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Underwhelmed

Posted , 4 users are following.

thomas96833
thomas96833

Hello,

So I have read a lot that Anxiety is caused by stress and worry, being overwhelmed with different factor's all going on at once. It's often a build up to which everyone has a tipping point.

Can the opposite cause it?

I work full time and in the last two weeks my Anxiety has skyrocketed.

The thing is, I do nothing at work. Not out of laziness, I am actually excited when I finally get something to do!. Somewhere down the line all of our job tasks and workloads have either significantly reduced or been removed to the point of there simply being no work. I work in a small office with 6 people, within a relatively big company and they say it's just a quiet period. This period has been about 5 months now!

I work 10 hour days and for example the last two days I have literally just mind numbingly stared at my start screen on the PC praying for a distraction. I am truly exhausted because of the boredom. It's not just me. It's all 10 of us, we even approached our manager and said we are fed up with the boredom, how can we improve things? His answer was simply, you know where the door is.

I like a challenge. I am educated and working towards my Master's Degree now. However at work, I have no mental stimulation what so ever, petty colleagues that cause such a toxic environment through moaning and complaining about each other (trivial complaints) which is probably because it's the only excitement they get and generally nothing to think about or focus on. We can't read books or use the internet, or take personal items into the office. It's a cold, boring, stale environment.

Sitting at my desk, I find I am suppressing mild panic attacks all day. Propranolol has stopped working. My body is screaming at me to walk out and my mood has become really flat and low. I am exhausted constantly and ache, yet done nothing to justify this tiredness. Even on my days off, I just lack motivation.

Now in an ideal world I could quite, but with a mortgage and bills I can't. It's not fair on my partner at all. Had a few interviews but no luck so far changing jobs either. Applying for anything literally.

No idea what to do other than bear with the grind, but I can feel myself getting more and more depressed, depersonalised and Anxiety building up again. I can't go sick as it wouldn't look great applying for new jobs.

My doctor really wants me to try Sertraline but I can't see it helping given the problem is circunstanually driven. How could it lift the depression if the environment stays the same?

Any advice?

Back in work tomorrow and already been awake all night dreading it sad

Thank you

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Purpledobermann
    Purpledobermann thomas96833

    Posted

    Well you are not underwhelmed. You are overwhelmed. Overwhlmingly frustrated with your circumstances. Your symptom escalation is very predictable in your predicament.

    Keep applying for other work seems to me like the only thing you can do based on what you wrote. I can only imagine how frustrating it is to spend 10 hours a day without any sense of purpose.

    Setraline can help mute the overreactive brain responses and keep you balanced until your coping mechanism becomes more effective (takes time). It does not matter that it is situational if you already have prior history of anxiety/depression. Being predisposed can make it worse. Having said that I am not advising you do take it. This is up to you and your doctor. If you are escalating and it is interfering with your life, consider it. If you feel you can brave the wave, do. But be sensible and open to changing course if needed in the future.

    All the best.

    • thomas96833
      thomas96833 Purpledobermann

      Posted

      Thank you, that is probably the best way I could have wrote it. I do feel lost at the moment and with no sense of purpose.

      I know getting a new job will take time, I think I am just being impatient, it's frustrating. I try and stay optimistic, but then after 15 minute's in work, the grim reality sets back in.

      I have actually spent a good 5 hours yesterday changing my CV and applying for jobs in work. How backwards is that?!

      I think Sertraline will help, I have been prescribed it a few times now to be honest and just scared to try it. I definitely need something to help sleep as averaging 3-4 hours due to insomnia and it's work that is constantly on my mind rolleyes

      A bit of muting sounds okay for the time being.

      Thanks for the help

  • borderriever
    borderriever thomas96833

    Posted

    Personally I cannot understand how a company can keep ten people woring on nothing for six months a year, you would think they would just need casual workers to be there when they are supposed to be busy.

    Your GP has recommended a change of medication, if you GP has suggested a change because your current medications do not work, do as advised Sad to say I do not know what to suggest with your job.

    Is there any way to make the job work for you, what about making it more efificient when the office is busy try making the job your own.

    You could look for another job, your problem is your Mortgage so you will need to be positive you can get work and keep it

    I am very interested to know what type of work you do ? is it anything to do with holidays ???

    BOB 

    • thomas96833
      thomas96833 borderriever

      Posted

      Hello Bob,

      Thanks for your reply.

      I have worked at the company for 8 years now. It's a distribution centre and it's hard to explain what's happened with boring you to tears, whilst sales are good, as a department what I do has shrunk. I am a data analyst, and look at trends, problems between systems, things that would prevent loss etc / ensure service levels are kept. Normally I would be 3 days behind with work, now it's only 5 minute's!. Over the past two years the warehouse has been automated, so whilst we are busy sales wise, my job is not as the problems once created by the old world have slowly been ironed out and removed.

      I have tried everything I can think of to get more stimulation at work or change my focus / look into different aspects. It's difficult when all sense of purpose has been lost. I would happily take a redundancy pay out now!

      I just know at the moment I am having sleeping nights thinking of not wanting to go back, leg pain pretty much consistently (Anxiety apparently) and suppressing mild panic attacks.

      I think I will need to try Sertraline as the way I feel now, I doubt I would perform well going straight into another job. I think something to stabilise me would be the best option.

      Just frustrated more than anything to be honest. I am so happy at my new home and then unbelievable depressed after a day in work rolleyes

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