Time off work for health anxiety and depression

[Newbabynewhouse]

I had last week off work due to suffering from esophagitis (I got a pill stuck I'm my throat whilst I was in work and it burnt my esophagus) it caused me to have lots of different symptoms such as chest pain and trouble eating ..it also made me feel like I couldn't breathe properly and my throat was closing. This has been going on since before Christmas but it all can to a head last week when I felt like it wasn't getting better despite taking medication. I called work last week and had the week off however I do feel like I'm slowly improving (fingers crossed) but I've realised I have health anxiety and depression (not sure of triggered by the anxiety) but I can't stop crying over silly things and keep thinking I'm going to die at night when I'm trying to sleep; Waking in the night gasping for breath and getting chest pains.
I now want to his next week off too but feel really guilty as I work in a job where if I'm off, the work will go to my colleagues. I've finally found a job I love and get on with everyone. Been there 10 months now but really feel like I need this last week off as I have a therapy session and want to make sure I'm getting better.
I'm looking for a hand to hold with someone who has suffered something similar and hoping I hear replies saying its okay to have more time off ..

What, for people to get the medical assistance they need, you mean?

I do feel for you OP, but with kindness, what will you do with your week off in-between the therapy session and contacting your GP? If you work a 40 hour week, you're giving yourself 40 hours for two appointments that can only really total what, 2 or 3 hours?
Do you have something productive/mindful to do in all that downtime?
I ask because an anxious mind without a focus can really spin out, and the longer you're away from work the harder it will be to go back in.
Wishing you well and I do hope however you approach this, that you find some peace soon ❤️

I presume you mean me?
I am neither a bot or a troll.

What medical assistance are they getting?

Have to agree there, OP sounds like she’s from a newer generation, for sure.
(I’m uneasy about where all this encouragement and indulging of such introspection and solipsism will lead, for society in general. Not looking too good as it is.)

I was going to say something about age - I bet OP is under 40.

Sounds like you'll end up kicking the can down the road. One therapy session isn't going to fix it and you'll likely end the week convincing yourself that you'll need another week off. I've been there with anxiety. Avoiding things and disingaging from things that made me feel a little uncomfortable. The more you can stick to routines and healthy habits, the better in my opinion. Even if it may make you feel uncomfortable at first.

Yes and we didn't have to work to deadlines, manage client expectations, support all colleagues fairly.

If you mean OP, they said therapy and seeing a GP.

The OP specifically says - I want to focus on getting myself better this week by doing mindful, wholesome things and seeing a Dr too

She wants - hoping I hear replies saying its okay to have more time off .

She is having - a therapy session

Hardly medical assistance! Doing mindful wholesome things!

Is that right? Surely 1 week absence would be 115 and 2 weeks of the same instance would be 1110. Having said that in my office someone who had only worked for 10 months having 2 weeks off for anxiety and stress would probably be let go.

She's doing those things as well as getting medical assistance in the shape of the GP and therapy, though. As I think you're well aware but just being argumentative.

Honestly, unless you're OP's employer, I don't know why you're being so antagonistic on this thread.

I actually misread. I thought the second week was going to be a second period of absence. If not, the whole period would be a single instance. But yes the calc is number of occasions x number of occasions x total number of absences in a rolling 12 month period.
if the 2 weeks had no break and was just 1 instance, her calc would be 1x1 =1 then 1x 14 so the score would be 14.

The GP appointment will be what 10 minutes.
The therapy session one hour.......

Not exactly medical assistance is it??

You have a job you love and yet you are willing to lose it by convincing yourself you can take as much time off as you want. Can you afford to lose the job?

If it's public sector then sick pay is based on length of service. So no you can't take months and months off in year 1 on full pay.

🥱

Yeah, you’re clearly only interested in being argumentative, you seem to be nursing some kind of grudge, you’ve also shown yourself to be clueless about MH issues, and I’m bored now. Bye.

@Newbabynewhouse you coming back?