Panic - when is it time for THAT talk?

[Glosoli]

I've pretty much given up hope that I'll be able to get through a long work day without some manner of panic attack. It just happens; I'm in retail but I hate dealing with angry customers.

But more often than not now, I find myself having them when nothing is wrong!

Sitting here, I'm a bit short of breath, on the verge of tears, and feeling a bit nauseous. And there's nothing going on to have caused it. It's a sleepy Sunday eve, and I WAS feeling peaceful...

I'd kind of given up trying to talk to my previous doctors about my anxiety, because they seem to gloss it over and not really seem to care - but the symptoms aren't getting better. They're a bit worrying to me, especially the new ones.

My hands shake horribly, I sweat profusely, and sometimes have a bit of visual disturbance. Not like scary visions or anything, but patterns seeming to move and otherwise be weird, kind of like those optical illusion books...

Any tips on talking to my new Pdoc about this?

I'm scared of two outcomes:

1: I'll be ignored / branded a hypochondriac

2: Other end of the spectrum, be thought of as completely bonkers.

Thoughts?

[Symora]

Hi Glosoli, Anxiety is such a challenging thing to address, but I know people who suffered for anxiety attacks when they were young but overcame it. Do you feel any stress about anything, or is there an incident that triggered your symptoms?

[finding my way]

Seeing a therapist for a while to learn some techniques for managing your anxiety could really help, Glosoli. Would you consider that at all?

[Glosoli]

@Symora: It's most definitely having started a new late last month. The work isn't difficult, but it's the social part that gets me! The customers are rude, and I'm already not great with people... So just seeing someone approach me, and knowing they're going to ask me a question sets me on edge.

It doesn't seem to matter if I can help them or not, but especially when I can't.

@finding my way:

I do see a therapist weekly. Mondays, actually.

She mostly says things like, "This is a healthy challenge for you" or tells me general information like 'why' certain things happen... not a lot of input on how to fix these things, though.

[Symora]

Yeah, I can see how that would happen. Perhaps you can be clearer about the help you want, like dealing directly with the anxiety when it happens, or how you seem to anticipate challenges with people. There are also courses on how to deal with customers, and especially with difficult people. With customer service I think it has to do with staying detached, otherwise it can indeed get stressful.

Are you willing to tell us what the new job is ... perhaps someone in the forum would have experience it that and have some advice on how to better deal with the situations you encounter...

[Glosoli]

I'm a sales associate at Walmart.

I cover the health and beauty area, but I have to help out with other things.

Last week my boss abandoned me in Electronics without any training on cashiering. I was kinda forced to stand there doing nothing.

I'm tired of being called an idiot for not knowing things I haven't been trained for.

[Symora]

That's a perfectly justifiable response to being put in a situation you have no training for. Have you talked to your supervisor about it, made it clear that you don't mind helping out here and there, but you need to understand and be trained for what you are asked to do?

And nobody has the right to call you an idiot ... that's one thing you should not take. Customers can be very difficult indeed. I myself have been impatient in department stores, especially when I can't find an associate for example :-( I can imagine that it is not easy....

[Aaron.X.C]

I'm just saying since I don't really know how to help. Where I live the employees seem a lot happier at costco(customers are also nicer). Don't quit your job unless your sure you can get another job. And for me being your situation would drive me crazy, I can't stand rude people, probably over react make a threat or begin a fight. To finish it off your not an idiot, unless you think it's funny to hide milk inside a fridge. (Inside joke)