Author Topic: Seriously desperate and stuck!!!  (Read 3729 times)

Holykimura

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Seriously desperate and stuck!!!
« on: November 17, 2011, 12:39:33 PM »
I'm having one cxxp week, I'm completely overwhelmed by the demand of my job. I am wondering how I will make it through the day, I just want run away as far as possible, or hide :( I so want to give up my job but I know if I do that we will struggle financially, Im too afraid too take time off from work because I have had so much time off before. I've got to see my line manager soon and I am dreading speaking to her incase she thinks i am not in a fit enough state to be at work. I am honestly fed up of this life and am beginning to question whether i still want to be here, if it wasn't for my children and my loving partner I would contemplate doing something in a desperate attempt to be rid of this cursed disease which plagues me every day, I feel like I'm relapsing every day, I can't bear the thought of going home today as I'm sick of crying at home where my children se me crying all of the time, I wonder what effect it has on them. They must be fed up of seeing me like this and so must my partner :( I want out of this life, I want to throw the towel in cos I'm drained, overwhelmed, scared, and sick and tired of fighting !

Got

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Re: Seriously desperate and stuck!!!
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2011, 12:55:14 PM »

Oh dear, this is horrible. Your health is very important. How sympathetic are your bosses?

Im glad you can realise that you have a loving partner and children who need you...you are much better being on this earth than been away from it.

I'm sorry for your financial situation, it may be that time of is needed...this is not your fault. I can see you are unders a lot of pressure. Have you talked these feelings and ideas through with your partner?

Holykimura

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Re: Seriously desperate and stuck!!!
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2011, 01:13:23 PM »
Hi steve, sorry to worry you with my feelings My line manager is sympathetic but it's the head of the school who is not. I know I'm better off on this planet for the sake of the children and partner, I am going to talk to my partner how I feel tonight and take it from there I just don't know if by staying at work is going to be better for me or by taking a couple of weeks off will make it difficult to go back, I'm so confused right now my head is spinning and I feel like I'm in another world :(

Lol

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Re: Seriously desperate and stuck!!!
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2011, 05:52:54 PM »
Holikimura it does sound like you perhaps did go back too soon. Although it wasn't as bad as you thought at first, the stress and anxiety surrounding the demands of your job have built up and now you feel overwhelmed. You have identified that work is not the best place for you to be, you would rather be at home and you feel like running away. These are very difficult feelings to have whilst trying to stay calm and productive in such an important job.

It is very important that you do explain your feelings to your line manager and in turn your head of school. It matters not one jot how much time you have had off before, or how disgruntled the head may or may not be. What is important is that you receive the support you need. If you need time off you must take it and you are within your right to do so. It is a difficult thing to personally process that you can not at the moment do something you know you are capable of and indeed once enjoyed, but the answer is that you are simply not capable of functioning in the same way at the moment and that is absolutely no fault of your own. What you are in control of however, is giving yourself the best possible chance of recovery by identifying what will aid it the best and allowing yourself those things. At the moment it is difficult to imagine being able or wanting to go back after the time off, but that is only because of how you are feeling at the moment. You will, with sufficient time off, start to realise that you feel you can and even would like to return, and only then will it be right for you to do so.

I am an employer, and I have counselled staff through time off for various reasons, depression included, and had I felt disgruntled or unsympathetic about it I would not have been allowed to show that or let you know that. To give an employee the notion that I did not approve of their recovery and not to actively encourage it would be professional misconduct on my part. Your employer has not only an obligation towards your welfare and recovery by facilitating that by whatever means reasonable, but can not pressure you about it in any way and must actively encourage it as a duty of care towards you and so as not to add to it further. It is wrong of the head to be obviously unhappy or unsympathetic about your condition. It is right for you, and indeed an obligation on your part, to let your relevent managers know if there is a problem and what steps can be taken to alleviate it.

You have some lovely blessings in your life. Your children and your partner, who love you very much. Try to concentrate on this and feel the strength of their love for you as a reflection on the person you are and will be again. You can give yourself the things you need to get better and enjoy your life again. It is very difficult but better times will come and recovery will come.

Got

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Re: Seriously desperate and stuck!!!
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2011, 06:00:58 PM »

Im sorry to hear the head of school is not sympathetic. They  ought to be, and I suppose if he/she tries anything smart...you've got the law on your side.  If your health is suffering, I belive you are both entitiled, and deserving of time of.

