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

Treliske hospital has a sleep clinic.

I'm a GP - with the greatest of respect, as I'm sure you're not lying, you have no idea what people put on their forms for the job centre. It often bears very little resemblance to their actual medical history. You need to get an official diagnosis or look for work yourself that fits your sleep pattern - lots of suggestions already, but you don't seem keen to do anything other than find excuses.

I looked on indeed jobs and there are 289 in Cornwall one of them being evening hotel receptionist in ST Austell area. Would that be worth a go OP?

I'm sure it would be worth a go but the question is how many others are going to be applying for it? It is really really hate to get a job at the moment if it's fairly basic stuff you're looking at.

OP - if you are still reading, it must be hard to have lots of people offering you solutions to your problems if you had mentally accepted you can't work. Saying "I'm not what they are looking for" without applying and finding out if you are or not what they are looking for does seem like you dont want to work and the sleep pattern is an excuse.

I would say you should take a deep breath, accept that you can't just carry on as you are, so you need a plan of action because doing nothing will result in you losing your benefits.

A plan of action should be a) get back to your GP, tell them everything again, the sleep issue, the drinking, the internet drugs and ask for a sleep specialist referal (and just because a centre specialises in a more common sleep issue, doesn't mean they can't identify and treat less common sleep issues, keep the appointments, if it turns out to be a waste of time, then at least you've tried). and then b) apply for every possible night/evening work job you can find. (if there's no public transport to get home, you could pre-book taxis, check what they cost, if you do a 8 hour shift but 1 hour's wage goes on a taxi ride, you still be 'up' on the deal for 7 hours wage).

It's scary if you've accepted this is it, but life is going to change, you can change it in a positive way, or just do nothing and let other people change your life in a very scary way.

Again though this is a lack of understanding of 'how the other half live.'

So the job pays monthly - how do you afford the taxi fare for the first month?

And I do know what OP means by not being what they're looking for - I know a lot of bars and clubs and restaurants are looking for young studenty types, sadly I am not!

I know parrot Im just trying to he!p.

Modafinil is not a party drug, its not like cocaine- i buy it because of problems I have with sleep- it does not cause them. I have heard that it is a study drug, but personaly I have never found that makes me smarter. I have found that it does however give me a bit of get up and go. However often-like right now- it does kind of make me feel washed out( however at the moment i am also worried)
BTW- I am not an alcoholic. But the dr wrote to me booking an appointment once because of drinking(my mom had to call the paramedics once because I passed out ages ago). The only use I had for booze was cancelling out the fatigue acids in my brain.
I would do any work I could get to honestly. Transport is a problem.
I have made an appointment with Dr, but it will be nearly 2 weeks before I can see them. And when I do I am not overly optimistic of my chances. I will be into this program bty then- my ability to express myself eloquently will be reduced.
Btw- I am not lazy and want to do something. I was at first denied access to the program but due to my advisor's insistence have been put back on it. In the mean time I was approaching other employers/voluntary organisations, all of that has been rendered moot now as I have to go to centre tomorrow for induction.

Sorry have not read all the replies but...thought about working lates or nights in a factory or warehouse, I know a lot of people who find this fits in with their sleeping patterns.

Night shifts tend to pay considerably more per hour..a good incentive to look out for such positions.

I have a few health issue myself but I work. I do the jobs that don't require fine motor skills ( carpel tunnel and Raynaud's)

1. Stop self medicating
2. Sleep when you can - you're not currently on the placement so why are you exhausted? You can sleep 2am-10am and have 8 hours, more than most of us get!
3. Get a proper diagnosis. This may not be the one you think you have. You'll need to actually engage with the sleep clinic.
4. Stop looking for reasons not to work
5. Expand your job search snd actually apply for things rather than wrote yourself off
6. You have no excuse not to work. You very much sound like you don't want to work and you don't want to get better because you want your self-diagnosed excuse.
7. You will apply for many more jobs than you get. That's life. Don't take it personally.
8. Please actually listen to people who are trying to hekp

also- dont be fooled by jobsites telling you they have xxxxnumber of jobs. Often those are the same jobs repeated.

"The only use I had for booze was cancelling out the fatigue acids in my brain."

The what?

parrot - something has to give, and it'll be either her benefits or her health if she does nothing.

I'd also contact all care homes in your area directly, offering a CV, with a clear covering letter /e-mail you are looking for night shifts. You might well find they don't bother advertising all roles.

