i was recently forced to get a job. amazingly, i found one working at a pizza hut nearby.
i was really excited at first, but that quickly turned to dread. my first day was absolutely nerve-wracking. it's a very small place filled with people. i'm claustrophobic and constantly anxious. to top it off, i'm expected to talk to strangers on the phone. i noticed there was another post about being anxious on the phone, which i am completely. my first phone call was a woman who was getting angry with me because i couldn't hear her very well and i wasn't familiar with the computer set-up for entering orders. she ended up screaming at me, and i ended up panicking. i didn't cry, though (THANKFULLY).
it's been about three weeks and i'm doing much better (THANK YOU XANAX YOU ARE MY HERO), but there is still that feeling of absolute DREAD when i hear the phone ring and my manager looks at me expectantly. i desperately need this job, but i'm so worried about it all the time. i spend my days off thinking about how i don't want to go back and that just makes time go faster, then i panic more. VICIOUS CIRCLE or whatever, right?
i need this job like i need my lungs, though. i have to put up with it at least for a few months longer because i'm saving up to move out of state to be with my, er boyfriend.

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE JOBS: do you guys ever get like this? how do you deal with the dread? i have xanax, but it's not prescribed to me. my roommate got some from her mom and our stash is waning.

I hate, hate, hate to sound like I’m preaching, because I use alcohol excessively,
but please be careful with the Xanax.
Withdrawal is awful, and it’s so easy to become addicted, if you aren’t already.

I’m required to answer phones as well, and I always get that initial feeling of panic
before I pick up the receiver. All I can say is that repetition has made things easier for
me. Even though I get that feeling of anxiety and dread most mornings, the
familiarity of it all has helped me settle down a bit.
I wish I could offer more than the usual ‘hang in there’ type of advice, but HANG IN THERE!

Oh, and try not to quit during an anxiety episode.
I’ve quit jobs abruptly before, and hours later when I’m thinking more rationally, I’m kicking myself for not toughing it out.
Good luck.

Welcome back to the site.

Knots and I have talked about this a lot lately. Repetition really does help you get "used" to the anxiety-causing situations. That and some good ol' fashioned disillusionment. Basically, getting to the point where you're like "Oh... this again... woohoo! (not)" Seems kinda crappy to read back to myself, but hey, it's less stressful being jaded than on the verge of panicking all the time. I've tried giving similar advice to other members of the forum. We all suffer anxiety in some form. But getting used to the situations that provoke it is probably the best natural way to overcome it. I honestly don't see myself ever *not* feeling at least some anxiety in these situations, but I can learn to manage it within my limits better over time. So it really does come down to "hanging in there". Don't get too used to taking Xanax. You may regret it later on. Same with alcohol. It can be really tempting for me to come home every evening and want to drink, but I know that won't "fix" my anxiety problems. I hope us trying offers at least a little help. I also recommend adopting a bit of an attitude at work. You may find that by acting a little on the snarky side, you can handle the situations easier. Pretend you don't give a damn. Maybe you'll even fool yourself!

Now let's all join hands and wish each other good luck in our vocational journeys. ...Or something like that. Hardest part for me is GETTING the job.