How Anxiety Can Ruin Your Work Life

Anxiety is a normal emotion and part of life. People get anxious when they are faced with a problem, before a big test, or making an important decision, but there is such a thing as excessive worry and fear. Anxiety disorders involve anxiety that does not go away and can get worse over time. For an individual with an anxiety disorder, their symptoms will often interfere with daily activities like their job, school, and personal relationships.

There are several types of different anxiety disorders including panic disorder, phobia-related disorders, separation anxiety, social anxiety, etc. The most common type of anxiety is called generalized anxiety disorder. The National Institute of Mental Health defines it as,

People with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) display excessive anxiety or worry, most days for at least 6 months, about several things such as personal health, work, social interactions, and everyday routine life circumstances. The fear and anxiety can cause significant problems in areas of their life, such as social interactions, school, and work. (NIH)

Generalized anxiety disorder causes an individual to become fatigued easily, be irritable, it affects the ability to concentrate, causes restlessness, and affects sleep. I have seen a person that was unable to keep a regular job due to their anxiety. Anxiety disorders can negatively affect a person’s job performance and could potentially ruin an individual’s career.

How Can Anxiety Ruin Your Job?

Anxiety disorders come with many different symptoms that can affect and ruin a person’s work life. One of the big symptoms of anxiety is insomnia or lack of sleep. If a person isn’t getting enough rest, that can lead to fatigue and once they get to work it is very difficult to concentrate. Here are some of the other symptoms of anxiety:

• Excessive and unrealistic worry
• Jitteriness
• Startled reactions
• Dry mouth
• Lump in throat
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Racing heartbeat

The symptoms of anxiety in the workplace can cause an individual to not be able to work with others. It can cause an individual to be unable to sit still or concentrate. It can cause fear instead of focusing on the job. It can cause fear of failure which means the person may turn work down, and it can cause a person to not be able to get their job done effectively or correctly. Anxiety can cause a person to not be able to do their job period! Untreated anxiety can destroy a person’s life, but it doesn’t have to be that way, treatment is available.

Treatment for Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety can be effectively treated so that an individual can get back to a normal functioning life. Anxiety disorders are often treated with medication, psychotherapy, stress management techniques, and/or sometimes support groups are also effective. Medication management can sometimes be difficult and take time because medications work differently on different people. A medication that may be effective in treating my anxiety may not effectively treat someone else’s anxiety.

Also, it’s important to know that certain things can aggravate the symptoms of anxiety. Caffeine, nicotine, some illicit drugs, and some over-the-counter cold medicines and herbal supplements can make anxiety worse, so it’s important to avoid those substances.

Treatment for Mental Health Disorders

If you or someone you love is struggling with a mental illness, our mental health experts are available to assist you around the clock. Voices of Mental Health has a standing passion for helping others achieve peace, serenity, and fulfillment. We will help you access top treatment centers with caring and supportive assistance. You don’t have to suffer any longer, call us today.