anxiety through the roof .... ESA not helping!

[joolz07]

Hi,

I'm currently in a state of very high anxiety. Have been since beginning of Jan. I luckily have a good Dr and he has stated I am unfit for work. I have been on ESA and recently was sent a questionnaire to fill in (it has taken me two weeks to fill it in). I will now be sent for a medical. Everyone seems to be saying that I will fail this and have to appeal as they are not recognising mental health as an illness. I suffer from anxiety/panic Tinnitus and hyperacusis. I cannot travel on public transport becasue of this and have great trouble being outside becasue of my ears. Imanaged to got to the shop the other day. An announcement came over the loud speaker and it casued me pain in my ears and I became disorientated, the ground was moving underneath me and I was dizzy. I have a fear of not coping in a situtation and this made me panic like crazy.:weep:
I am dreading the medical. I have a friend who is taking me and staying with me but I'm firghtened I'll lose it when I'm in there and they'll think I'm crazy or even worse putting it all on which I am most definately NOT.
I hardly get any sleep due to my ears and my doc doesn't what me on sleeping tablets as I have low blood pressure most of the time.
Any help or advice would be greatly appreaciated.
Thank You
Julie x

[honeyp1e]

Hi,

I'm currently in a state of very high anxiety. Have been since beginning of Jan. I luckily have a good Dr and he has stated I am unfit for work. I have been on ESA and recently was sent a questionnaire to fill in (it has taken me two weeks to fill it in). I will now be sent for a medical. Everyone seems to be saying that I will fail this and have to appeal as they are not recognising mental health as an illness. I suffer from anxiety/panic Tinnitus and hyperacusis. I cannot travel on public transport because of this and have great trouble being outside because of my ears. Imanaged to got to the shop the other day. An announcement came over the loud speaker and it cauued me pain in my ears and I became disorientated, the ground was moving underneath me and I was dizzy. I have a fear of not coping in a situtation and this made me panic like crazy.:weep:
I am dreading the medical. I have a friend who is taking me and staying with me but I'm firghtened I'll lose it when I'm in there and they'll think I'm crazy or even worse putting it all on which I am most definately NOT.
I hardly get any sleep due to my ears and my doc doesn't what me on sleeping tablets as I have low blood pressure most of the time.
Any help or advice would be greatly appreaciated.
Thank You
Julie x

My anxiety is sky high also right now and i wont go out the door i hate even getting up of a morning as to what the day lays ahead :( i don't hardly eat am losing so much weight am now down to 5st11 :weep: am just struggling right now anyway am to on ESA and got sent for a medical which i really didn't wanna go to (you can ring them and tell them you wont go out the door and sometimes they will come to your house think you need a letter off your doc though to say your anxiety is bad but i just went to mine any way they asked me the most stupid questions about who lives at home etc and things that didn't even involve my illness anyway i FAILED so i appealed and i just had to fill a small form in saying why i think they are wrong etc so i just wrote all the truth down how bad my anxiety is etc so now am just waiting for them to get back to me and if i FAIL again i will re-apply and so on.... don't you give up either you will get there in the end if you really cant go then get a friend or some1 to call them up for you stating that with your anxiety you would not be able to attend and would be better with a home visit!! and if you do go and basically go into a fully blown panic attack then your showing your true you i no its not nice but you will get through this...
They should be more aware of mental health i was basically in tears trying to answer all my questions and could hardly talk and i still failed i think its just down to the doc you get to see xx

Good Luck xx:yesyes:

[joolz07]

Thank you Honeyp1e,

everything is just so bad at the moment. i'm not coping. i feel so loney and frightened and cannot drag myself out of it.
x

[honeyp1e]

Thank you Honeyp1e,

everything is just so bad at the moment. i'm not coping. i feel so loney and frightened and cannot drag myself out of it.
x


This is how am feeling yes i have people around me but i feel so alone i don't stop crying i have myself in a rut and just can't pull myself out of it also i now have an eating disorder type of thing i just can't eat and i cant cope anymore i hate it PM anytime x x

[mandie]

Hi

I was on ESA and got sent for a medical and failed. I read the copy of the report and was so angry to see the things i told her were not written down. I appealed and had to wait nearly a year to go before a judge and dr. I won my appeal, i told them exactly how bad i was and i no there was no way i could work the way i was.

Alot of us do fail these medicals. most of the questions i had were nothing to do with mental health, however please appeal and then when you go before the appeal panel you can tell them exactly how you are

good luck

mandie xx

[joolz07]

Thank You Mandie,

I'm really panicking about it and I'm anxious enough as it is withought any more pressure. My Dr says thats my tinnitus/hyperacusis has worn me down so much over the years that my anxiety and depression spike constantly when I am under any stress.
Did you still get money while you were appealing? I have heard of some people not getting anything or being told to claim JSA. I cannot do that as my Dr agrees I am unfit for work.

