Bloody Occupational Health

[working9while5]

Asked to be referred as am pregnant and coming off meds and under stress at work wrt a child protection issue that is quite triggering for me.

Two reasons why I thought it might help. One, we are a specialist mental health trust and at team meeting it had been mentioned that you could get fast track referrals to services eg counselling.

Also team is in process of rejigging assignments and I could be moved out of the setting with the child protection issue for a session or two a week swapping with exact same work. Think this would help.

She bloody well signed me off. Gad score of 7 and Phq9 of 6... am 17 weeks pregnant so more tired and irritable than normal and I said last week I was feeling pull to avoid the stressful setting. Also had bad headcold then too.

Have to go to Occ Health doctor to assess my fitness to work going forward. Wtaf? I am not unwell!!! Is

Is the expectation that you are chockfull of sunshine or otherwise 'unwell'. I know what unwell looks like. This is not it.

Congrats on pregnancy. I have never found referrals to OH give me fast track or better mental health treatments, all they do is risk assess and protect the employers. But maybe that is just my experience of similar type OH situations!

Can you ask your midwife to refer you to the mental health midwife as most hospitals have one. They can then liaise with psychiatrists, gp's and make referrals to the peri natal mental health team if you need it. I did nt get this access as my team does not take people with pre existing mental health problems, they have to be treated ( or not!!!) by community services under adult teams. But you may be luckier!! And can you ask gp to refer you to a psychiatrist? Your gp should also be able to write you a fit note for work for altered hours or duties that work have to abide by. I got a fit note for less duties, eg less travel, no shifts at night, reduced hours etc!!!

Would suggest going to gp and getting their support for return to work and challenge OH!!!

There is no mh midwife as such here, they have a 'pregnancy support midwife' but she is only one. You get to see her to sound off approx three times in pregnancy. Ooooooh! No co-ordinating role.

I have been via perinatal mh service but they have no service really for pregnancy. Can offer meds and review but if no meds, nothing. Found it v unhelpful last time. Not really positive or recovery/resilience focused.

Just find it so frustrating. Went looking for private psychotherapy again this week but it is so hard to find what I'm looking for. I want a Mindfulness or ACT based therapy service as this is more or less what I had that worked.... but just cannot access this for love nor money. Everyone I try seems to be psychodynamic and it just doesn't work for me. Not even any available trained CBT person locally. Alternatively a support group would be great but none of those available either.

Hi, the support midwife sounds a bit like what I had and yes your peri natal team sounds as useful as mine - if not psychotic or new to services or on meds not interested. Mine even turned me down despite social care referring me. May you contacting social care for support be a way to access more support for you?

Keep looking and emailing people privately or maybe look that little bit further away. Ignore when sessions may be, if clash with work get a fit note!!!