New here - need some urgent advice...

[amora]

Hi everyone

I've just signed up to this site after doing a 'google' search for 'sign off work - stress'.

I went to my Dr a few weeks ago, saying how i was unable to cope with pressure at work. I had recently come off Peroxatine and i felt great in every way - my anxiety and panic attacks had pretty much gone, but slowly i felt less and less able to cope at work. I work in product marketing, so nothing hugely typical as being a particularly stressful job, but i have targets, unobtainable deadlines, no support and a product remit that is too wide for any experience marketer to cope with. I took the role on 7 months ago - i went from 1 product category to 5 with no added benefits. I saw it as a brilliant opportunity to further my experience and i was really excited. I was promised an assistant/exec and 7 months on this has not materialised. All my colleagues can't believe how much responsibility i have for a relatively junior marketing manager. However, i was coping up until i came off the Paroxetine about a month ago but since then i've felt like i've been unravelling...

I have another Dr appt tomorrow morning and i am going to ask to be signed off work - how long i dont know. My question is - if i tell the Dr everything, is it likely he will advise i take the time off or will i need to ask for it? I then need to find the strength to phone my boss and tell her i'm not coming in which i am dreading - i'm very anxious about it. She hasn't been hugely supportive over my anxiety disorder even though I broke down and told her everything ( she had been shouting at me on the phone and i couldn't take it).

Secondly, I have been thinking of going back on the Paroxetine - i might ask for some diazapam as well as these really helped me in the past...

I'm getting myself so worked up about tomorrow and need some like minded people to calm me down and tell me it'll be ok! :)

X

[bottleblond]

Hi Amora

Firstly, Welcome along to NMP! :flowers:

Secondly, Be honest with your doctor. If you feel you would benefit from taking some time off work then you have to put that accross as some GP's don't automaticly offer it.

Sometimes we need to take some time out just to re-charge the batteries and get ourselves back on a level peg and there is absolutely nothing worng with that.

If your boss shouts at you then try not to take it to heart and let is wash over your shoulders.

Hope all goes well tomorrow for you
Take care
Lisa
xx

[anxious_girl]

Hiya
Definitely go back on the Peroxatine if it helps you. I was on citalopram for about thre years, came of in July and have just gone back on them again because I was getting too anxious. I'm going through some stressful situations but just couldn't cope with the anxiety that was overwhelming. I actually went to my doctor to ask to go back on them and she was more than happy with that. After being on tablets you learn when you need them and when you don't. I now think I'd be happy to stay on them forever if they stop the horrible anxiety feelings that overwhelm me.

If it is your work that is causing you the problem then your doctor will probably say you need to get away from it. It's hard though because you always end up having to go back so you can never fully relax with that looming in the background.

If it is your job that is making you ill, maybe you need to find another job. I was in that situation once - had a mortgage I'd just taken out and everything but my job was making me so ill that one day I just had to quit, which I did, got signed off for the notice period and then went temping just to pay the bills. Was the best thing I did. Maybe you could think about something like that. Ultimately, no job is worth being ill over.

As for the diazepam, I kow they are reluctant to give this because it is addictive, but sometimes you need it, so they may give you some to help you get over these next few days.

I know exactly what you're going through - you get more and more worked up about it all so that in the end even just dialing the nubmers on the phone can lead to a panic attack.

[PanicOver!!]

Hi I agree with Bottleblonde

Sometimes we all need a Time Out to recharge those batteries and take stock

Good luck with Tomorrow x

[Mudskipper]

I've had two periods off work because of this anxiety, both times it was 3 weeks and frankly I needed it. If you feel you need it too, make that plain to your doctor, I'm sure he'll understand. Probably a good time to go back on your meds too, if you feel you need to, just in case you get side-effects. Best not to be dealing with them and work stress at the same time.

:flowers:

[fishman65]

All good advice given out here Amora,nothing much that I can add other than take the meds if you think you need them.After all,that's what they were designed for.Take care now,

Fishy