I have OCD (diagnosed and hospitalised as a teenager over 25 years ago). I’ve had several relapses since then of varying severity. I’m in one currently, probably triggered by Covid. I’m waiting for a course of CBT, on the max dose of sertraline plus propananol and diazepam and have been off sick from work for a few weeks. Apart from a couple of weeks off sick in pregnancy this is my first major sick leave in 18 years.
Firstly I was off for 2 weeks in the summer, worked on self led CBT and meditation, journaling etc and planned my own phased return to work over 2 weeks which went well. Then I had 2 weeks planned annual leave before starting back full time. Returning to work after leave was a disaster - I couldn’t cope at all, and by the middle of that week I was signed off again. That was almost 3 weeks ago. I’m gutted as all my coping strategies failed which has left me feeling so low and anxious.
I’m now scared to return at all as I’m thinking I need to leave work as it’s too big a role for me to cope with alongside managing OCD. I also feel terribly guilty about being off sick when my company is making COVID related compulsory redundancies.
I think I need to find something more manageable, although I’m so low in confidence at the moment I’m struggling to focus on what that could be.
I’m scared that if I return to work I’m going to be overwhelmed and set back like before.
Does anyone have any experience of returning to work that went well that they could share? Or of not returning because of mental ill health or moving on?
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Mental health
Returning to work after mental ill health - any experiences and advice please?
7 replies
BillStickersIsInnocent · 30/09/2020 13:39
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