some days when WD is bad, I feel less patient and have to really work to not let it affect my relationships with them. 

To be honest though, it's mostly the other adults who drive me insane. 

I admire your dedication, Sunnyside.  We have a son but kids in large groups have always given me the jitters!

[sunnysideup69]

8 minutes ago, mstimc said:

I admire your dedication, Sunnyside.  We have a son but kids in large groups have always given me the jitters!

 😂 Yes, they can be a bit hair raising at times!