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Discussion on: Have psychological issues ever had a big impact on your career/life, and how did you deal with that?

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jess profile image
Jess Lee • Edited

Hey Frederik, I have anxiety too. At my previous job, it got so bad that it caused physical symptoms. Like, really gross internal symptoms ranging from rashes to digestive issues. The org I worked for was actually very pro-mental health & focused on eliminating the stigma against mental health issues, which made me feel even worse about experiencing the anxiety. The irony. The physical symptoms only lasted about a month after I started that job, but the non-physical symptoms persisted til the very end. Being 100% present in meetings is something I always struggle with, and being put on the spot with questions. My mind goes blank almost instantaneously and I feel like a person with no opinions or input. Then I beat myself up for it for the next two days and become filled with dread at the next meeting.

I've been seeing a therapist for the last few years, something I recommend for absolutely everyone, with or without any mental health concerns, and that's helped a lot. I've had this somewhat crippling anxiety for several years now, and I need to constantly remind myself that it takes time and patience to retrain the mind. I'm also trying to be more forgiving on myself and striving for less perfection.

Greg Baugues has a really good talk on mental health, and you can check out an interview with him here. My ideal self would also be out in the world giving mental health talks at conferences, but not sure I'm quite ready to yet.

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Alex Jover

Going through the same stuff... It got me in between swtching jobs, and it started quite bad, with all kind of physical symptoms and frequent panic attacks. That started 3 months ago, and never started with that job I was switching to, so got time for myself.

Now I'm starting to feel better and thinking about reincorporate to work, but I'm filled with insecurity and social panic.

What have been good for me: mindfulness meditation, cognitive/conductive therapy, exposing myself to stressful situations (in a controlled way), and watch tedx talks about positive thinking. But above all: patience. It takes time to develop those techniques (just as sport), but every single step leads you forward