Will a GP help my partner with work burnout

[Anonymous2025]

My partner seems to think a GP won’t be sympathetic with him . He works in a manufacturing setting , always on the go , repetitive tasks , minimum holiday and bank holiday and they close at specific times ( a few weeks in summer , 1 weeks Christmas ) they have no options of adding holidays or picking other dates if we need a break

He should have been promoted ages ago ( comes with a small wage increase ) they keep finding excuses not too ( despite his evaluations being really good ) . Including the fact he had time off due to surgery and a week he took to support me after a miscarry at 14 weeks .
My partner is an extremely hard working person , worked since he was 15 , never had a break from work , a great dad and step dad and a good partner .
He is not the sort of person that talks feelings very well unless he is loosing it and I’m worried with him . He seems withdrawn, sad and snappy ( this is completely out of character ) , lethargic and always tired , for the first time today he told me he feels like he is loosing it at work . I know in the long run he needs to look for another job but I believe a GP would at least allow him some time off work before as he describes it “ he looses his mind “ .
AIBU to think a doctor will help ?

As in sign him off with work related stress? Yes I would imagine so from your description

Yes a GP can sign him off if they feel it's needed. They are usually quite symptomatic burn out

They absolutely should listen to him and hopefully sign him off.

I went to the GP with a similar thing last year hoping to be signed off for a week or two and she went straight in with a month and it made such a difference.

Sympathetic to burnout, that should read

Thanks . That’s reassuring . Now need to convince him to go .
He is normally the positive one in the house , always playing , always in a great mood . So it’s hard to see him this way

Yeah, I can understand that. My DH has said the same about me. I hope he is able to get some help and recover.

It's important for you both to accept that it will take time to recover though. It's also important to look at his work situation so he doesn't just take a few weeks/months off, then walk right back into what broke him in the first place.

No I really want him to get another job . He got this one when our little one was born as it was close to home and we live rural but he has capacity for a better job , and much bette r previous jobs . I honestly can’t wait for him to leave that place .

I was on the verge of a breakdown at a previous job. My GP wrote me off sick for 2 weeks. I returned to work and in a week I got signed off again. I just couldn’t cope. The break helped me reset and I was able to find a new job quickly after that.

The doctor may well sign him off for two weeks initially and offer medication to help improve his mood. Mind are a fantastic mental health charity and may be able to help with a few therapy sessions.

Hope you can get though to him ❤️

I hope you can get a doctor's appointment.

Honestly it sounds like he is just done with the job. I'm not sure taking a couple of weeks off and going back to it will change anything for him.id spend the weekend with him doing up his cv , showing him all the amazing better jobs that are out there that he should apply for .

Try telling him that the symptoms could be physical eg low iron. He might feel more comfortable at going if he felt it was to look for a physical cause.

On the other hand, does anyone have up to date experience of moving jobs if you have recent MH related absence in your previous job?

New job sounds even better!

You only need a certificate after 7 days so hopefully enough time to see a gp

A GP will sign him off, and maybe signpost him to more help too.

But if the job is causing him to burnout, then this is just kicking the can down the road, and it might be time to find something different.

Mixed bag of sign off experiences here.

My GP signed me off and I felt listened to when work has driven me to the edge. I felt listened to and supported even when they were stretched in the pandemic and I had to use an app to get seen. I've been signed off twice and have subsequently changed jobs with no issues both times.

DH attends a different surgery and his GP has been switched as someone left. His previous GP was very supportive after a previous hideous ongoing experience. The current bloke has zero empathy. DH went in with constant nosebleeds which seemed to happen when he was stressed, in conjunction with physical symptoms suggesting panic /distress and has told me that work is worrying him to this point and how so. I was very concerned about him but he was refused sign off as the GP doesn't see "how it actually solves burn out". DP recalls the same GP being previously unhelpful with MH support after seeing him in a pinch during previous ongoing situation as well.