I know this isn’t the anxiety forum but I think this is related to bipolar as well so hopefully it doesn’t get moved.

So as I’ve been mentioning in the check in i am continuously getting more and more anxious. It has increased to daily panic attack (which I honestly don’t think I’ve ever had) and sickening anxiety for most of the day. I believe it’s work related as I have a student who is getting increasingly unstable and potentially violent. My team has my back but I’m still often alone with him in peer separation. I have a walkie on me at all times so I can call for stat assistance or even a Morgan stat if I need to and I know they would show up ASAP, but he’s big enough that I won’t be able to hold him by myself. The best I’ll be able to do is get out of his way and/or deflect punches/dodge objects.

Supposedly he wasnt even supposed to come back without psychiatric clearance but there was a miscommunication between the social worker, his boss, and the parent. We can’t contact the parent right now because our communication system was hacked (the entire company across the whole county, not just us) so their Is no email contact and no way to make phone calls out. Admin has said we cannot use our school gmail or personal phones for contact.

I know this is what I signed up for and honestly it’s still the best job I’ve ever had, but with my own mental health issues it seems to be destabilizing me. I’m not depressed or mixed/manic, just crippling anxiety. I really feel increasingly out of control.

I have a pdoc appt on Tuesday, I plan on asking for a benzo for the panic attacks and maybe something else to help me longer term (dunno what that would be though). In the meantime I am looking for suggest on how to manage this for at least the next five days. I don’t want to take time off, I only have one day of PTO saved up. I do plan on contacting HR when email is up and running again. This hospital network has an employee assistance program that might be able to help.

I cannot do anything that focuses on my breathing, it just makes me panic more. There are no thoughts attached to the anxiety so I can’t do CBT to confront them or even DBT. I did do yoga yesterday and it helped but sitting on the floor wrecked my back so I have to rest a couple of days.

What techniques do you all use? Maybe progressive muscle relaxation? I’m not sure what I can do at work though. If I’m dealing with my student I must be alert so I can’t focus on an object or do grounding exercises until I’m alone.

I’m open to any and all suggestions!!!