Beginning to Deal with Phobias
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Beginning to Deal with Phobias
| Tue, 01-09-2007 - 10:17pm |
Hello Everyone,
I am in the middle of my divorce. I am starting to develop phobias. I get anxiety when I need to read my eamil. I get anxiety when the mail arrives. Sometimes I can't even check my voicemails. I hate this feeling. I get so nervous. I am so worried about everything. I need to pay bills, but I panic. I just can't think it through. Why is this happening? I am so nervous. This is not me.
I hate this. I guess I just don't want to deal with the stress these things bring me.

It sounds like your nerves are just shot and the stress is getting to you. I would strongly advise seeing your doctor and getting a counselor at least temporarily. The doctor can prescribe meds for you to get you through this time that is horribly stressful. The counselor can help you learn to deal with the anxiety.
Don't think negatively about yourself because of this. It happens to many of us. A year ago when my ex moved out and immediately in with a new woman who he was insisting on bringing around my kids, I was so stressed out that I could barely function. I would wake up in a panic at 5 am every single day and just sob. I felt like I was dying. I would have to stop and take deep slow breaths during the day almost every 20 minutes because I felt like I was going to have a panic attack. I came to this board and the ladies here advised me to see my doctor and I did. I was put on Lexapro and it helped me so much. It got me through the rough part and now I'm off of the medication.
You are going through a huge life change. Go see your doctor and get some help with the understandable anxiety you are having.
I went throuogh the same thing when I was separated from my husband. I went through a terrible period of depression and anxiety. I was seeing a psychologist and a psychiatrist. I was on anti-anxiety pills and sleeping pills. I even had a huge breakdown when my dentist had to cancel an appointment (he had a family emergency), I was sure that I was a horrible person because even my dentist did not want to see me.
Lucky for me I was able to realize that this was no way to live my life and I had a great psychologist who did not focus on my marriage problems, but he focused on helping me feel better about myself. He recommended a book called "Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness" by Jon Kabat-Zinn. It has a great title, teaches you breathing exercises, yoga, and meditation. The book takes a very Western approach to Eastern philosophy. Reading that book and going through a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course (based on the book and developed by the author) really gave me a new outlook on life.
Divorce and separation are difficult, life changing times. Take advantage of this life change to improve yourself. If you do not take care of your self no one will. It is up to you. This book is a great place to start. If you cannot handle this stress on your own, please do not be afraid to seek professional help.
Good luck, you can get through this!