Hi,
I've found myself here as I've hit another low point with my anxiety. I've been diagnosed with Social Phobia and Generalised Anxiety Disorder and have had some CBT, but found it wasn't for me. I'm not on any medication or in therapy at the moment.
I started a new job last month as a Chiropractic Assistant and I work in reception. The job is very demanding for me socially as I'm required to be chatty with the patients when they arrive and wait for their appointments, and when we book them in for their next appointment. I find small talk particularly difficult and feel intense anxiety when I'm in face to face conversation with people that I either don't know very well or when I feel people are judging me. People say my anxiety doesn't show to others as I feel it, but I find it hard to believe that people don't pick up on my inner self-doubt and this really gets me down. I feel so trapped with my lack of self-confidence and wish I could be the bubbly person I feel I should be. I've been out of work for over 2 years due to my anxiety so I realize working again isn't going to be easy, but I'm feeling very worried and under pressure at the moment that I'm not going to be able to cope with the demands of the job. The job is such a fantastic opportunity for me so I really don't want to mess it up. My boss is also my stepbrother, he runs a private clinic and of course wants it to be successful, so I feel under great pressure to perform well for him. Any thoughts and advice would be really appreciated. Thanks so much for reading.