View Full Version : Being signed off from work for anxiety?
do doctors do this?
I feel like such a fraud thinking it but maybe a couple of weeks off to unwind and regain my composure could be helpful
I get so wound up in the office thinking people are looking at me twitching / being nervous, I can't concerntrate on work, I keep going to the fire escape and toilets for moments alone... I don't exactly love my job but I have no want / need to avoif the place other than the intense anxiety and panic i have when there.
I'd love to just have some free time to catch up on my real lack of sleep, explore any therapy's treatments, get back into the gym etc etc lern how to eat properly again cos of this daft choking phobia n all, I am struggling to eat generally but it is magnified at work
Hi I have been signed off work before through anxiety but i was in a really bad way and the docs could see i was in no fit state to work. I'm not sure they will sign you off unless you present with symptoms that would really prevent you from doing your job. Do the docs know of your condition????
Maybe start with the docs and ask them their advice because if you leave it too long then you will be in no fit state if your anxiety really takes hold. It is awful when you feel trapped in a job you can't do because of anxiety.
I hope all works out for you x
Hi
i have been signed off work for 6 months due to my anxiety, i was in hospital for 6 weeks and was in a really bad way.
Hi I have been signed off work before through anxiety but i was in a really bad way and the docs could see i was in no fit state to work. I'm not sure they will sign you off unless you present with symptoms that would really prevent you from doing your job. Do the docs know of your condition????
Maybe start with the docs and ask them their advice because if you leave it too long then you will be in no fit state if your anxiety really takes hold. It is awful when you feel trapped in a job you can't do because of anxiety.
I hope all works out for you x
I can do my jos at times in the day but other times I am sat there pretending to work whilst inside all i am thinking about is my anxiety, and other times i am hiding in toilets doing anything from checking my pulse to trying to regain my breath
I am not eating or sleeping enough and feel ill despite not actually being ill
There are records of my anxiety and panic disorder but I have always tried to be strong and stay away as much as I can so it may not appear as big of a problem to the GP as it actually is.
It isn't entirely for me to say I should have time off, I just feel it'd be beneficial...
We'll see what the doctor says anyway, but I really need some help
In my experience staying off work, asmuch as you think it would help, actually can make things a whole lot worse!
The times i have had off work makes my anxiety much worse as i then have all day to think about it and then the thought of then returning to work makes me almost physically sick. It's so much harder to go back after time off.
I would try taking to your manager. I did this and was so surprised at how supportive he was! (I was ready to hand inmy notice!)
What do you do???
victoria_s
14-02-11, 22:30
hi leeroy, do you mind me asking if you are on any meds? i used to feel like this at work all the time but i was incredibly lucky that the girls were so supportive of me and if i had an 'episode' they were lovely and didnt make a big deal over it. do any of your colleauges know? (god i hate that word ive never once been able to spell it correctly) hehe. maybe a break wouldnt be such a bad idea , even a week to try and sleep and eat. and yes doctors definatly do this, my mother (ironically a mental health nurse) was signed off with anxiety for 3 months because of the physical and horrible symptoms that come with it.
In my experience staying off work, asmuch as you think it would help, actually can make things a whole lot worse!
The times i have had off work makes my anxiety much worse as i then have all day to think about it and then the thought of then returning to work makes me almost physically sick. It's so much harder to go back after time off.
I would try taking to your manager. I did this and was so surprised at how supportive he was! (I was ready to hand inmy notice!)
What do you do???
yeah I suppose an avoidance can make you think work itself is the problem... but it isn't so much that I don't want to be in work and more that I'd like to have to time to address my problems
I have briefly spoken to my manager and he was very good about it.... I have actually teken the day off today as I feel so so drained, I left a message with work and I am waiting for the manager to call me back to confirm whats wrong... this is my main ops manager i thin he is going to call as my line manager is dubious aned thinks I am just playing for time off
I am just so exhausted
I work in freight forwarding, so it's mainly an office based job but I occasionally get to go out on the road / even go abroad (I couldn't imagine doing these things right now)
hi leeroy, do you mind me asking if you are on any meds? i used to feel like this at work all the time but i was incredibly lucky that the girls were so supportive of me and if i had an 'episode' they were lovely and didnt make a big deal over it. do any of your colleauges know? (god i hate that word ive never once been able to spell it correctly) hehe. maybe a break wouldnt be such a bad idea , even a week to try and sleep and eat. and yes doctors definatly do this, my mother (ironically a mental health nurse) was signed off with anxiety for 3 months because of the physical and horrible symptoms that come with it.
