Anxiety on the job

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How do you deal? Voices like, "you can't finish this! your boss hates you! this will all backfire!"

How the f*** do you deal with it?

Voices-- like negative self-sabotaging inner voices?

If so, shutting them off is difficult. I think you have to step back and say that it is your own insecurity and that you are a capable and worthy person.

I think you have to look at the successes in your life, and not the failures.

It is terribly hard. Maybe talk to someone who can give you some tools to combat negativity?

I saw this movie once, called "Little Buddha" in which a Tibetan Monk goes to San Fransisco to try to bring a little American child that he recognizes as the re-incarnation of a Buddhist holy man. Well this is not off track so please bear with me.

In the movie, there is a parallel movie in which the Monk tells the Boy the story of Siddhartha, the Buddha. I won't go into details but it is very interesting. Anyway, the ultimate battle that Siddhartha has is against a demon named "Mara." Mara and the Buddah have a psychological battle in which the prize will be the "soul" of Siddhartha. Mara throws all he has at Siddhartha, and Siddhartha throws everything back at Mara, until finally Mara shows up with the ultimate enemy. Siddhartha, himself.

The biggest battle he fights is against negativity and self doubt. That little voice that you are talking about. Mara tells him that if he gives up, he will have anything he wants, and will be a servant in his house. What the Buddah says that finally banishes the forces of evil is "no, you are in my house."

This is the realization that whatever is in your head, can be gotten rid of just by telling it to go.

Ultimately each of us can think and believe what we want. If you choose to believe the negative voices, then they have succeeded. If you just tell yourself that they are just fragments of some past event that have lingered then you see them for what they are. This is hard, of course and may take years of practice. For now, just trying to shut the voices up can be done by understanding that they are not real, they are something that you remember from the past.

I think that many people who were bullied, or who have not been encouraged in many ways -- even by people who we are supposed to trust-- remember these old negative messages like a recording in their heads.

I was told a lot that I would not succeed in life, and I have to fight that constantly as well. I know though that my successes have far ought-weighed my failures at least in ways that matter to me. Life is also hard. Very few people never doubt themselves. Self-doubt is actually good for you at times.

Maybe this answer is useful.

Beautifully said, and I would guess very common for many on WP. For many years, I was in a battle with myself to prove myself as a strong, capable, and independent person. I had to fall to the basement and claw my way up, and I continue to keep climbing to this day.
On the job, focus on your ultimate end goal(the project), and whatever steps you need to get there. Worrying about your boss's personal opinion of you, or doubting yourself isn't getting that project finished. Just keep that forward momentum going, and push those voices aside.

I can't do better than Gita for wisdom, their words are so true.

What I can do is give you a temporary solution: Give yourself permission to not believe everything in your mind. That's a huge first step. Also, who is fighting who? When I have these inner battles, I tend to stop in my tracks with that question, just ask yourself, "what do I want?" "what am I afraid of that will happen?". Also give yourself quiet time to reflect on those answers, you'd be surprised to find out all you really want is to feel safe and certain maybe.

We all desire happiness and we don't realize that which stands in our way is our very selves.

I take Valium 2.5 morning and 2.5 lunchtime although the dose doesn't seem to be helping me any more, I don't want to raise the dose as benzo WD scares me.

Generally just need to try stay focused on what you are doing and ignore those nasty inner thoughts, easier said than done though I know.

Play the lottery and pray that you'll win (so you'll never have to deal with people again). That's what I attempt at least.

But I deal with more than just the typical bitching and whatnot. Imagine coworkers and clients teasing you for being quiet...on average once a day.

LOL Always!! ! Every Friday afternoon I either assume I am going to be fired or will get a phone call at 6pm saying that the assignment (I am on a temp/contract role) is over...

How do I deal with it?? Well for now, I am taking Adderall -- 40MG a day but this isn't sustainable.

At every position, I always feel like the unwanted red headed step child for some reason -- people seem to avoid me and I always assume it is because no one has any confidence in my ability to do the job or any task so I get the least amount of work or the most menial monotonous assignments. Even though they will never outright say that, I know they are thinking that because of subtle hints. I love how people complain about having to work until 9pm, midnight or whatever but they don't want me to help them or to play a part in getting the job done because they don't have any confidence in my ability to do the job. I know I come across as distracted, inattentive & not interested and I did have the ability (unintentionally) to tune people out. The Adderall has helped me slightly but I didn't start it until about a month ago.

My manager & supervisor ignore me completely and treat me like I don't exist. Somehow I feel like I am reporting to a coworker who is also a temp on this project but he is seen as the polar opposite of me.

I don't have such voices, I do have anxiety though. I take medication for the anxiety. You should talk to a psychiatrist if you are having these kinds of problems.