In the past, I've had much trouble holding on to jobs because the tendency is to call in sick too much. I do have an anxiety problem, and sometimes I get to where I'm having all of the symptoms of a stomach virus. (I won't go into detail.) Then I call in sick, and end up losing the job. I'm sure a lot of it is triggered by anxiety, but how do I tell the difference, and how do I overcome it long enough to keep a job?

[kaliope]

you just have to let your mind over ride it...knowing from your past history that it is just anxiety causing the stomach problems and that you are going to be ok and that you are just going to have to ride it out and go to work. my anxiety causes chest pain, sometimes so bad I am certain I am having a heart attack. I know that if I were having a heart attack, I would be dead by now. so I just ride it out, knowing I have never had a heart attack from it, that it is only anxiety. sometimes it lasts for days. I just keep doing what I have to do and ignore it and eventually it goes away. I wouldn't have a job either if I let anxiety run my life. take care.

[anttblue]

i get the same exact problem as you. every morning i'm so nauseous and sometimes i do vomit. i've called out multiple times because of this and even had a talking to about it. i'm not diagnosed with anxiety but i still think thats why this is happening. (i have a doc appt for tuesday, hope that settles it)

but what i do is wait it out. im usually okay by mid afternoon. i hope this helps!

Yes, severe anxiety can definitely cause symptoms just like a stomach virus. It sounds like you need medication. All the tools in the world won't help if your brain chemistry is off.

Originally Posted by Sister Rags

Yes, severe anxiety can definitely cause symptoms just like a stomach virus. It sounds like you need medication. All the tools in the world won't help if your brain chemistry is off.

Antidepressants have been recently discontinued, as they cause me certain digestive upsets in and of themselves, and I do have chronic medical conditions involving my intestines. Trying not to draw too graphic of a picture here, so I won't say what the conditions are or what they do to me, but antidepressants do make it worse. Since I've been doing well enough with the DBT that the problems of the medication outweigh the benefits, they've been stopped. An occasional hydroxyzine if the anxiety is absolutely unbearable is probably a good idea, but I can't drive if I take one, so I'd have to be careful about that. And it too can cause digestive disturbances, if I take it too often.

The catch-22 is that for me, driving can be a very anxiety-producing activity, but then if I take anything for the anxiety, I can't drive. I'm still pretty new at it. That's the reason for the anxiety, I think. Because I can't drive at night, and because my daughter had borrowed my car for quite a while until she could have her own fixed, I didn't get much driving in during the winter. Since I've only been licensed for a year, after that long with no practice, it's almost like I'm learning all over again. I had errands to run today, it was raining, and boy, was my anxiety level all the way up in outer space. But I'm never going to solve that problem if I don't drive anyway, even though I feel that way.

[Alone & confused]

Originally Posted by kaliope

you just have to let your mind over ride it...knowing from your past history that it is just anxiety causing the stomach problems and that you are going to be ok and that you are just going to have to ride it out and go to work. my anxiety causes chest pain, sometimes so bad I am certain I am having a heart attack. I know that if I were having a heart attack, I would be dead by now. so I just ride it out, knowing I have never had a heart attack from it, that it is only anxiety. sometimes it lasts for days. I just keep doing what I have to do and ignore it and eventually it goes away. I wouldn't have a job either if I let anxiety run my life. take care.

Mine feels like a heart attack too! And my throat feels like someone is choking me, like it's closing off.

[Alone & confused]

There is also a condition called psychosomatic vomiting. I don't know a whole lot about it, but you may want to look into it & see if it sounds like what you're experiencing.