Its good you are goingto talk to your partner.

Take care X

Holykimura

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Re: Seriously desperate and stuck!!!
« Reply #5 on: November 17, 2011, 06:06:42 PM »
Thank you both for your words of encouragement it means so much to me. I'm mentally drained and don't feel able to construct a suitable reply I just want to thank you both.

Got

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Re: Seriously desperate and stuck!!!
« Reply #6 on: November 17, 2011, 06:13:44 PM »

I understand that feeling...don't worry...I recommend that you treat yourself with kindness...you deserve it. X

Lol

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Re: Seriously desperate and stuck!!!
« Reply #7 on: November 17, 2011, 06:30:19 PM »
Don't worry Holykimura I feel the same! writing my reply to your post whacked me right out!!!!!  :D

Zaf

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Re: Seriously desperate and stuck!!!
« Reply #8 on: November 18, 2011, 08:44:05 AM »
I your work is making your health worse you really do need to consider taking more time off,  lol is right,  sorry I cant be much more help but my brain really doesnt seem to be able to communicate properly atm :(
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Holykimura

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Re: Seriously desperate and stuck!!!
« Reply #9 on: November 18, 2011, 11:07:43 AM »
Well I've somehow managed to fund the energy to get up, take kids to school, went to a praise assembly for one of them, fill the dishwasher, and reply to the post, have thankfully got the day off. I spoke to my partner last night and she said that even though it might not feel like it to me she has seen me in worse states than currently. She has asked me to trust her when she says that I'm better off going to work and asking for support to be put into place first just like you suggested Lol, and then if things are still not going well to take time off again. I guess she is the one person who knows me better than anybody and she wouldn't want me becoming worse.
Lol reading your post has given me a lot of comfort and belief that one day I'll find an employer who shows empathy to those of us who struggle with mental illness. I hope you all are having a good day!

Lol

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Re: Seriously desperate and stuck!!!
« Reply #10 on: November 18, 2011, 02:34:01 PM »
It is great to have some one you know and trust to guide you. Make sure you truly feel comfortable with anything your partner is suggesting. She may know you, but no one can really know how it feels and the gradient of the slippering slope that depression is. You obviously trust your partners judgement, could you ask her what symptoms you present that would suggest to her that you are becoming worse? Then you both know what you are looking out for and have a clearer idea of when it would be time to readress things? when you do/feel this...then we'll do this.. that may alleviate the awful feelings of drifting and pack of control that come with depression.

Holykimura

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Re: Seriously desperate and stuck!!!
« Reply #11 on: November 19, 2011, 01:30:36 PM »
It is great to have some one you know and trust to guide you. Make sure you truly feel comfortable with anything your partner is suggesting. She may know you, but no one can really know how it feels and the gradient of the slippering slope that depression is. You obviously trust your partners judgement, could you ask her what symptoms you present that would suggest to her that you are becoming worse? Then you both know what you are looking out for and have a clearer idea of when it would be time to readress things? when you do/feel this...then we'll do this.. that may alleviate the awful feelings of drifting and pack of control that come with depression.
Hi lol hope you are well, and thanks for your response.

The thing is I'm not entirely sure I am comfortable with what my partner is suggesting. I don't know if my judgement is affected by the way I feel. She is catergorically against me quitting or taking more time off. She understandably feels as though by doing this I will leave myself open to feelings of lack of self worth and bored and frustrated by being at home with too much time to think. I told her today that my brain feels as though it has a cloudy mixture poured into it and that I'm feeling sick and a tummy ache, she seems to think its a bug and not linked to how I feel mentally.

I had a chat with my community support worker yesterday. He said I need to get out of the job I'm currently in as my sanity is more important than any financial amount, home or else. He even went ad far saying that he felt that if carried on on that job then I may end up becoming a permanent resident in the mental health wards  I've been trying to explain this to my partner but she is adamant that if I quit work it would be doing me more harm than good.  I and the support worker explained to her that we have identified the root of my problems and it is work causing me major stress. My partner says hang in their whilst applying for other positions. Now obviously she is concerned about finances and Xmas on the horizon. She is also feeling very run down and expressed yesterday that she didn't know how much more of this she could take  so  I don't know what to do  :-\

Zaf

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Re: Seriously desperate and stuck!!!
« Reply #12 on: November 19, 2011, 01:53:46 PM »
Hi

I really do think you need to take time away from work urgently from what your community support worker has said.  I hate to say this but your partner really cannot understand fully how bad you are feeling and the causes or does not want to understand - I can appreciate how daunting it must be for her to face a considerable cut income but if you end up in hospital due to continuing to work when not only have you been advised to stop and you also feel you need to leave not only will she face a lack of income but many other problems.

