Jury Service

[elderflower]

Has anyone here managed to get excused from jury service because of panic attacks and general anxiety? I have received a summons and really can't face the thought of doing it.

[MidnightCalm]

Hope I never get called to do it as I'm completely housebound agrophobic 😂 I'm sure you can get out of it

[ricardo]

I have. A note from your doctor proving you have anxiety issues should suffice.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yes, I did about 2 years ago.

The Jury Service docs explain about medical conditions that make you excused from service and mental health conditions are mentioned. If you tick that and give them detail of what you suffer from they will decide whether to contact you back. I wrote GAD with current antidepressant treatment on mine and I was excused without needing to provide anything.

[bekw89]

I did it a few years back my anxiety and panic wwere ok then and yet I still felt trapped sitting in the jury for the whole day or sitting there waiting to be called. So definately isn't something to do when anxious.

[AnxietyDJ]

This would be my idea of a worst nightmare!

As the others have said, you can definitely be excused following a note from your GP, so try not to worry. Hope you get it sorted out soon

[MyNameIsTerry]

They don't a note from your GP, it says on the form that if you are currently diagnosed with a mental health disorder, they will consider removing you. It's part of the criteria for exclusion. They just sent me a letter exempting me.

It does say they may ask for further evidence after you disclose this but being called up doesn't mean toy ever make it on a jury anyway and people get excused later in the process because they always bring in more potential jurors than they need for the case.

[meche]

I got called about 3 years ago when my anxiety was quite high. I did think about trying to get out of it but I didn't want my anxiety to beat me so I forced myself to go. I ended up really enjoying it and was disappointed when we got released after only 2 days and 1 trial. You have to do what is best for you. If you really can't face it then there are ways to delay it. xx

[GingerFish]

I was meant to do jury service for the second time last week but my doctor advised me not to even though my anxiety and panic attacks are a lot better now. He wanted me to stay away from stress for a while so he wrote me a medical certificate and the sheriff court accepted it with no problems.

[fallingstar]

Has anyone here managed to get excused from jury service because of panic attacks and general anxiety? I have received a summons and really can't face the thought of doing it.

I do live in the US so I'm not sure how differently it works there but you can get excused here for certain reasons. I wrote a note when I was supposed to attend jury duty here - I was 23 and it was the winter where I was so bad I couldn't leave my place minus to get cigarettes or do a midnight food run. My doctor wrote a note for me basically saying there was no way I could sit in on a court case and give an unbiased opinion on the case due to my anxiety etc and that I couldn't sit there for the length of time it'd require. I sent that note in with the forms I had received and wrote a letter myself and I have (knock on wood!) NEVER been called back. I am 29 now! I'd try that if it's an option there. Good luck.