AIBU to want a week off work with stress?

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I have no idea how this works, before I have always worked regardless. I feel I can't keep going into the office, it's too much for me. My heart hurts, it hurts to breathe, I've stopped sleeping. Every little task seems to push me over the edge, I feel I'm pushing a rock up the hill and the hill keeps getting steeper. I've spoken to mangers about this and they say there is nothing they can do. Would I be unreasonable to see the doctor today, explain this and hope I get a week off work to recover and get my health back (and also look for a new job). I've started wishing I was probably ill again so I can go to hospital for a break. I think I have lost track of what's normal. I've been at 120% since January and I'm hitting my busy period now.

OP you can self certify for a week. Just call in sick if you feel you need it. Stress is a valid reason.

However you do need to proactively look for another role and/or stop working at 120% in your current one. You are doing yourself no favours and you are helping your management mask the problem of understaffing.

In my experience, you'll need to self-cert for a week before getting a note. It's rubbish having to call in daily but you sound like you definitely need some down-time.

Can you take some annual leave? Is your workplace sympathetic to stress / mental health issues?

You self certify for the first week so don’t need to see a doctor. Do whatever it takes.

Good god yes. All that stress hormone coursing through your viens isn't helpful. Life is far too short, call in sick, self certify for a week, go out and walk and eat and see friends. Then start job hunting.
I'm an NHS CBT Therapist and see people all the time who leave it too late and then cracks. Intervene early and save yourself a lot of suffering x

You don’t need to see your doctor for an absence of less than 7 days you need to self certify.

However will a week make any difference? Will the issue still all be there when you go back?

If it’s just over work and needing a break then you should really take annual leave?

Prolonged work stress is toxic. I'd definitely go off for a week

Can you fit any enjoyable me time, hobbies, exercise, cooking a fav meal, whatever......
If life is just Have Tos and Musts it's pretty defeating.
A book called Dare by Barry McDonagh helped my anxiety.

Thanks for the replies, I can't take annual leave as there is work to do, my next holiday is in 60 days and I'm having to protect that. If I self certification I have a fear they won't believe me, you can't see stress, or that fact my body hurts, and it will just be me making a fuss over nothing

What do you do? There's always work to do but none of it is work wrecking your physical or mental health for.

Are they likely to be sympathetic if you say stress?

Bagpuss5 - I have had a free pass to the local gym since Jan but haven't had time to use it. Life is work and children. My nan is now in hospital and I'm at breaking point feeling I'm letting everyone down as I can't do it all

Have you checked your policies in the first instance? If you don’t have a separate policy for stress it may be included in a general Sickness or Wellbeing policy. I’ve found that workplaces (not all) do have interventions for stress but managers can be blissfully aware.

Is your stress only work related or is it being exasperated by home too?

I think you should take a week off if it will help but my main concern is that by being away you will actually increase you stress levels by worrying about returning/the reactions from your managers. If you do take a week off it’s important you get out and do things you enjoy and not spend the time worrying about work (easier said than done).

I recently went through a similar thing, so after ringing in sick I made a GP appointment and (after embarassingly crying the moment he asked me what I'm there for) he wrote me a note for a week off, which I then photographed and emailed to my boss, explaining briefly in my own words why I wouldn't be at work.

Take a week off, and during that week see a GP to discuss a longer, certified, period of leave. This qualifies as an emergency, so don't accept a routine appointment in two weeks time.

As a pp said, you need to get on top of this now, as if you carry on until breaking point, you may well be ill, and be off for much longer. You might even lose your job. Take action now. While you are off, take the pressure off yourself. Rest and do things you enjoy. Start some meditation or hypnosis/relaxation. And enquire about local IAPT CBT services. In many area you can self-refer, or your GP can do this for you.

Hope you're feeling better soon.

