To fake having a disease, just because what I do actually suffer from is unheard of-even with doctors?

[XoticEngram]

I suffer from a sleep disorder which in itself isn't/shouldn't be a big deal. In the grand scheme of things compared to cancer, or some progressively deteriorating mental condition I am lucky.
However it does limit the work that I can do. Basically it is genetically impossible for me to fall asleep before 2-3 am so if I have to wake at 7am for a job that starts at 9am then its unworkable. If I was in a big city, this would not be a big deal but I live in Cornwall-a place with much reduced work opportunities.

As a consequence of this condition I have been claiming job seekers allowance for a long time. I have repeatedly tried to talk to Drs about it but in this country GPs are useless for sleep conditions and do little other than dole out platitudes about good sleep hygiene.

Now my job seeker advisor-who knows that I suffer from this condition- has rail-roaded me onto a 6 month work program placement which demands that I get up at 7am at the very latest.

Basically I have been put into a situation where I will have to endure 6 months of 360 degree hell with no respite whatsoever. I do not compensate any sleep I miss in the same way as other people. Being exhausted does not mean I fall asleep earlier.

Best case scenario- people on this work placement think I am belligerent and have an attitude problem.
More likely scenario- I incur damage to my health (in the form of excema like rashes-to start with) and succumb to alcoholism (something I have abstained from for over a year) and become a danger to other workers due to concentration problems. And end up receiving benefit sanctions on account of failing to meet the requirements of this program.

If I lived in USA and had easy access to a fire arm I might just turn my self off and experience Peace Perfect Peace.

Ive made an appointment with the Dr. It is unlikely that will be able to help me with what I actually suffer from so I am thinking strategically it might be better to say I am suffering from depression/psychosis in order to try and get myself on the sick. If I am forced to do this program this will probably be the result anyway as constant cortisol has a negative effect on any ones brain.

Please by aware-I WANT TO DO THIS PROGRAM. But the people who run it are unable/unwilling to work with me, refusing to acknowledge that the problems that cause unemployment are intrinsically complicated preferring to insist that a 'one size fits all' approach can be used for everyone. I think one of the people who runs it have an RAF feel about them, so they are probably full of militaristic virtue and belief in a regimented application of a hegemonic schedule in the curing of all of societies evils.
BTW- the name of my disease is Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. I doubt you've heard of it, but its a real thing

But shes not trying t get it sorted boffin, thats my point

There are lots of jobs with irregular hours:
Supermarkets
Cleaning
Caretaking
Bar work
Sports centres/Leisure centres
Restaurants
cIty centre shopping
Cinemas
oUt of town shopping malls
Theatres
Concert halls
Swimming pools
mIni- markets
Carers
Nursing
Delivery drivers
Set yourself up and train as something- hairdresser, make-up, nails, photographer.
Professional babysitter
Chef
Factory night shift
Hospital cleaning or kitchen work

You sound like you look for reasons you can't do things.

Yes DSPS exists
However it is a specialist diagnosis. You are unreasonable to expect a GP to just diagnose it.

You need to go to the sleep centre. Of course they mostly do sleep apnoea as that is the most common sleep disorder but they will be the best people to diagnose any sleep related condition. You won't get better than that.

DSPS is a pretty controversial diagnosis in fact. Everyone has a slightly different body clock. There are morning and evening people DSPS is just the extreme of a spectrum it's not an absolutely separate thing.

It can be made worse or better by how you deal with it. It is possible to gradually advance your sleep phase behaviourally and to use light and melatonin to help with that.

It does come across that you don't want to work and this is an excuse. If you pretend to have another condition that impression will be confirmed.

If you wanted to change this you can or if you wanted to work around it you can. People who want to work nights are in big demand.

(How do I know all this- PhD in circadian rhythms)

We aren't disputing the disorder exists. Just that the op seems to be doing everything possible to be labelled as unfit for work. She isn't unfit for work. She's just lazy as well as having a Dr Google diagnosed sleep disorder

I have no sympathy for her as she is unwilling to help herself

Maybe if no Doctor will give you the diagnosis it's because you don't actually meet the diagnostic criteria.

Quite possible, but so is her take on it if her regional health authority's anything like mine. My GPs don't believe there's anything wrong with me and refuse referrals. I have to bully them - if I'd not had proper diagnoses before moving here, I wouldn't have the confidence to keep saying they're wrong. This is for other conditions, btw, not the sleep disorder.

antimatter- i would like to but I have to look out for my mom and it wouldnt be fair on my dd

You can fake the breezy, cheerful extrovert thing if you really want to / need to. I'm quite introverted and phone-phobic, but have done stints working as a receptionist. I just gritted my teeth and took grim pleasure in fooling everyone into thinking I was this confident, bubbly girl who just loved answering the phone. It kept a roof over my head until I could find something more suited to my character.