Julie xx

[trish1955]

all this happend to my daughter she hd broke up from a ten yr relationship and came over to were i lived and she had to start all over again as she left him evrything she took a small studio flat for her and her daughter who was then 6 she finaly got a proper house a year later she moved in and sttled then they stopped her money cus she couldnt attand her medical she was liveing on her daughters tax credit fron july till november last year while she was appealing she failed the appeal and started job seekers she as to sign on evry 2 weeks she hates it but she as no choice with her being a single mum they struugled for so long then they made such a mess of her mobney she was not gettin it wen she did it was at a reduced rate as they had her as workin part time in wich she had never worked she nearly lost her home as they made a mess of her houseing benafit wich she is now haveing to appeal against she is under so much stress they will wonder why she as ended bk on sick as she wil be doin if they dont get it together they just dont understand how hard it is i feel they dont care either but my daughter just couldnt fight no more and gave in and she still in a mess but like evry one says hang in and fight with them till there is no way left to go hope you win

[joolz07]

thank you trish .... i am really panicking incase I lose my money. I can hardly cope as it is :(

[honeyp1e]

Thank You Mandie,

I'm really panicking about it and I'm anxious enough as it is withought any more pressure. My Dr says thats my tinnitus/hyperacusis has worn me down so much over the years that my anxiety and depression spike constantly when I am under any stress.
Did you still get money while you were appealing? I have heard of some people not getting anything or being told to claim JSA. I cannot do that as my Dr agrees I am unfit for work.

Julie xx


i have sent off my appeal and they are looking at it they put me back on ESA :) so now am just waiting for there answers etc

[honeyp1e]

thank you trish .... i am really panicking incase I lose my money. I can hardly cope as it is :(


oh forgot to say you have to have a sick note sent into them to be on the ESA

[haynsey]

Hi,
You can appeal, everyone fails them even my husband who had a heart attack failed, they failed him straightaway. He is back at work now.
All you need to do is appeal the decision, it takes 6 months normally to be decided so you will have extra time to get better within yourself and fighting fit,
So failing the medical isnt a problem just appeal the decision, they give you forms to fill out again (typical government) and send off. Good luck!!
angie x

[mandie]

Thank You Mandie,

I'm really panicking about it and I'm anxious enough as it is withought any more pressure. My Dr says thats my tinnitus/hyperacusis has worn me down so much over the years that my anxiety and depression spike constantly when I am under any stress.
Did you still get money while you were appealing? I have heard of some people not getting anything or being told to claim JSA. I cannot do that as my Dr agrees I am unfit for work.

Julie xx

i still got my money, you stay on basic rate while waiting for appeal. if u win your appeal your money goes up and you get the extra money back dated for all the months you were waiting for the appeal date. I had over £1000 refunded to me.

x

[joolz07]

thanks for your relply mandie .... it's the stress of the actual medical I don't need. I'm bad enough as it is. My Dr thinks I am a long way off being ready for work. yet he seems to think as I am hading in sick notes that that is enough! I wish that was the case. I asked him for a letter of support but he said know as he thinks that sick notes are enough. he has prescirbed Diazepam but I don't think it's helping any. I'm still shaking and very emotional and having panic attacks at any given moment .
Thanks again for replying
julie x

[Lilyblue]

Hi, I failed 6 months ago, was hardly any questions about mental health,
I had to go in a taxi with my mum, and take lots of diazepam,

Ii reaplied the other week and got 2 letters today, both dated last week, 1 said they need my sick note by 28th, but it the 29th today, other said im not entitled, got to ring them to get it checked, I cant get sick note till thurs,. Ive got more depressed xos have no money, have phone bill to pay, im living at home free and my mum strugglin to pay,

Esa dont care about mental health, I get bad Anxiety, and cant go places, i've not been on public transport in 18 months, I wish I wasnt like this and could just go back to work,. Ii cant even see my own family or friends, people think agoraphobia (which also got) just means you cant leave house, I can only go out with my mum,like to the shops, but cant go certain places, and can only walk round block on own,

Lets hope when I ring they will do something, if I appeal id have to go court, but how? Will make symptoms worse

[Lilyblue]

Also I think medicals are waste of time, all they do is test you physically and then ask about what you do at home,

Are you taking any anxiety meds? , you only in there for like 20 mins, well mine was less than 10 mins,
I calmed down when I arrived, my mum even came in room, if you get a taxi you get your money back.

[joolz07]

I take duloxetine and am currently on diazepam as my anxiety and panic are so bad/