Cleaning companies are another one who often struggle to recruit evening/night workers (many woman with DCs want to clean during the school day, but then most offices now want cleaning done in the evenings/over night when the staff have left). E-mail hotels in your town directly with requests for evening/night work.

This could take a few hours, but not really cost you anything, and might pay off - it also looks like you are definately trying to find work to the job centre. It's surprising just how many roles are filled from CVs/applications sent in rather than advertised.

After years (decades) of sleep problems - I discovered I had an inherited chronic insomnia thanks to much searching on Google (it was also only recognised in the USA which happens to have a v expensive private health system). Incurable and unrecognised in the UK.

More recently I discovered through counselling that things that happened in childhood and suppressed were the root of my health problems.

I suggest you try counselling OP, with an open mind, as soon as possible. I now sleep pretty well.
But it's 'easier' to blame something else than to accept the problem is within yourself so you probably won't.

You seem very defeatist and convinced you are right.

"Modafinil is not a party drug, its not like cocaine- i buy it because of problems I have with sleep- it does not cause them. "

OP -You are coming across as incredibly misinformed. Stop taking Modafinil NOW. It is keeping you awake and is quite possibly causing the eczema-like skin problems that you mention downthread.

From Wikipedia:

Modafinil is a wakefulness-promoting agent (or eugeroic) used for treatment of wakefulness disorders such as narcolepsy and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Because of the risk for development of skin or hypersensitivity reactions and neuropsychiatric disorders, the European Medicines Agency has recommended that new patient prescriptions should only be to treat sleepiness associated with narcolepsy.

It's used in the treatment for cocaine addiction. It's probably more similar to speed though.

Look I'm not having a go - the reason I know so much about it it that I bought some myself. I do have sleep problems myself as I have bipolar and struggle to sleep when manic. Modafinil really didn't help. AND it really made me crave alcohol. It's just not a good idea to buy drugs of the Internet.

Look at your PMs OP

If OP is seeking work there is no reason her benefits will be stopped.

Also, agencies in particular are swines for advertising fake jobs as a way to lure you in and get you on the books - then no work is forthcoming but you've paid for a CRB

She's clearly not seeking work, parrotsummer. She's seeking reasons to give for not working.

Well the job centre think she's seeking work and they don't need a reason to stop and sanction you.

'Fatigue acids'
'Deferring cortisol on the poor' -from another thread and several other phrases and ideas you've used here all remind me of how someone with mania/hypomania/psychosis might talk.

There's a 'flight of ideas' there.

You say you're worried you won't be able to express yourself 'as eloquently' next week?

To be blunt I suspect that internet Modafinil is making you manic Op.

I also find it amazing that what OP has, is completely unheard of even by doctors, therefore is seeking advice on information how to 'fake' an illness so they don't have to seek employment instead can have an essential long morning lie in

OP did you say you have a DD? I wonder how old she is and if your 'condition' will or is impacting on her education? The majority of schools start around 8.30am or there abouts

So do you not think ME, depression, anorexia, aspergers - other 'hidden' illnesses were once misunderstood and misdiagnosed?

OP mentions her mum. Maybe she takes her DD to school. Is it any of your business?

Ive not read the whole thread.

I am a crap sleeper. I can't sleep for hours. I try to go to bed at 9.00pm when I have a 12 hour shift the next day but I don't fall asleep that time. It's called insomnia isn't it? I go up early and just relax.

I get up at 5.30am, come home at 8.00pm and often have to do another 12 hours the next day.

I get fucking shattered, I really do. But I don't think not sleeping well and being tired is an excuse not work on its own.

Many people have to go into work after a crap nights sleep and feel like crap while doing it.

Ok - I will have a go at explaining.

Sleep conditions aren't comparable to feeling tired or even properly to insomnia although insomniacs will probably be more appreciative of some of the issues.

Typically insomnia will come in stages. So a bad week will be followed by a good week (or month or six months.

With sleep conditions there's no let up.

Lack of sleep leads to depression, irritability, reduced lifespan, poor diet, skin problems, bowel issues and most key poor performance at work. It is prolonged and degrading. It was used in the 1940s as a form of torture.

Op can seek work in the afternoon/ evening. That is fine.

What is NOT fine is insisting she goes on a course that starts in the morning. Flexibility is needed.