G
Guest
·Dear group,
I am new to the forum. My background: About a year ago I spent eight days at the Adult Stress Unit at a local hospital, the place where they take your shoestrings and belt away. I assume I had a "Breakdown". I couldn't even write my name or do much of anything else.
Since then I have been experiencing EXTREME FATIGUE and intense anxiety. I've always been anxious and have been treated for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder for the last 25 years. About four months prior to my hopsitalization, my daughter was born with heart complications and I was in a new job which caused great anxiety. This led UP to my breakDOWN.
I returned to work about three weeks after being admitted to the hospital. My daily goal for the last 11 months at work has been to SURVIVE to quitting time each day. It is getting better but slowly.
I work for a soft drink company moving beverage coolers. I have a college degree but feel this work is about all I can cope with right now.
The slightest perception of stress creates intense anxiety for me. I've read that people who have breakdowns experience a " hypervigilance" to perceived dangers. Just about every moment at work I feel super keyed up and immediately feel great relief at quitting time only to start anxiously anticipating the next day. I've also noted an intense increase of Social ANxiety since " the breakdown."
I've been seeing a therapist who is treating me with Eye Movement Desensitization & reprocessing. It gives me temporary relief from theanxiety, but very short term.
I've only recently read of this condition of Derealization but it seems to be an accurate description of what I've experienced for the last several years. That sense of being detached from the environment as if viewing everythingthrough a plate glass is accurate. I atribute this to the excessive anxiety caused by OCD and Social Anxiety and also my behavior pattern of isolating myself because of the anxiety.
Please let me know if you've had similar experiences. I agree with Janine about the need to stay connected with life and people to help relieve the condition. Isolating due to shame or shyness or anxiety only makes it worse.
Steve
I am new to the forum. My background: About a year ago I spent eight days at the Adult Stress Unit at a local hospital, the place where they take your shoestrings and belt away. I assume I had a "Breakdown". I couldn't even write my name or do much of anything else.
Since then I have been experiencing EXTREME FATIGUE and intense anxiety. I've always been anxious and have been treated for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder for the last 25 years. About four months prior to my hopsitalization, my daughter was born with heart complications and I was in a new job which caused great anxiety. This led UP to my breakDOWN.
I returned to work about three weeks after being admitted to the hospital. My daily goal for the last 11 months at work has been to SURVIVE to quitting time each day. It is getting better but slowly.
I work for a soft drink company moving beverage coolers. I have a college degree but feel this work is about all I can cope with right now.
The slightest perception of stress creates intense anxiety for me. I've read that people who have breakdowns experience a " hypervigilance" to perceived dangers. Just about every moment at work I feel super keyed up and immediately feel great relief at quitting time only to start anxiously anticipating the next day. I've also noted an intense increase of Social ANxiety since " the breakdown."
I've been seeing a therapist who is treating me with Eye Movement Desensitization & reprocessing. It gives me temporary relief from theanxiety, but very short term.
I've only recently read of this condition of Derealization but it seems to be an accurate description of what I've experienced for the last several years. That sense of being detached from the environment as if viewing everythingthrough a plate glass is accurate. I atribute this to the excessive anxiety caused by OCD and Social Anxiety and also my behavior pattern of isolating myself because of the anxiety.
Please let me know if you've had similar experiences. I agree with Janine about the need to stay connected with life and people to help relieve the condition. Isolating due to shame or shyness or anxiety only makes it worse.
Steve
