Tying Myself Up in Anxiety

[blondiebonce]

I'm having a bad few days with my anxiety and it feels like knots. I'm a single mum with a 2 year old. I'm unemployed because my childcare fell through and in my area the nurseries are few and far between. On a positive, my daughter has a place in a new one starting in a few weeks.
But I'm getting so anxious thinking about what I want to do to with my life. Plus my ex boss who I thought I finished up on good terms with has shut me out (friends on Facebook. Befriended everyone and for the most part was a casual but unfortunately bitchy place to work). I was a really hard worker so feeling hurt and so worried it will affect references.
My brain feels all twisted up and in knots like I can't think straight.
I know I'm rambling but I just feel so anxious and lonely.
How can I get it to stop? :(

Also, was told I'd been referred to counselling in June but when I chased it up last week it turns out the referral was never sent by my GP.

[Mum05122006]

Hey,

I just saw that no-one had posted on your thread, so I thought I would to say Hi! :)

I guess you would like to find another job now that you have childcare sorted, so is it a case of working through what it is you'd like to do?

I've never really known what career direction I wanted, so just let my passions guide me. If you know you want to work in an office rather than doing something more hands on, try getting a very generic admin role (even just temping) - try out lots of different types of work, and something will click :)

Good luck and keep up with the positive thinking :) xxx

[AnxiousCarer]

Hi,

I am finding meditation really helpful for anxiety. I wouldn't worry too much about facebook, I have loads of colegues that I get on well with at work and respect, but wouldn't necessarily add on facebook, or socialise with. Also I would normally wait for my staff to add me rather than add them as some people don't necessarily want their boss as a facebook friend! If its about not knowing what you want to do is their any careers advice available locally, or could you do some work experience/volunteering to help you work out what sector you would be interested going into. We have a lot of mums doing apprenticeships where I work as they have decided to change direction since having kids.

[Carminia]

Hi, the NHS has a self referral system for mental health (just google NHS self referral mental health). My GP told me to do the referral online and I did and been having sessions for 4 months now. It has helped me a lot, I was really tied up in anxiety early in the year. really worth doing that. On the other hand, anything like a 10 min meditation / mindfulness / break to try to be "in the present" looking at nature or whatever you like ... may help, I used to do that as well, give myself every day a few minutes of peace (easier said than done, I know). Sending you lots of love x

[blondiebonce]

Thanks everyone x that evening I rang my mum and had a good cry and told her everything that was affecting me. I've made a list of things that I can do to start tackling various anxieties including your suggestions. Thank you so much.
The Facebook thing shouldn't have even entered my head again. It was mostly because the place I worked the bosses got very involved and friendly so it was a "normal" thing. But in hindsight no great loss because he used to mock me in front of the others and was generally snidey. And legally he has to acknowledge I worked there and I have a fab reference from some recent work I did.
Overthinking making me feel crazy at a bad time!!
Thanks again everyone X

[LuckyBitches]

Fellow anxiety sufferer here. I would echo what others have said about mindfulness, it's really helped me (along with Sertraline and Mirtazapine!). But what struck me about your post OP is that you're getting so anxious thinking about what I want to do to with my life. Don't be so hard on yourself! That's a massive question that few people, in my experience at least, would know how to answer.