I can no longer tolerate stress

[1MoreChance]

Last year I had a bad reaction to hormonal birth control which caused severe anxiety and depression. I had a very stressful job contract at the time too and was put on sick leave. my doctor said I couldn't tolerate stress (none of the doctors I saw ever bothered to try to get me off the hormonal bc though, and when I did it myself, I improved within a couple of weeks).

 

anyway... I also had surgery and a stressful relationship which ended up in a break up and now he has been gone for 6 months but it's been a slow and painful process and I am still learning to accept it's over and detach myself. he left me for the first "break" about 4 weeks after the surgery and I was devastated. then we went back together an dthen he left for good (which wasn't really that clear), 6 months ago August 31 2008.

 

so all this stress in the last year, and I feel I can no longer tolerate stress and my anxiety is pretty bad. Like right now I want to go see my mother in mexico and the getting the passeport ready, the plane tickets, etc., it's all causing so much anxiety and for example my bro and sis travel all the time and have stressful jobs but they do so much better. I am afraid I will never learn to manage this anxiety, that I have become worse since the events of last year...

 

anyway thanks for listening, I feel pretty alone, like the small little normal things (travelling, working) are causing me too much stress and I don't trust the doctors to help me and I don't want to take anti deppressants though right now I started taking St John's Wort. Could you tell me what has helped you if you are similar to me?

[Moz]

I believe you should seek medical help. Your health is too important to take chances with on-line. Go to the professionals and they will help you. I did have anxiety issues in my life and went to my GP. Best way, believe me.

[HerDestiny]

I had a similar problem recently (too much stress related to a health problem, doctors screwing up and making things worse, feeling alone, etc...) and one of my best friends asked me a question that took me two solid hours to answer:

 

What were you doing and how were you acting before this stress? What were you doing differently?

 

I had to think pretty far back and realized how much my behavior changed. I wasn't doing any of the things anymore that I used to do before I was so stressed out.

 

He asked me this just a few days ago. Already, just from going back to who I used to be...the stress is dying down. I don't feel half as overwhelmed.

 

To add to this to change my state of mind, last night I had to drop off a movie at Blockbuster and go to the ATM and stop at the store. It was late, I didn't want to go because I was tired. I thought to myself "if I had a crystal ball and knew I'd be dead by October, how different would I treat my life?". I realized I was going to drag myself to the store completely bummed out and changed how I felt about the situation.

 

I knew if I only had until October, I'd hop in the truck, crank my favorite songs loud, enjoy the drive to Blockbuster and have a great tasting mug of coffee in my cupholder! I'd enjoy the drive as if it were the middle of summer and the smell of flowers were in the air.

 

What if...this is it?