[moxietoxic]

Hi so, I just joined this forum and I have a specific problem I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced and could maybe help me with.

I'm a 29 year old woman and I work a part time retail job in a big city. Its a pretty big store. And even though I like my job well enough (I cant say I'm really passionate about it but it's a good thing for me now) and I really like the people I work with, I get *extremely* high anxiety everytime before I go in. Like, panic attacks before work are a pretty regular occurance.

And I've tried to think through it and i know that i can handle what work has to throw at me. And nothing at this workplace is really causing the anxiety. It's just completely irrational anxiety.

I've tried a LOT of techniques to try to get through these periods of anxiety and panic attacks and the normal breathing, trying to calm down stuff just seems to make me more upset. The only thing I've found to stop them (besides medication and that's not working. I'm working with a psychiatrist to try and change that but it's a slow process) is completely distracting myself from the anxiety. But I can only do that for so long before i have to go to work.

I'm really at a loss.

[TunedOut]

I wonder if there have been little incidents that weren't significant enough to remember but, with time, cause an anxiousness subconsciously? I mean customer service jobs involve dealing with people who are sometimes cranky, anxious and all the rest. It could set anyone off who has anxious tendencies. It can happen little by little and before you know it, it has snuck up on you. One possibility? Sorry you are having these problems.

[tabhady]

Is it possibly something to do with your commute to work? I'm only throwing out an idea since you said you work in a big city.