Hi Victoria
no i am not on medication, I have always sought to avoid it and not become reliant on it, I have beaten this before without drugs and do hope to do so again.... I felt my anxiety creeping up on me a while ago and tried to ignore / override it, I wish I had sought help before it got to this point
I wouldn't like the wider office being aware of my problem, there is a lot of bitchy and gossiping women in our place and I'd hate for people to form the wrong opinions of me .... I work with my cousin so I told her a bit about it and also one of the main managers... I hope this doesn't effect my career :weep:
I think you are taking a stepin the right direction. x
I don't know if they sign you off work for anxiety but I think they should as it is an illness, see your gp and ask him/her:) my mother inlaw was signed off beacause of stress once x
**AmandaJane**
15-02-11, 17:50
Hi all, new here so a little bit worried of posting my first message.
I started with this horrid anxiety back in December when i didnt know what the heck it was. It took me to New Years Eve when after seeing 4 doctors the last one prescribed beta blockers to calm my racing heart. Having researched anxiety after that I could begin to understand were the symptoms were coming from. I had 3 weeks off work, and they were great always asking if i am ok am i sleeping?
My advice is to take as much time off as you think you actually need, you know when it is time to go back as i did.
Best Wishes x
Hi all, new here so a little bit worried of posting my first message.
I started with this horrid anxiety back in December when i didnt know what the heck it was. It took me to New Years Eve when after seeing 4 doctors the last one prescribed beta blockers to calm my racing heart. Having researched anxiety after that I could begin to understand were the symptoms were coming from. I had 3 weeks off work, and they were great always asking if i am ok am i sleeping?
My advice is to take as much time off as you think you actually need, you know when it is time to go back as i did.
Best Wishes x
thanks all and Amanda
glad you're better hun :)
I am hoping my GP sees it this way and my employers are as understanding as yours. I can see my line manager kicking up a stink as he is so old school and won't understand / want to understand the issue, but thankfully there is more power above his head, with more rounded people in those positions
fingers crossed
well the appointment with the doctor went quiet well, for now she has signed me off til Monday so I have 5 days of respite if you include the weekend.... so in this time I plan to get rehydrated through meal replacements, and start really trying to eat some proper food
with regards to my inability to swallow without fearing choking, the doctor doesnt suspect anything untoward but for piece of mind I have been refferred to an ear nose & throat specialist to check out the area... at least if/when that disproves anything sinister i can start working on the psycological side of beating this
I've also been prescibed beta blockers inorder to help with relaxation as the problem could stem from muscle tightness etc
CBT starts next week which I am looking forward to, it really helped me in the past when i was in a very bad place, and I think utilising it again will be of help
And then next month I am off to an anxiety retreat, with spa therapies, counselling sessions and other bits n bobs to help relax.... I've never had a proper massage so i am looking forward to that alone :D
I took time off work and it started off as two weeks and turned into 7 months as i became agoraphobic.
However i was diagnosed with very severe anxiety and wasn't given any coping strategies until a few months in. I think the longer you have off the harder it will get, i know it was for me when i finally returned. I am thinking of a career change as i believe it was the industry i was in (media) that was a major cause of my anxiety, maybe a career change could be a good idea?
me again leeroy,,when you start with food hun,,one mouthful at a time,,just dont pressure yourself,,just think i,ll have a spoonful of this,,if you can manage another go for it,,have you a food bender or processor,,blend nice tasty soups even chicken pulps nicely with veg to make smooth stews ,,so your getting your proteins,,, or have some fruit smooties,,doesnt matter how little you get down just eat more often,,i also listen to paul mckenna cds at bedtime,,ok doesnt make the panic go away ,,its just changing the way im dealing with it good luck
hiya
i completley agree with needing some time out from work when suffering with anxiety. However it also gives you plenty of time to sit at home pondering your anxiety and getting more and more worked up. That can be a really difficult hole to get out of. If work is the problem then it probably is a good idea, just be careful :)
hope your ok soon x
thanks for replying yall
I have only taken until monday coming off to see how it goes on my return to work..... I need to have really good sit down with my superiors and somewhat educate them about this, I think it's a bit of a surprise to them as I have conciously tried not to show it in the past
I intend to try and use the next few days to try getting out and about and eating a bit... I have been rehydrating today on meal replacement milkshakes just to get my strength back up to go out and do proper things... My girlfriend is coming over later and is off tomorrow so I am gonna have some sort of day out with her.
