To not go to work... I'm just knackered

[lborgia]

All sorts been happening this year, including a bad reaction to some medicine, eldest starting new school, youngest being assessed for learning issues, lots of support for couple of friends with really big life stuff going on (well one of them feeling she needs to not exist anymore), difficult stuff in several other areas.. and I'm just bloody knackered.

Ive been in the job 18 months, very safe position, but have never ever in my life just not gone to work unless half dead/ hospital etc.

For some reason the assessment stuff with ds just did for me yesterday. Feeling like an awful parent for not realising her wasn't just "quirky", and all the tiredness has caught up with me. I feel as if I'm going to cry and could sleep for 100 years.

I could take a day sick but would feel really guilty about that too.

Does MNThinkIABU?

X-post.

Here in the UK we really suck at allowing ourselves mental health days.

OP reframe it as a mental health day. You are allowing yourself to recharge and rest and prevent spiralling into a depression/vicious circle of illness and recovery etc. Stress is a killer.

Your good mental health is just as, if not more, important than your good physical health. Sick days are just that, and poor mental health absolutely counts. You know you need the break, same as you would if you were recovering from a bug. It’s just our stupid societal stigma around MH that’s making you feel guilty about it (as well as a couple of stupid posters on this thread).
Rest. Recharge. You will be glad you did and work is just work. No one is going to die if you’re not there for a day or two.

Thanks for all the answers. To clarify, I posted at 8.30am my time.

I slept fine, well other than waking up a couple of times drenched from hot flushes.

I've come in to work, knowing I'm the only one in this office today, and in theory I don't even have to make any phonecalls. I think it was the fact that I usually do a 10-11 hour day that seemed insurmountable, so I've promised myself I'll a do a few hours and then check in with myself or something.

Fairenuff, you've made me think about my workload. Not sure how I could stop my son starting secondary school, or refused to take other son to assessment. Not sure I'd want to either. Meanwhile, I do have to work, I do try and help friends, and not sure leaving them to it would help, I'd still be wondering how they are, and they support me too, ast other times.

I had no idea I was going to experience an adverse reaction to the medicine I was given 3 weeks ago, and none was discussed when I signed the consent form (it was in hospital).

I'm looking for a bemused emoticon because I'm not sure what I could've dropped to make it all ok. Anyway, I'm confident that it's not all of my own making, but thanks for a brisk talking to!

Ah, yes, you're right, I've just gone back abd checked my post. If I'd realised my youngest had sufficient problems that he needs assessing, i wouldn't be in this predicament. Oh well. Be reassured, I couldn't feel anymore exasperated with myself about that...

Thanks for all the soft-appeths out there who said take the day, I feel better for hearing the majority agree (and isn't that why we post here?!).

Sorry, massive x- posting, started when i was at home, and posted when i got to work! Here you do have" sick days" which i find very weird, but I use them if the children are sick (not often).

Take a few days sick - mental health as important as physical health

if you drop/breakdown/get overwhelmed and suddenly just snap from it I guarantee youll need a long time more off to recover.take a day off.rest.sleep.slob.breathe.
be tired stressed and anxious and overraught is sick/undertheweather emotionally and just as important.

Fairenuff, you've made me think about my workload. Not sure how I could stop my son starting secondary school, or refused to take other son to assessment. Not sure I'd want to either. Meanwhile, I do have to work, I do try and help friends, and not sure leaving them to it would help, I'd still be wondering how they are, and they support me too, ast other times.

You have to make time to rest. It's the old putting your own mask on before helping others. Most of us have children that start secondary school at some point. This is just part of their education and should not be a big disruption. Yes, there may be problems to deal with (my ds was intimidated in the first week) but it should not be making you ill.

It sounds like this all happening at once just made you tired. You said in your OP that you wanted a day off work because you were knackered. If that's the case, it's not reasonable. We can't all have a day off when we're knackered.

You need to rest and try to put something in place to ease the burden of the needs of your two children. Do you have a partner?