I'm really sorry if this seems harsh but you need somehow to make her understand you MUST stop work or your illness will get worse and you will end up in hospital - her telling you the brain fog and nausea is not due to depression is again either not understanding or not wanting to understand.

Living with anyone thats ill is not easy and tiring so I'm not surprised that she is feeling run down and tired but what is it she cant take any more of? 

Again I am sorry if I sound hard or harsh but you really must do what you feel is right for you and not struggle on going to work if you think it is making you worse especially as you have been told by your community support worker that he thinks to continue working is likely to result in a complete breakdown.

Z xx
Certain things catch your eye, but pursue only those that capture your heart.

Lol

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Re: Seriously desperate and stuck!!!
« Reply #13 on: November 19, 2011, 02:31:37 PM »
Holikimura I'm afraid I second everything Zaf has said. It is very hard for your partner to understand how you feel when you explain it to her because as she has not suffered from depression, when ever she has felt what she thinks you mean by what you have described to her she has probably had a head cold or a hangover or been tired or upset. These feelings pass and you can alleviate them. What she is failing to grasp/would rather not have to grasp is that you can not simply shake feeling like this, there is no nurofen cold and flu for depression, it is not a case of keeping your chin up, looking on the bright side, having an early night or pulling your socks up and simply getting on with it. YOU CAN NOT. She wont be able to understand this.

Please forgive me for suggesting this but do you feel your partner is not understanding or does not want to? If it is the former can I suggest some good literature; depression curse of the strong (as recommended by Zaf [!again!]) and depression fallout, both available on Amazon. These books are magnificent in shedding some light on what a sufferer of depression is going through and what that looks like to those who live with you. There is much emphasis on the strength of the illness and why it is not simply just a state of mind. VERY eye opening.

If however your partner is a bit of an osterich and doesn't want to believe in such things, I'm afraid you have a very difficult job ahead of you and without her support you may get worse through being forced into avoiding what you know deep down you need for your recovery.

This is very difficult for you. Please keep talking to us, we may be able to help with some thoughts and suggestions on how to approach this either way with your partner. It is important that you receive what you need to recover, be that time off, or anything else you feel you need, whilst at the same time managing this within your relationship and family. Don't be afraid to say to your partner 'thank you for your suggestions, they sound sensible and logical, but I feel that I actually can't and they would actually make me worse because...' or simply 'I am afraid that you are not actually understanding what I mean when I say...'

I hope you manage some how and if you need to talk or ask any questions or indeed direct your partner to this forum if you think it would help then please do.

Take Care. Lol

Holykimura

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Re: Seriously desperate and stuck!!!
« Reply #14 on: November 19, 2011, 02:42:23 PM »
Hi Zaf and Lol,
I welcome your wise and experienced view point, and nor do I feel either of you are being Harsh. I think what you are saying is absolutely right. I am looking for the right words to get my partner to understand that I really do not feel very well at all. I don't know if she is choosing to  block out what she doesn't want to hear or if she really doesnt see that I am unwell. She seems to compare my mental state against the time when I had my breakdown and according to her I am still functioning. She reminded me yesterday that at one stage she was living with a complete zombie. I have tried to say to her that of I carry on like I have then it's posssible I might become that zombie again or worse :( she has also been diagnosed with mild depression and is having a difficult time at work with some of her colleagues. I understand that she is feeling overwhelmed herself and I have much sympathy for her.
I have tried to say I need some time off and my words have fallen on deaf ears. I don't think she does it on purpose but I feel guilty when she says I can't cope on my own. What am I going to do, I feel as though she might start resenting my condition and up and leave me :( I cry many times at the thought of her leaving me, as I am so insecure right now. I feel trapped :( I am going to the cinema tonight with my partner. It is her birthday on wednesday so I don't want to spoil her special day. I'll break the news to her after this day.