Went part time due to mental health/stress.. still not coping. What do I do?

[Sulking]

I’ve spent the last 3years in a constant state of panic and stress. I’ve been in and out of high intensity therapy and am back on the waiting list yet again but have around 17 weeks to wait.

I quit my full time job after a bit of a breakdown at the end of last year; I just couldn’t cope with childcare and working. So I got a part time job; only around 10-12 hours a week so literally barely anything… but I’m still not coping.

I don’t know what to do. I feel like not working won’t help, I like to keep busy, I like the distraction sometimes. But equally I hate the commitment and the pressure to need to be at work when I feel so so low and panicked.

We also absolutely can’t afford for me to not work or reduce any hours. We’re literally below the breadline right now and have debt to pay off so I can’t just quit and see how it goes.

Im so stuck and im so worried about the strain my body and my mind are under due to my mental health.

Had anyone been in a similar boat? Where do I go from here?

You should see a difference with medication in about 6 weeks, and if one doesn’t work there are others you can try. Medication is a journey and it doesn’t solve all your problems overnight, but once you get the dosage and the type of medication right the relief it brings is wonderful. I’ve been on my anxiety medication for years now and it allows me to function without the abject terror I feel without it. I still get nervous and anxious about things but it’s manageable with various techniques - I have accepted that I live with this condition but that I can manage it.

If you’ve lived with debilitating anxiety for as long as you have then CBT is clearly not enough for you. It’s like your earlier paracetamol post - you take it because you need it and nothing else has worked. It’s not easy for you to take the medication but you do it because it’s the only thing that works. Anti anxiety medication is exactly the same - it’s like medication for any other condition eg diabetes where people with the condition manage it with medication and diet. Neither work on their own.

@SirChenjins Yes, I also find it helpful to view my anxiety in a similar way to a physical illness. I have an under-active thyroid and take medication for that- so why wouldn’t I also take medication for my anxiety? They’re both illnesses that need to be treated, iyswim.

Anyway, I hope you feel better soon @sulking. I lived with anxiety for over 40 years before properly addressing it so it’s def. not too late for you to do the same. It’s transformed my life. 💐

Another vote for medication. Try it. You will be amazed at the difference