Advice about getting signed off work by doctor

[Matt_1983]

Im at a point where I feel like im going to have a breakdown in work due to my anxiety and the fact I cant face talking to anyone.

I never thought id even consider doing this because ive always thought it wouldn't achieve anything, but im now considering going to the doctor and asking if I can get signed off work with stress or whatever.

Has anyone done this and how does it work? Im not sure if ill even be able to do it. Any advide would be good to read.

[Zardo]

Book an appointment with the doctor and say how you feel and that you can't cope at the moment [that's the hard part]. You should get signed off then and get a note to give your employer.

I will have to go to the doctors soon and I'm dreading it! I got dismissed from the mandatory charity job last week. It got too much and the manager told me to leave straight away, so now I won't get a reference and might lose the JSA for 13 weeks. My advisor says I need to see the doctor again to decide if I'm unfit to work. I said I was fine before and that the SA was milder now, but it's really not.

[BennyB]

^ & ^^

Best of luck to you both. The joys of SA and the workplace - a complete nightmare & largely unreported. It's really important to have a supportive GP, so many just don't take mental health problems seriously. . Zardo - hope they don't dock your JSA, this country seems to be getting more like America everyday. God help those who through no fault of there own are really struggling with day to day life. Just disgraceful.

[Matt_1983]

Thanks for the replies.

The earliest doctors appointment I could get was Friday morning, so im going to have to phone in sick until then. I did that this morning and was SO nervous about doing it. Im not afraid of the managers thinking im not telling the truth about being sick, im just terrified at having to talk to them on the phone.

Im still not 100% sure im doing the right thing, but ive made my decision and im going to stick with it. Im thinking of asking the doctor about medication options too.

[jenny4]

Originally Posted by Matt_1983

Thanks for the replies.

The earliest doctors appointment I could get was Friday morning, so im going to have to phone in sick until then. I did that this morning and was SO nervous about doing it. Im not afraid of the managers thinking im not telling the truth about being sick, im just terrified at having to talk to them on the phone.

Im still not 100% sure im doing the right thing, but ive made my decision and im going to stick with it. Im thinking of asking the doctor about medication options too.

Hi Matt,

Sorry to hear you're having a hard time. As BennyB mentioned, it's important to have a supportive GP behind you. I understand how hard it is to discuss things with your doctor and also how stressful it is to have to phone in sick when you're going through such a rough time. I had to go through this back in June. I did the same thing as yourself and phoned in sick until I went to my GP to get a sick note. I'd recommend you write down your difficulties on paper before your appointment and take it along with you. It's easy to forget important things when anxiety is running high so if you have things written down, you can check to make sure you haven't forgotten anything or just give the list to the doctor if you're finding it hard to discuss things with them. Doctors will usually ask how much time you would like to take off so it might be helpful for you have a think about that beforehand as it will take the pressure off having to decide on the spot. I was signed off for a month to start with, then went back to work for a day and couldn't face going back after that. I'm on ESA now, and have to get sick notes (usually monthly) to keep claiming.

Good luck with your appointment :-)

[MrMr]

I cruised into a nervous breakdown because I avoided all my sa and related issues and buried myself in running my small business as a coping mechanism. It was a big mistake. I made myself quite ill with work stresses on top of personal issues not being addressed. Had a nervous breakdown and regressed away from the world. Only now after extensive time and therapy, am I (hopefully) righting the ship. It sounds to me like you are in "negative exposure" territory as the therapists say, but that you have spotted it before you hit the wall. That's great. Listen to your body and instincts and get some help. You will feel like a tit doing it, I did, but I have told a lot of work people about my struggles since and have found mainly people have been very understanding, have had friends or relatives of their own suffer with similar issues...etc. A good therapist is vital imho, took me till the third one before I liked them and was ready to listen mind you.

[Matt_1983]

Well I went to the doctors this morning and it went really well. The doctor was not much older than me and she was really easy to talk to, and I feel like I said everything that I wanted to say, and she asked me lots of good questions that covered everything. In the last 24 hours or so ive actually had a slight change of heart regarding taking time off work. I basically said to the doctor that im not sure whether taking time off is the best option or not, because I do worry itll just end up with me being more secluded and becoming even more depressed and anxious.

Ive come away from there with a prescription for Sertraline, an anti depressant. Im hoping this will have some positive effect, but she said itll take 3-4 weeks to see a difference.

As for being signed off work- she didn't really say whether she thought it was a good idea or not and I didn't push her on it because I think deep down I know its not the right thing for me. Im actually on leave all next week anyway, so that will be a good little break for me and I can get started on the meds in time for going back to work.

Im also going to continue the CBT that I started a month ago but have only so far had one session for various reasons.

Thanks for everyones advice