[bitten]

I am so anxious. I am getting out of a sober house soon and my mood had stabilized, but now I feel like I am all over the board. I am on an anti anxiety, non-narcotic med that seems to do nothing for me. i want to be stablized again. I work in a psych/detox ward and do not want my job to be in jeapordy because i cannot get it together. I know it affects my patients. Work is the only thing i know anymore. Maybe I am too emotionally involved there?

[hamster-bamster]

In what way has it affected your patients?

Have your supervisors ever said anything?

How will you explain your absence (you have stayed in the sober house for awhile)? FMLA?

Your post is inconsistent - you say that you have stabilized and at the same time that you want to be stabilized. That probably means that you are not yet stabilized.

I think it is important for you to count the ways your patients have been affected, for real, and the ways in which your coworkers or supervisors have noticed, and separate those from the fears that are entirely in your head.

[Thunder Bow]

Healing involves anxiety! You feel anxious because of your healing in de-tox. It is a new world for you now, both internally and externally. You are anxious to get started and also you face a new unknown called sobriety.

[Leed]

Hi Bitten ~ I'm a recovering alcoholic. When I got sober I felt much the same as you do. And I was on an antidepressant too. Life all of a sudden was REAL, where it wasn't before because I "medicated" it. Now, I had to face life on life's terms.

Yes, I was anxious. But I was also excited because it was a new feeling! All of a sudden I was responsible for my own actions for the FIRST TIME in many many years!!! All of a sudden I had to answer for my actions. And all of a sudden I had to go to work SOBER! I had been showing up hung-over for so many years and now I had to make it completely clean. It was all NEW to me.

Life was new to me and it was really scary but exciting. Try to look at it as a new journey! This is something you probably haven't felt in a long time -- CLEAN & SOBER! Enjoy the feeling! Try not to think of the anxiety.

I wish you a GREAT journey! God bless and please take care. Hugs, Lee

Just want to add, be careful with antianxiety meds. They are very addictive and may only blunt theemotional problems you are having temporarily. Yes getting emotionally involved is part of your job and makes it complicated. But you did say you love your job