Anxiety

Becky22_

I have cerebral palsy and due to bullying throughout my school life I know suffer from quite bad social anxiety and I get stressed very easily 
I am due to finish university in three weeks and I am concerned that my anxiety and stress are going to restrict and/or prevent me from being able to find a job
I do not take any medication for this as I don't really want to be dependant on tablets 
I am just wondering what I could possibly do to help reduce my anxiety and stress and was wondering if it would make me eligible for employment support allowance as along with my CP I feel that I will really struggle with fulltime work

Sam_Alumni

Hi @Becky22_ congratulations on nearing the end of your university degree!! What have you been studying?

Have you seen your GP about the anxiety? They could offer you a number of things including medication, but often it is talking therapy.  This could really be helpful!

There is no shame in taking medication for anxiety and mental health issues, it is something you should talk through with your doctor but please don't suffer on because you don't want to take a medication.

I have just been reading through the posts in our new Ask a mental health advisor section and someone else was asking about things to reduce anxiety.  Our advisor @RebeccaMHadvisor said:

When it comes to stress, everyone is different so it isn't always easy to give advice on how to cope without sounding really vague.
Because people get stressed about different things it might be helpful to try to identify the things that cause you your stress and anxiety. This isn't always possible or easy but if you can, it will help you to deal with how you are feeling by having a greater sense of awareness and you may be able to avoid some of those triggers. 
The other thing is to try and find something that helps you to cope. Taking care of yourself, eating properly, trying to get enough sleep and finding someone to talk to are all great ways to help you deal with how you are feeling. 
There are lots of websites out there that give advice but they all really say the same thing...read a book, do some exercise, socialise, breath deeply but these things don't work for everyone so find your thing. It can be really obscure but it's just something to take your mind off things.

I am unsure as to whether undiagnosed anxiety would help you in a benefits claim though, we have a benefits calculator here that you can fill in to see what you could possibly be eligible for.

Hope this helps a little.

Becky22_

@Sam_Scope thank you for your response!
It has been diagnosed I was offered talking therapy but was a bit unsure about it at the time.
I was told my anxiety did not count on my PIP claim as I did not take medication 
I think I am  going to go back to the doctors now and discuss my options as I feel as though it's going to affect my life further 
Thank you 
Becky 

Sam_Alumni

I think it would be a really positive thing for yourself to go and chat with your doctor about your options moving forward.  Whether it is medication or talking therapy, there is help out there and you deserve to have help to get through this time of anxiety.