cheers for the idea teez If this persists much longer the idea of knocking up some smooth soups with real fresh ingredients isn't a bad one,at least then I will get some real nutrition and as a strategy i may always have something solid on the side to have a go at then I am not avoiding solid foods completely
I can't wait to overcome this, I can't be missing out on the bbqs if we have a summer :yesyes:
Greenman50
16-02-11, 18:37
Have a good day out tommorow :D
Have a good day out tommorow :D
got as far as half a shop at the supermarket, was pretty damn axious throughout came back had a fruit smoothie and some toast, ate about half a small piece of toast and panicked :weep:
me and my gf started to do a bit of a spring clean it all stemmed from her doing the dishes and me wiping down the table but became the whole house getting a good going over, i found it quite distracting which was a nice break, when we finished cleaning i started to get anxious again.... she started cooking her lunch i went in and she started asking me want I am having i suddenly felt like i wasn't real so went and sat on the stairs staring into space.... she found me having a full on panic attack, this was about half an hour ago and I have had two more since (well i didnt really stop having one but i have had two more intese bouts since)
this is such a horrible feeling.....
at least the house is looking good lol but that one of few poisitves today
allergyphobia
17-02-11, 14:30
leeroy.
i found when i was really bad with food, that having others make me eat or make me food really didn't help. just go to food when you feel you can - toast is probably one of the most difficult things to eat, get on the porridge lad!!
leeroy.
i found when i was really bad with food, that having others make me eat or make me food really didn't help. just go to food when you feel you can - toast is probably one of the most difficult things to eat, get on the porridge lad!!
cheers for the advice, I'll heed those ideas
whats really panicking me now is the feeling of thingas in my mouth, think its probably the lack of energy but keep feeling like my tongue is enlarged or there are bits in my mouth.... very odd :wacko:
allergyphobia
17-02-11, 14:42
ah i have been there with that. you should check out my early threads! i have a big phobia of allergic reactions to food which really affected my eating. but i completely became heightened about sensations in my mouth, obsessing about my tongue etc. distraction is key. do not do self checking behaviours. dont touch your mouth or check in the mirror etc, every time you think you are going to read a book or distract yourself online or on your phone etc. you have to help yourself with food build it back up in small steps, smoothies etc porridge soups, stop trying to throw yourself in at the deep end, yoghurts, stews, mashed potato chicken etc all the good stuff.
allergyphobia
17-02-11, 14:44
and sorry if i am coming across as blase about it i am not at all, i just feel like you need to be a little kinder to yourself and start taking those little steps instead of trying to push yourself and then being disappointedx
no you're not coming accross blase at all you are giving sound easy to understand advice & I am greatful for this kinda feed back :) ....I was checking myself in the mirror etc and it didn't make things any better.... time to invest in some light reading I reckon, thats how i got over my past anxiety and panic issues just involving myself in things, its just difficult going back to basics after having lead a pretty much normal and full life
what i would do to be able to sit in TGI Fridays and demolish a jack daniels mixed grill right now lol ... but like your say smoothies, porridge, soup, stew etc is the stage I'm gonna have to focus on right now
allergyphobia
17-02-11, 15:13
well TGIs can be your big aim... but yeah little steps to get there, just let go of your pride as you sound like you feel you're not "allowed" to feel this way, but you are, just gonna take a bit of time and rest. i've come on leaps and bounds but its been a sloooooooooooow slow journey for me with lots of little steps.
yeh self checking is a NIGHTMARE, i used to be terrible, but even sitting on my hands and telling whoever i was with to stop me from going to the mirror helped!! you have to laugh at yourself... all helps!!
