calling all teachers...

[katykaty]

Hi, this is a question for all the teachers on NMP but really is applicable to all.

How does your school or workplace react to your anxiety?

I was diagnosed with GA a month ago and given Citralopram and Propanolol. I spoke to my headteacher the following day to explain what was happening. She did at first appear sympathetic. This was 2 weeks after I'd been absent for 2 and a half days with conjunctivitis and she'd had a bit of a go at me about my absences (this occurrence was my first so I felt it was a bit uncalled for and unnecessary).

Anyways, about a week after the meeting I had a panic attack while getting ready for school and called the head to explain what was happening. She suggested coming into school for 11 to allow me time to calm down. So I did and all was well.

Then today I had to call in sick as I have a huge migraine (totally unrelated to panics or anxiety) and when I spoke to the head on the phone she had a go at me saying I really need to see someone about my panics if it was a re occurring thing. I tried to say it wasn't related to panics, I hadn't mentioned the word at all but she started going on that my absence in a term (May-July) was way above national average (I been absent for 4 days now). She also mentioned that she could refer me to Occupational Health - I tried to explain I simply had a headache.

It seems that I'm now tarred with the "panic" brush and every thing I do will be "because of her panics". I'm not asking for special treatment or allowed exceptions. Apart from when I had to go into school late my anxiety and panic attacks have not affected my work at all so I do not understand the head's reaction today.

Does anyone else find they have become "the girl/boy who panics"?!

[katykaty]

Anyone any thoughts? I'm getting more and more anxious about facing work tomorrow but I'm going to go and see the headteacher with my union rep I think to chat things through.

[cattttt]

Your head sounds like a really unsympathetic person. I work in a hospital, and there were two of us at the same time with panic/anxiety/depression. We were both treated really well, given all the time we needed to recover, staged return to work and the rest of it. A meeting with your union person sounds like a good idea and some sort of information for your head about anxiety. 4 days off isn't alot, you could be off longer than that with flu. I feel upset and annoyed on your behalf and I hope your union person can sort something out for you. Hope it goes well for you today.

[Groundhog]

Hi KatyKaty
Might be too late now replying but your scenario seems a bit weird. I work in a secondary school and we have teachers off all the time with stress and anxiety, at the moment we have two that have been off for months and I’m led to believe this is not an unusual percentage. We have some staff that seem to spend more time off sick than at work and I’m not aware that any big deal is made of it.
My wife works for Barclays and she recons she is surrounded by people that are either suffering stress, are off with stress or on phased return. Their human resources department even have a separate section that deals with such things as they are so common in the modern workplace.
Makes me think that either your head teacher is misunderstanding the position or she should not be in a position dealing with staff.
I would be interested to hear the outcome of your meeting. :)

[katykaty]

Hi. I ended up not speaking to my union rep but was called into a meeting with the Head of the Federation of schools that my school is in, so like my Head's boss! She wanted to bring to my attention my high level of absences - 4 days in 3 months. She said the average absence of a teacher was 4 days in a year. I explained the reasons for my absences and explained that although it was 4 days, it was really only 2 occasions and she seemed a bit more understanding.

I then raised the anxiety issue. I explained what I was going through, what medication I was on and how I'd felt when the head had responded to me calling in with a migraine with a sudden assumption it was because of anxiety. The Head of the Fed said the Head's reaction was probably just a misunderstanding on her part. She also said about 5 or 6 people were on Propanalol like me so I'm not the only one. She seemed a lot more understanding than the Head and I came out of the meeting a lot calmer. The Head of the Fed then called the Head of the school into a meeting, presumably to explain what I'd said.

I've since found there is another woman at work with severe anxiety who has suffered for years. She would have periods of long absence, would be signed off for weeks at a time etc. Apparently she wasn't supported at all until it was too late and her anxiety was so bad she "flipped" (a teachers word, not mine) in front of the kids and the head had to step in and remove her from the situation. A colleague explained to me that perhaps the Head's swift and assuming response was because she didn't want the problem to escalate as it had in the past.

Still feel a bit wary about the whole situation but just started on the 6 weeks summer holiday so at least I get a break from it all :D