work

hi claire, i have been very lucky - my employer is actualy very good about it. more so because i also have a diagnosis of ME - which is classed as a disability. i think for them its easy to then just focus on that aspect. many employers are very bad indeed i know

Hello everyone

I think there should be the same consideration given to anxiety sufferers as to any other kind of disability or illness.. Let's face it, it is a form of disability and still carries a lot of stigma. If a doctor provides a sick note to say you are not fit to work for a certain period, so be it. It is the usual problem that unless an employer or colleagues have suffered, then they do not have a clue how debilitating it is,.

There needs to be better recognition of mental health in the work place, with support given through the difficult times.

Good Luck to all!

This is a good discussion, im having trouble with my new employer as ive been off last week and signed off this week for my anxiety but its crept up on me so quickly that i didn't have a chance to give them a heads up about it and i didnt know it would ever get this bad, they dont really understand the issue im having with itand are in a rush to give a new rota but with anxiety its not that easy to just brush it aside, its not like immeaning to be like this you cant help it, its what your brain is making you feel which you seem to have no control over.

i understand ive only just started this new job and its really bad timing but i haven't been able to overcome the anxiety just yet, so ends up looking so bad on me professionally when usually its never this bad.

I am a support worker for adults with learning disabilities and my manager has been more supportive and understanding than i ever thought she could be, she completely understood when I was fine one day and phoned in sick the very next day after i explained about my panic attacks, she didn't even ask for a sick until a week later which by then id been given the next two weeks after that off by my doctor, i rang in the day i got the sick note, told her about it and that was the end of it, she asked me to ring in the day my sick note ended to see if id be back in, asked me to keep her updated with how I'm doing and hoped id get better soon.

When i returned to work 2 weeks later i had a 'back to work' meeting and she told me if I ever needed someone to talk to or if I wasn't feeling at my best to just go and talk to her and we would sort something out and asked me to keep her updated with time i would need off for CBT.

Nothing more was said on the subject apart from her asking if I'm feeling ok from time to time, my colleagues welcomed me back with open arms and I've settled straight back in again and the very few who know why i was off have been very supportive also, asking how I'm feeling, telling me it's good to see me back and looking so well.

I couldn't ask for a better place to work or better people to work with.

So all in all my experience with work around my problems have been very positive.

Danielle x

The only experiences I have with work are the jobs I worked to put me through uni. Most of this time my anxiety was controlled and even in the past few weeks when it's been bad, I just go to work anyway because I need the money. If I do find it impossible to go, I fake a physical illness as these are not long term jobs or skilled jobs. I could be replaced so easily and I feel there is that stigma where I live. The chef where I work has admitted that he is getting stressed easily and panic attacks in the kitchen and he's in the process of being fired.

Hello Danielle,

It is good news to hear that you have had such good support, It sounds as though you work in a very caring environment (by the very nature of your job), but out there in the big wide world it is not always so. Employers and colleagues can often be very dismissive of time off due to known illnesses, let alone anxiety and depression.

There can be those "snide remarks" like...well, he/she looks OK...why don't they just pull themselves together" or....he/she has everything going for him/her...why do they suffer anxiety....and so on.

Good Luck Danielle, and let's hope sufferers can all get the same support as you have. x

Hi cruiselady, I know I'm lucky to have a work place that understands mental disabilities more than others might and I do know how badly other work places can treat employees with our problems, I've recently helped someone on this site with the exact same thing. I too worried when i was off sick that there would be rumors going around as to why i was off, or people would start assuming things and id be forced into explaining what the truth was.....and unfortunately when my partner was having trouble dealing with something he didn't understand, I did get the remarks of 'pull yourself together' and ' it's all in your head, just get over it ' .... Thankfully he became more sympathetic over time and explained he said those things because he was scared, because he didn't know how to help me when there didn't seem to be anything physically wrong with me and I'd randomly start having a panic attack, that he's never seen before, and he didn't know what to do.

I am one of the lucky ones who has the support I need to help me, but I also make myself available to anyone on here that needs advice, help or just someone to chat to when they are having a bad day, I'll always be here to help anyone that asks for it because I've suffered with panic attacks for 8 years now and I think it's safe to say that I could answer anything anyone has to ask about them, and i frequently do.

This may be a little over the top, but i come on this website everyday to help multiple people, sometimes I help them with advice from my personal life or my situation and sometimes I help with kind and reassuring words when i cant give advice because I haven't been what they've been through.

The main thing is that were all here to help each other and i will fully admit I wouldn't be doing as well as i am today without the help and support of some of the people on here. This site is the only form of emotional support for some people and I'm glad its here and I'm thankful of the people on here giving their time to help others.

I think you should all take a moment to just realise what good, kind people you all are and how thankful others are to have you, even if it is only over the internet on a forum, you count to someone out there, you've helped others who desperately needed your help, you've made a difference in someone's life.

I do apologise by the way, I don't know where all that cake from and i may have gotten a little carried away, but I'm glad I've sent it out there for you all to read.

Danielle xxx

Well said Danielle!

I have to go to the office today to have a discussion about me being off

And it's making me panic as not sure what they are going to say :s

Hi Jenny, you are going to need to use your strength today, I have the feeling you will have more peace of mind when you have been in. with you all the way xx

Thank you so much Claire yeah just want to get it

Done and dusted and I'll feel much better after I hope

Thank you for your support, I'll let you know how I get on,

Hope you have a good day today.

Jen.

Go for it Jen, you can do it, thinking about you xxx

Thanks Claire! Been and gone my heart was in my throat! But glad it's over

They were very understanding and non judgemental, but

They do want me to go back tomorrow! To discuss things more regarding wether they want to

Keep me on or not :s I do want to stay as I need money so

Hoping they just cut me down to 3 days a week as I feel that will be

More managable.

How are you going today? X

Doing*

Hi Jen i am so glad it went well for you, that took courage to go and discuss things with them. I am ok today i keep getting the intrusive thoughts, but i kinda live with them. When they get to bad i can discuss them with my husband, as mad as i sound he always understands lots of love xx