allergyphobia
17-02-11, 15:13
and reading is great, do you mean self-help or just distracting yourself with fiction?x
well TGIs can be your big aim... but yeah little steps to get there, just let go of your pride as you sound like you feel you're not "allowed" to feel this way, but you are, just gonna take a bit of time and rest. i've come on leaps and bounds but its been a sloooooooooooow slow journey for me with lots of little steps.
yeh self checking is a NIGHTMARE, i used to be terrible, but even sitting on my hands and telling whoever i was with to stop me from going to the mirror helped!! you have to laugh at yourself... all helps!!
and reading is great, do you mean self-help or just distracting yourself with fiction?x
it isn't really pride, more embarrassed and may be a little bit ashamed to have slipped back into such intense panic when i pretty much had it in check day in day out.... you're right though having a pop at yourself wont help only positivity
oh i do laugh at myself big time i always do impressions of myself after the event of an attack..... like mock the wild things I say
just general reading, do you know any good self help books, I've never persued that avenue.... I sometimes write a load of waffle to distract myself, it has doen the job at times
allergyphobia
17-02-11, 15:34
i just took out general anxiety and panic/depression books from my local lib, just went to the section and pulled out different ones, they helped me understand the science behind the brain and the bit of your brain called the amaygdala which sets of your anxiety like a car alarm! That helped me loads to break it all up - i think understanding and acceptance is key!
I was sent home from my job 6 months ago,I was falling asleep at my desk.My boss told me not to come back until I got help.I went to GP about my addiction to Prescribed meds and alcohol.I spent 3months in a rehab centre,I am now back at work.I have a wonderful network of friends and family to help and guide me through my rough patches.My Boss is the best xx
Tamsin
I was sent home from my job 6 months ago,I was falling asleep at my desk.My boss told me not to come back until I got help.I went to GP about my addiction to Prescribed meds and alcohol.I spent 3months in a rehab centre,I am now back at work.I have a wonderful network of friends and family to help and guide me through my rough patches.My Boss is the best xx
Tamsin
wow 3 months in rehab, that must have been tough!?
I feel like I need to go to some sort of clinic to help me start eating properly
I really am scared for my short and long term future now :weep:
Both my brothers my dad and my self have anxiety. im 28 and over the last few years been in and out of depression. i have so much going on at the moment the main problem is i keep dislocating my shoulder (4 times in the last 12 monts, 3 times in 16 weeks) i cant go out with out worrying that its going to pop out i cant sleep because it came out in my sleep a few weeks ago, all day at work its on ymy mind. Im currently on a waiting list for an operation which means i shall have to have four months off work thus adding to my stress and anxiety. im behind with my mortgage and four more months of getting behind will finish me off. These are the two big factors in my anxiety. now recently ive started getting migrains to the extent that they are untouched by pain killers and i have to go to bed for a few hours. they are lasting two or three days sometimes and making me almost sick! Not good! today i have been to the doctors to tell him about how im feeling and tell him that last night i couldnt go to bed due to the chest pains i keep getting adding to my sleepless nights! It resulted in me having my heart monitored for a while in the surgery. seems the old ticker is fine and he has put me on a course of "propranolol 40mg" need to see how these go.
After seein the doctor i drove to work which is roughly a fourty minute drive but once i got there i couldnt go in. i felt like i couldnt face anyone so i drove off round the corner untill my dad (who drives a lorry for the same company) came back. we chatted for a bit i told him how ive been feeling and he told me he knows what i am going through. we decided it was best for me to take the rest of the week off. Its odd though because while i sat on my own in the car waiting all i wanted to do was go sit in a field on my own away from everyone.
i hate feeling like this, but i think how things are going i may have to see if i can get signed off work for a while before i get sent over the edge. on anoter forum i saw someone moaning about people sponging off the goverment for mental illness, well number one ive paid in everyday since i was 16 and never ever claimed a thing so i think i am due something here. its nice to know im not alone and its easier to talk to the digital world sometimes than it is to speak to friends and family.
The anxiety is making me get snappy at my son also. so its actually affecting my personal and private life, my work life and my relationship with my 6 year old... i know there will be an end and i hope it is soon. but right now i need to do what i can do and get what i can get to make me better because living like this for years will eventually kill me off!!
Im sorry for the long post and the rant but i feel loads better getting this off my chest and hopefully get some help off you guys.
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