Young Executive, Haunted By An Anxiety "Demon"...What To Do?

Hello friends,

I'm new here - but have wanted to post for quite some time.

I'm a young executive, who by all accounts is very successful. My social media "highlight reel" would have you believe I have a charmed life of travel and making career moves! I have great friends, and when I get to see them I enjoy plenty of laughs...yet when on my own, I have what I refer to as my personal "demon" that follows me nearly everywhere.

The paradox to all of this is - looking at the facts, my life is the best it's ever been. Business has never been better. I have never traveled this much. And for that I am both very thankful and happy...yet somehow my inner "demon" strikes me just as strong as ever. Especially when my business runs into temporary cash flow issues - as it is currently.

I would say 80% of days, I wake up with a significant tightness in my stomach. This is typically accompanied by irritable bowels, cramps and bloating...all of which get substantially worse when I am stressed and seem to be directly related to it.

My workdays are spent in fear of my inbox, and the bad news that I imagine awaiting (I would say I only get truly "bad" news once or twice a a month)

On a weekday, I check my phone literally several hundred times, expecting the "other shoe to drop". That said, I leave my phone on silent during the day because simply a ringtone is enough to make my heart race with fear.

Weekends are typically somewhat better, although much of Sunday is spent in perpetual dread of Monday. Yet, I somehow prefer the start of the week to Sunday. I can only describe Sundays as a personal hell - which I try to mitigate with getting out of the house,

In all honesty, the most relaxed I felt recently when I had an issue with my phone while travelling and was unable to get reception or service for about 18 hours. I can honestly say I only feel 'at ease' a few moments every month, and those moments are few and far between

I have been taking a natural supplement - Serenity Formula - which appears to help; however this doesn't change the fact that I know my constant state of fear/anxiety and dread is not normal; and I don't know what to do about it or where to turn.

For me, personally, prayer and perspective are two good outlets. Thinking and making a list of things that are going well or things for which I'm thankful, etc. are somewhat helpful.

I have always taken pride in being incredibly resilient and mentally strong - however, I also know that being in a perpetual state of unease is no way to live; and I want help to find my way out.

Advice, where to turn, what this even is - if not a mental health issue…is most welcome. I would greatly appreciate hearing from experiences of anyone who can relate.

anxietyphobia wrote:Hello friends,

I'm new here - but have wanted to post for quite some time.

I'm a young executive, who by all accounts is very successful. My social media "highlight reel" would have you believe I have a charmed life of travel and making career moves! I have great friends, and when I get to see them I enjoy plenty of laughs...yet when on my own, I have what I refer to as my personal "demon" that follows me nearly everywhere.

The paradox to all of this is - looking at the facts, my life is the best it's ever been. Business has never been better. I have never traveled this much. And for that I am both very thankful and happy...yet somehow my inner "demon" strikes me just as strong as ever. Especially when my business runs into temporary cash flow issues - as it is currently.

I would say 80% of days, I wake up with a significant tightness in my stomach. This is typically accompanied by irritable bowels, cramps and bloating...all of which get substantially worse when I am stressed and seem to be directly related to it.

My workdays are spent in fear of my inbox, and the bad news that I imagine awaiting (I would say I only get truly "bad" news once or twice a a month)

On a weekday, I check my phone literally several hundred times, expecting the "other shoe to drop". That said, I leave my phone on silent during the day because simply a ringtone is enough to make my heart race with fear.

Weekends are typically somewhat better, although much of Sunday is spent in perpetual dread of Monday. Yet, I somehow prefer the start of the week to Sunday. I can only describe Sundays as a personal hell - which I try to mitigate with getting out of the house,

In all honesty, the most relaxed I felt recently when I had an issue with my phone while travelling and was unable to get reception or service for about 18 hours. I can honestly say I only feel 'at ease' a few moments every month, and those moments are few and far between

I have been taking a natural supplement - Serenity Formula - which appears to help; however this doesn't change the fact that I know my constant state of fear/anxiety and dread is not normal; and I don't know what to do about it or where to turn.

For me, personally, prayer and perspective are two good outlets. Thinking and making a list of things that are going well or things for which I'm thankful, etc. are somewhat helpful.

I have always taken pride in being incredibly resilient and mentally strong - however, I also know that being in a perpetual state of unease is no way to live; and I want help to find my way out.

Advice, where to turn, what this even is - if not a mental health issue…is most welcome. I would greatly appreciate hearing from experiences of anyone who can relate.

Are you an entrepreneur? If so, statistically they believe that 49% of them have a mental illness. Source: https://www.inc.com/john-brandon/49-of- ... -cope.html

It is extremely stressful to be an executive, especially when you become obsessed with the business. Older executives are able to handle the stress better because they can "leave the stress" at work most of the time, and have very well trained coaches and psychologists who help them.

I would seek professional guidance on this, or take a leave of absence/medical leave. Work will always be work, and if you are young, you can always go back to something like this or start another one. If you become impaired due to your health reasons beyond repair, then it does not matter how successful you are.

You could also be seeking validation a bit too much externally. You speak about your social media reel. You care what others think too much perhaps. Try not posting or using any social media at all. It is known to cause depression because of people comparing to others, or constantly seeking validation.