So glad to have found this site
I suffer from "situational" (as I call it) anxiety/depression, due to workplace sexual harassment and the ongoing legal process involved. Prior to 2011, I was relatively emotionally healthy - wife, stay at home mother, writer. I found my dream job which quickly turned into an 11 month long nightmare, at the hands of a male superior. In 2012, I lost my job for reporting the harassment and endured terrible retaliation which continues to this day.
I've been in therapy for the last two years, as well as trying different medications. Nothing really has helped long-term, which makes me believe perhaps the only "cure" for my anxiety and depression is the resolution of my legal case. That perhaps I'm responding to my situation...not necessarily appropriately, but as expected?
There are some positive things finally happening, but I fight either anxiety or depression constantly. Every single day when I wake up, I have to make a conscious decision to be in a decent mood. I've gotten a little better here recently, I think, because I've finished grieving over losing some friends I always thought would be in my life. But I still find certain things (like my upcoming pretrial hearing) can provoke a surge of panic, then wane to a comatose-like depression. It exhausts me mentally and physically.
My goal, despite this, is to be mentally and emotionally strong and confident for the hearings and trial. We're also moving to another state (which is a great thing), and I want to be in a better place by the time we move in 5 months so I can move on with my life - make new friends, find a new job, etc. This has really taken a toll on my three teenage children and my marriage, and I'm just really resentful about that.
So, having a place to come to and relate to others with anxiety feels like a step in the right direction. Hopefully, this will help me better understand how to deal with my triggers, and help me reach my goals.
Thanks for listening,
Night