It's not about irregular hours though - people with this syndrome don't have body clocks that work on. 24 hour timescale

PhD in circadian rhythms

Oh, wow, I am unreasonably impressed!

TBH she sounds knackered and fed up to me.
Work is important though and she needs to put more effort into finding something, knackered or not.

www.jobs.nhs.uk/xi/vacancy/9639562bf48de969f00b4a6aa17d113f/?vac_ref=913909115

This is a bank job meaning you can choose your shifts. It's an online application

Not to mention that pretending to have another condition in order to obtain benefits is actually fraud.

More likely scenario- I incur damage to my health (in the form of excema like rashes-to start with) and succumb to alcoholism (something I have abstained from for over a year)

Do you mean you were drinking excessively until a year ago?

And now you're taking what you believe to be Modafinil, which wasn't prescribed for you and you bought on the internet.

How long is that going on?

Have you been drug and alcohol free for any continuous time while this sleep disturbance is going on?

Alcohol consumption, especially excessive messes up sleeping patterns. On top of that taking some self prescribed junk you bought online is probably contributing.

You need to stop taking everything and then seek a proper medical diagnosis. This means following through with any tests etc you're sent for and doing what you're told. Stop trying to second guess the doctors. They know more than you.

I'm knackered (read fibromyalgia and other issues) and fed up (read clinically depressed) yet I still work. I have very little sympathy for someone who won't help themselves.

The last time I was booked into a sleep centre in Plymouth(miles away) only to find it was a sleep apnoea centre( unrelated to my condition)

How did you find this out? Did you google the place and it said "specializes in" on the website?

You are giving job seekers/benefits claimants a bad name.
Stop making excuses, get a formal diagnosis (if there even is one) so you can get on the path to recovery and in the mean time get an afternoon/evening job FGS.

Good lord do not fake a mental health disorder, the services are woefully behind and underfunded and having non genuine diagnosis /refferal clogging up the system puts those suffering into an even more vulnerable position (currently supporting someone with a mental health problem and waiting waiting waiting for therapy despite calls to crisis line so a bit raw for me)

m.jobs.mcdonalds.co.uk/st-austell,-uk/restaurant/jobid7090196-staff-member-st-austell-jobs/description/true

McDonalds job too. There's 2 jobs to get you started. You could do them tonight?

I really think you have so much more going on than your sleep have you spoken to anybody indepth about your alcholism and self medicating it sounds like you are really scared of the responsibility of getting back to work and putting blocks in place

Amitriptyline can be good stuff and isn't only used as am antidepressant, it's probably worth a go.

It really isn't clear why you are tired now if you are able to sleep when you choose.

You don't sound terribly employable now as you sound unreliable and work shy. You really do need to get some external help in changing that.

Op, it took me the time it took to feed the baby to find those two jobs. You need to be searching out all these possible jobs and applying.

Please PM Sugar who mentioned the possibility of hotel work. This could be a great opportunity as you could get the Jobcentre off your back and removing that stress might make it easier for you to pursue proper medical help.

Amitriptyline is brilliant (although hard to spell!) - it threw me at first too because it's an antidepressant but they aren't fobbing you off or saying you're depressed, it's really more commonly used for sleep problems and pain nowadays.

There is no medication for general malaise. OP, seriously, I find that the less I do, the less I want to do. There is some truth in the saying 'if you want something doing, ask a busy person'. Why don't you, starting from tomorrow, set some goals for yourself.

And if you're sent to the sleep apnoea centre again then GO. They won't just send you away saying 'oh no, you don't have sleep apnoea, bye bye'! Start dealing with this thing in bite sized chunks if it feels overwhelming.

jobsearch.direct.gov.uk/GetJob.aspx?JobID=12331661&JobTitle=Healthcare+Assistants+HCA+Job+-+Launceston%2c+Cornwall&rad=20&rad_units=miles&pp=25&sort=rv.dt.di&vw=b&re=134&setype=2&tjt=&where=Cornwall&q=&AVSDM=2015-10-01T09%3a54%3a00-05%3a00
jobsearch.direct.gov.uk/GetJob.aspx?JobID=20320021&JobTitle=Cleaners&rad=20&rad_units=miles&pp=25&sort=rv.dt.di&vw=b&re=134&setype=2&tjt=&where=Cornwall&q=&AVSDM=2015-10-01T09%3a54%3a00-05%3a00

That's just from the first page of the jobcentre. Without checking Gumtree, any other employment websites, agency's, local businesses, websites such as your local council, NHS, Debenhams,boots, asda,tesco, sainsburys, waitress, aldi, lidl, m and s, they will all be looking for Xmas temps that could lead to full time employment. There will also be back shifts and night shifts. Yabu.

OP, two questions (non work related - just asking):

what are you good at?
what do you enjoy doing?