conflicting advice

[how long]

help I don't know which way is up. Been sufferring from depression related to anxiety about the possibility of loosing my job for 5 months now, on lots of meds but still feel the need to hibernate under my duvet and cry all day. Doctor and psychiatrist have told me to stop worrying about work - to put it out of my mind - just get well first. Usually see my Gp every week but she was away this week - so she made me an appointment with the mental health nurse who used to help me with therapy but I stopped seeing because he said he couldn't help me anymore. Anyhow, he told me to think about getting back to work - he reminded me of all my fears - just as I was beginning to cope with life again. Said I ha to face my fears and get back to work before my fear of loosing my job became a self fulfilling prophecy because i'm off. Sacred the s**t out of me and sent me back under the duvet. I know I have to face these fears and go back some time but I'm not reay yet. Am I just sticking my head in the sand? is he right? do I need a push? or will I know when I am ready?

sorry to winge on

how long

[seeker]

Difficult to say really, without knowing more - can't you just find a different job?! I know it's never as easy as that, but if it's making you this ill, surely it's something to consider? I'm having to think about a change of career due to anxiety/depression, or at least going part time to cope. Sometimes I think we do need a good kick up the backside to do things, but usually these are best coming from those closest to us, who can guage when the right time to do this would be! The mental nurse sounds most unsympathetic - I have had poor experiences with these people myself. Don't do anything you don't want to. Have you thought about a staged return to work, over several months? I think I'll be doing something like that.

Don't beat yourself up, and your GP is right - get healthy first!!

[Insomniac]

first, you're not whinging, we all need to let of steam here sometimes. Secondly, we all feel vulnerable and I suffer from depression too so I know how personally I take everything, and it doesn't take much for me to want to go back to bed!

Last August I was very bad, my husband pushed me a little (which I hated at the time), and I pushed myself a little too. Luckily he seemed to know how much was enough. Sometimes we do need a little push, but in a positive way. Your mental health nurse sounds unsympathetic. I would chat to your GP again before you decide anything. But as seeker says, maybe a change of job would be a good thing. Sometimes the wrong job really can undermine us (I speak from experience here!).
Hope this helps.


Lisa.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.