How do you avoid letting anxiety become debilitating?

I've struggled with depression and anxiety for quite a while.  It tends to get more serious in the winter months.  I have also noticed that the longer I am in a job, over time, a performance anxiety begins to build up at work until it often becomes paralyzing and debilitating.  I'm not sure how to combat it.

It got so bad as a practicing attorney, that I left one firm and ultimately closed my own practice and got out of the practice of law (which is a stressful business to be sure).  Now I am in a telephonic sales position.  I'm ordinarily pretty good at it, and it is not the same kind of anxiety as practicing law.  But it still has the pressure to perform.

I get easily distracted and then feel such a heightened anxiety just at the thought of going about the daily activities of making cold calls, following up with clients, etc.  Then, I become very self-critical, fearful, distressed and feel like I can never recover.  It is a horrible cycle.  I get to the point of not wanting to get out of bed in the morning and accomplishing little or nothing once in the office, on many days.  This, of course, heightens the anxiety even more.

I wondered if anyone has experienced any techniques that can help something like this.  Any suggestions appreciated.

[j17c27]

I experience something very similar to you.  After 15 years on anxiety (ive had signs of it since i was as young as 2) and 5+ years of depression, I finally soughtout help like a half year ago.  I was put on medication and therapy.  COmbined, it can be a very powerful treatment.  Medication lessens the symptoms of anxiety and depression, while therapy gets to the root of things and helps build you back up.  I was very hesitiant to take meds and especially to start therapy.  At the start I was really reluctant, but now that I have been on treatments for a while I say its the best thing you can do for yourself.  I have been anxiety free for 6 weeks now, compared to having anxiety 24/7.  As for the depression, Im still struggling with that.  I just upped the dosage of my medication (Pristiq) and my psychiatrist hopes that will help with the depression.

other than that, reading helps me.  it gets my mind into someone elses world other than my own.  Also, excersizing is proven to help anxiety especially but also depression.  Diet can do the same.
Good luck with everything

[gandolfication]

Thanks.
Yah, I've gone back on medication..and maybe it needs time to start working.  I tend to be pessimistic about medication because I've tried a lot and it hasn't seemed to help - especially in particular with this performance anxiety.  But I know I have to give it time and probably shouldn't be so pessimistic about it.

Exercise is something I agree helps when/if I can make myself do it again.  Kind of a chicken and egg problem.

I too enjoy reading, which is one reason that the many years I was in school tended to mitigate the symptoms.  The reading I do for my job is soulless numbing material I'm not interested in and get nothing from.  I do feel a little better when I'm able to read things in my leisure time that are of interest.

Anyhow, thanks for the suggestions.

[andy_n_anderson]

any medication you try will likely take 6+ weeks to work, unless your dr simply puts you on tranquilizers, which might have you wandering about in a haze all day, are mood depressants, and can also be addictive.  So I'm betting your not on tranqs.

various studies (and my experience as well) say a combo of meds and cognitive behavioural therapy work best for anxiety, although there is a new therapy called 'mindfulness based cognitive therapy' which is supposed to work even better than cognitive behaviour therapy.

holistically speaking, excercise reduces anxiety, and so can therapy lights, especially since you are seasonally affected, like me

[gandolfication]

Thanks again.  I have one of those dawn simulator alarm clocks on order and I know you're right about the time for medication to work.

[Mickey88]

I have Klonopin to take "as needed", a good medication since you don't get a rush (which can spawn addiction).  I find I really don't need it as often as I think I do .... anxiety passes.  Just having the bottle on me makes me feel more secure.  

I have a mantra:  "Feelings aren't facts".  In other words just because I feel like a failure doesn't mean I am one.  It's a reality check that the problem isn't out there, it's in my head.  

Slow deep breathing is a big help.  When breathing slows, so does the mind.