Having a breakdown in work

[CurlyRover]

I think I'm having a bit of a mental breakdown in work and I don't know what to do. Feel like I've been thrown into my job with little help and I'm massively overwhelmed and struggling. Ended up having an argument with my sort of supervisor who said it's bullshit I'm not being helped

I'm feeling so overwhelmed and anxious and having a breakdown. I can't afford to go off on sick leave as I'm meant to be buying a house soon. I'm currently sat in a corner avoiding people and feeling awful. I can't avoid people forever though! I have another 3.5 hours left of work today. I don't know what to do

[HooraySunshine]

Are you new to this job? Is it possible to ask for help? Or clarification on what you're meant to be doing?

Go to the toilets for a few mins time to yourself. Take 10 deep breaths. Make a list of what you need (i.e. smaller caseload, an assistant, more information on what you're meant to be doing, etc) Hopefully writing out the list will help calm you down and start thinking about a way forward.

Go home tonight and think about your list. What is it that is making you feel overwhelmed and anxious? Do you feel like this every day or just today? Maybe it's not just work, maybe the house purchase along with other things are contributing to how you feel?

Does your employer offer counselling? If not, maybe make an appointment with your GP to talk to someone. Hopefully today was just a bad day and you'll feel better after a good nights sleep, but consider phoning your GP to discuss how you feel.

Hope the rest of your day gets better!

[screweditup]

I know exactly how you feel. Having the same problem in a new job and don’t really know what I’m doing. Haven’t spoken to anyone yet but I need to. I am so anxious before I go to work and at work. I hide it but I’m a mess inside. I work in an area where everyone but me has the same professional title. I feel as if I am insignificant and so they haven’t even bothered giving me a proper induction. Well done for saying something. Please update how it goes.

[CurlyRover]

I'm new to the job - same company but different role and I'm less than a month in. It's a professional job where it seems they expect people to just pick things up instantly. Thankfully today they've been a bit more helpful. Maybe it needed me getting a bit stroppy to actually get them to see I'm really struggling. Whilst I'm not at all advocating that approach and I'm not at all saying it was the right approach, I am at least happy they're being a tad more helpful. I have a meeting scheduled tomorrow which should help with some of my work related issues.

I think it's a lot of things all in one go Hooray - new job, first house purchase, relationship issues with family, physical health issues etc. There's just so much going on and so much playing on my mind and I'm going crazy. I just feel like I'm walking on a tight rope trying to juggle and just waiting for all those balls to drop and me to end up in a messed heap on the floor.

I'm already on the GP waiting list for counselling and with the house purchase and things I can't afford to pay privately for counselling at the moment although this is something I'll look into once we've recuperated funds from moving.

Im sorry you're struggling too screwedup
Is there somebody you can talk to about how you're feeling? Even if just from a "I feel anxious and overwhelmed" perspective?

[CurlyRover]

Gosh, Sorry. That turned into a long post

[HooraySunshine]

It sounds like you do have a lot going on at the moment CurlyRover. It's not unusual to be stressed, anxious, worried with the life events you've mentioned. Hopefully the meeting yesterday helped and you will soon have an appointment for counselling.

Going forward, think positive! You've got a new job which in time you will be probably be very successful at. You're buying a new house and soon you will have a nice home where you will make a lot of new memories. The other issues can be managed and hopefully resolved in time. Just focus on taking every day one step at a time.

screweditup Don't be afraid to speak up and ask for help if you need it. It's better to ask so you can do it right instead of getting in trouble for doing something wrong. Besides, they should expect that you will have questions in the first few weeks of starting a new job.

A lot of companies offer counselling, so check to see if yours does, or you might try contacting Mind or Relate who both offer free therapy.

I hope your week is going better! Good Luck to you both!

[CurlyRover]

Thank you for your reply Hooray I haven't been able to get on the internet for the last week, which hasn't helped as it's where most of my support network is.

You're message really means a lot. I don't even know what the meeting was about last week. It feels like so much has happened in a week...