Anxiety: told to 'get over it'

[BlondeStarFish]

I told my boss I am struggling recently, with intense anxiety, stress, and depressive thoughts. I am on medication but still feel unwell.

Their response? 'get over it, everyone feels like that'.

I feel hopeless, as if no one gets it. Please, someone agree with me it's not as simple as just 'getting over it?' If it is, tell me the secret.

Hi OP That was a really insensitive response from your manager and incredibly unsupportive. He may not have had any awareness training on mh issues (that doesn't excuse his response though)

At my workplace we have employee wellness action plans which is a tool to help discuss mental health with your and what supports you to stay well.

At this point in time it sounds like you are still in crisis - is taking time off an option for you?

Are you able to access counselling? Does your workplace have any employee assistance programmes, where you can access telephone/face to face counselling anonymously?

You're right, it's not that simple.

Unfortunately, some people understand a broken leg or physical illness but don't recognise or empathise with mental illness in the same way.

Unfortunately many employers have an attitude of 'work at work, personal issues in personal time'... It sounds as though you had a very demoralising response. Are you able to access support elsewhere?

He probably just doesn’t understand what anxiety is. Sometime you simply can’t get over it and have to try to manage it instead. If you feel like you need support go to HR.

You can't just get over anxiety. It's crippling and debilitating.. just like a broken limb and you would never be told to just get over that. You need time, space and appropriate help. Please keep talking to your GP until you get it.

And a huge hug to you

What an arsehole. But OP I'm currently over the bad side of anxiety now I've suffered with it for about 15 years it got really bad around last year for a whole solid year it's only the past few weeks/months it's started to subside and disappear and it will for you too.
You need to find what your triggers are for your anxiety that makes you feel awful, CBT can help you do this, there is also a website someone on here recommenced for me called CBT4PANIC and it changed a lot for me.
Cutting back from stressful situations, making time for just me I'm a mum of two so I struggle with finding that time, getting fresh air, taking more vitamins that help calm the nervous system magnesium citrate is great for this.
Also a massive one for me was learning how to recognise negative thoughts as being just thoughts that's the hardest step for me and I still have my days now where I think what the fuck is wrong with me eurgh. But it does pass I used to have 28/30 bad days a month now I have maybe 9-10. It's still a lot but it's decreasing daily.
I really wish you all the luck finding what works for you Anxiety cannot be cured. You actually need anxiety to survive my therapist said to me if we didn't have some level of anxiety and awareness we'd all be waking of bridges and into roads. It's normal every single person in the world feels anxious at some point we just need to find how to turn it down a notch and not let it takeover.
Which is so hard to do but you will get there. I'm rambling on now but I really hope you find something to help you