See the GP, take 2 weeks. I also work in mental health services and from what you describe time off for stress/anxiety sounds reasonable. Be completely honest with them and don't be afraid to tell them what you feel you need. Good luck OP

OP, please go to your GP straight away. They can sign you off for a lot longer than a week on grounds of stress, and they can also refer you for counselling, CBT etc.
Being off for a month or longer forces your workplace to take your complaints more seriously, and you can then speak to HR and your manager about reducing your workload and/or taking on extra staff. At the very least, it gives you more time to look at job ads for alternative employment.
The more of a willing donkey you are at work, the more they will pile the burdens on your shoulders.
You must learn to say No, to work within your contract, and not take on excess duties. It’s simple self protection - your health matters far more than their unachievable deadlines.
Good luck, OP, and best wishes that you get some rest and are able to adjust your worklife to something more reasonable and enjoyable.

You need to refrane this.

This isn't about you wanting a week off work, this of about you needing some time off work. A week may or may not be enough.

Phone on sick and maje an appt with the doctor for the same day. Be totally honest about how you feel emotionally and physically.

I remember thinking if I just do X then I could hurt myself enough to not be able to go to work / have to go to hospital but not enough to risk dying. It isn't good

I feel for you, OP. I've been where you are and it's hell.

Self-certify for now and get an appointment to see the GP. I'd be very surprised ifb they didn't sign you off.

I'm also shocked at your manager's attitude. They have a duty of care and should be supporting you, not washing their hands of any responsibility. It might be ducks in a row time and I would start a paper trail.

If your workplace is unionised, speak to your union rep. However, I rather suspect that it isn't.

If the company is big enough to have a stress management policy and someone in HR who deals with H&S, check out the policy. Then email your manager pointing out any bits that are relevant in terms of what action your manager should be taking. Also email asking for an appt with whoever in HR deals with this kind of stuff.

If there's no such person/policy, have a think about what your manager could do to reduce the pressure on you, and suggest it, again by email. If he/she replies face to face, follow it up with another email summarising the discussion. Avoid being bolshie and using legalistic language, but it make clear that work is making you ill.

Also look up the judgment in the case Walker v Northumberland County Council (a landmark legal ruling in stress at work). It won't be terribly relevant but it makes it clear how serious workplace stress is and employers without a dedicated HR team often have no idea about its implications.

But definitely take some time to recoup. I struggled on for a month when under intolerable pressure, and ended being signed off for 4 months. It was the worst time of my life. Taking time out now could well nip it in the bud.

And when you do, make sure you take time to do nice things - go for walks, swim, see friends/family, whatever will help you reflect and recover.

And definitely start a timeline of what has led up to this, when you have raised issues with management and what their response was. This could all be relevant later on.

Take a few days off, saying you have a stomach bug /bad headache if needed, make a doctor's appointment during those days and explain everything to the doctor - they may well think you need more than a week off to recover anyway. Also, Dr may well say you shouldn't return without changes to you work - whether or not they say that, work will be obliged to take it seriously if they want to keep you etc

OP, please see your GP asap or at least book a telephone consultation. You must take time off and if it's just a week, don't worry about self-certificating because your doctor will know about your problems and this will be on your medical record. I was off with stress for a week previously and since then have had the odd day when it's got too much. I work in the NHS and it's mostly work-related. Please put yourself first, good luck.

Yes, you need to get some perspective. By all means look for jobs, but remember there might be other ways forward once you can think straight (I felt like this before christmas, having come through it I am enjoying my job more than ever weirdly). Take care and take the week off.

Take the time off before you get to the point don't cope. I've been there, lack of work support has meant 7 months off work and a lot of medication.

Go and see your GP.
Not just to get a week (or two) or sick so you can recover a bit. But also to check you don’t need some support (eg ADs) to help you through the next few months until you have a new job.

Call work and tell them you are off to the Drs . See your Dr and work things out from there. Most probably they will recommend taking sick leave but you might feel better about it being told 'officially'. Then feedback to work.
Remember that they will cope if you aren't there, even if it feels like they won't.

Take a week off. Self certify. Tell them you have a water infections you feel that you need to say a reason. Take some time to rest and rethink. In the grand scheme of things a week is nothing. Look after yourself