ADHD/Anxiety issues at clinicals

[finallyfound10]

:eek:When I am the clinical part of my nursing training I literally feel myself getting anxious and "dumber" as I am walking in or talking to my instructor and classmates on the floor at the hospital.

If I was followed around by a hidden camera people would be shocked at how "dumb-sounding" I come off so much while I'm there and how "normal" I sounding I am when not there. Does anyone else experience this at school/work or where ever it all seems to kick in the most??? I do not feel like myself at all while on the floor! I feel very hyper-aware in some regards but then I won't know what the hell is going and look like I am dense and clueless but I really am a ball of nerves.

My anxiety starts ramping up when I arrive and have continuous low-level of it all day and then there are the times where I am asked a question by my instructor and it becomes that vicious cycle of ADHD/Anxiety/Mental Block/Fear/blanking out and "not knowing" the answer and the anxiety hits a high then it stays higher everytime I have a vicious cycle situation when asked a question by my instructor. There have been times when I look daffy even regarding non- school stuff while there b/c I am such a through and through mess while there. By the end of the day I am a wreck, exhausted, sad, scared and still have so much homework to do about the days experience so I get to spend all night thinking, researching, writing about my patient, the day, the stuff I "didn't know" and the stuff I did know. I am at the hospital for two full days so there is a lot to write about. It's hell. Even as I type this my heart is racing. :redbeathe

P.S. I am medicated for both and seeing a therapist.

[NCRN2010, BSN, RN]

I experience these same symptoms at work and at clinicals when in school. Talk to your doctor about your meds. Maybe you need them increased, or changed. Don't give up. Also, I have learned several great relaxation techniques that have worked wonders. Your therapist should be able to help you out with that. Anxiety produces more anxiety. It is a terrible thing. No one can relate unless they have experienced this type of debilitating anxiety. Good luck to you.