So I have a really toxic work situation right now and my job is moving and I'm not going with them. Without writing a novel I'm getting shivved. I had been eating my anxiety about all this which is partially why I started the whole let me eat until I'm comfortable thing. So I'd have to pay attention to myself and not fall into a vat of diet coke and pretzels.
Lately I've been anxious and moody and today I'm downright PO'ed full on angry. I'm not stuffing it down which is good but I seriously need a good outlet before I pop!
How do you guys deal with Neg emotions without falling into a vat of your food vice of choice?

Honestly? I usually talk to my Dad or my Mom. My Dad has more years of counseling under his belt than I've been alive and he's heard just about every story there is over the years. LOL Because they're getting older and a couple of my brothers are going through rough patches I've tried to keep things to myself if I know it will stress them out. I'll also talk to my BFF who usually has me laughing before long. Do you have a close friend (who isn't a co-worker) that you could talk to (or rant to?) LOL If neither of those are an option I fall to my tried and true... sweets. Which is why I try not to have any in the house. :/

I was forced to resign from my job (which I loved) in August, due to a horrible situation that was not my fault. I have been so, so angry since then. Finding a new job at 56 has proven to be very difficult too. My way of dealing with it has been to work out like a fiend. Every time I go, I feel like I'm not letting the *******s win. Can I say that? I started eating Paleo in May, so along with the working out, I'm looking and feeling better than I have in years. It's probably shallow, but it kind of feels like I'm thumbing my nose at them.

Chickadee

KO and chickadee

Feeling victimized, ostracized, falsely accused, condemned because of something you cannot control (like appearance)....these things can be more difficult to handle than a tragic death of a loved one. The brain turns things over and over in an attempt to make sense of the nonsensical. Mankind has an inherent tendency to inflict horrific harm on one another--history reveals that. Some of us (sociopaths) have a greater likelihood of harboring that tendency, others (perhaps the more truly devout) have those impulses under control, still others (naiive folks like me who are prone toward kindness and benefit-of-the-doubt thinking) are confused by such behaviors and often find themselves a target of such bullies. It can drive you crazy.

I also work with toxic people, and I have seen what their Machiavellian efforts have done to some of the older ladies at work. Mind you, some of these ladies had a strong backbone, yet evidently, were still seen as easy marks and these hard-working folks were ultimately driven out of their jobs. Ladies, it's not a Glass Ceiling, it's a Trap Door.

Personally, no matter how often I tell myself "That's the way some people are...always has been" , I still find this behavior difficult to accept and move past. I think my brain is always trying to fix things. I like Chickadee, and Jessian's coping strategies: acquiring a purpose and laughing. Venting is an option that can't be utilized very often. Some things that have helped me or that I have considered: vitamins and supplements (a lab test revealed I was low in VitD), dedicating myself to self-improvement a la chickadee, EMDR (when I feel traumatized), meditation, focusing on my family, and trying to adopt the attitude of a cat: http://www.raptitude.com/2014/07/not-giving-a-****/. I try to find the humor in difficult situations.

You know that you are more than your job and the workplace is an infinitesimal speck in the universe. There is a better place for you.

oh lordy, can i EVER relate here! I've been barely employed since the downturn in 2008, struggling to get by. The latest 'dump' was on April 30. I was recovering from emergency surgery and on disability when i got a call from HR telling me that i no longer had a job because they needed someone to be there.

it's HARD. I'm not quite sure how to handle stuff like this, but the hardest part of the WLS journey has been learning to acknowledge the emotion [hard to do], then NOT swallowing it with food [very hard to do] and then SITTING with it until it goes away [the hardest].

And since i'm over 60, NO ONE wants to talk to me. i think the only path is to set up something on my own. i need an income or i'm going to be a very broke old lady.

coping with the emotions? well, I guess i've had an advantage with this damn ulcer/stricture, but that's really not enough and no excuse. I've been telling myself it's the economy, the generational shift, all kinds of things. My resume has been well received, but no interviews. One of these days, though..

Kier - get your resume done. Go to unemployment school [yeah, it's weird, but NJ does indeed have some useful classes and good information for job hunting]. keep moving in a positive direction... and i'm right there beside you. promise!

A little addition... Do you have a cat or a dog? At my worst moments and no one to talk to just then I hold my cat or dog. Knowing they love me unconditionally soothes some of the pain or frustrations. <3