I hope you are feeling better Suga and I wish the same for you too IZ.

Work stress can be very difficult to cope with and I know you have been holding it all together for a good long time. I think the advice your T gave you is worth considering. Perhaps it might make it easier to leave a stressful job that you don't really like if you could find another job first that you do like that will be less stressful.

This might be a way to maintain the security of an income and provide yourself with the gift of a more accomodating work environment. Just a thought.

For years after leaving the high pressure job that I loved but had to leave because my symptoms were starting to really impair my performance. That was 7 or 8 years ago and when I did start to look for work again I thought I needed to find another job with the same high level of responsibility to regain my confidence and self esteem.

It has since come to me that I don't need my job to define me and I can find a way to manage with less. The big bucks weren't worth compromising my recovery. I started my own small consulting business where I could still utilized the skills but without the same pressures. Now when I consider joining the workforce again I am looking at things that I enjoy doing even if the money is much less then before.

Wishing you well and hoping the stress eases up for a while at least so you get a chance to regroup and find your centre again.

Someone else mentioned the value of 'staying in the moment' and I would just like to second that suggestion. I have been doing a lot of meditating lately and keeping track of my breath. It has been a very effective anxiety buster and the more I do it the more quickly I can act when the pressure starts to build again.