How would I be signed off work?

[BillysMyBunny]

I have been struggling a lot with my mental health over the last few months and things have been getting worse. I have been self harming quite badly and have needed hospital treatment for deep wounds twice this week. I started taking sertraline on Thursday but so far it’s making me feel worse. I am feeling anxious and panicky all of the time, diazepam is helping a bit but I don’t like to take it too often.

I feel under a lot of pressure at work at the moment for a variety of reasons and I feel that where previously the routine was helpful it is currently making things worse. I took today off and can self-certify until Friday but I am really anxious about what happens if I need more time off.

How would I ask my doctor to sign me off? Do I book an appointment and just say I think I need time off? What sort of assessment would they carry out to deem whether I’m fit for work or not and how do they decide how long to sign me off for? Would I need to prove that work is contributing to the stress? What if I feel better before the period I’ve been signed off for is up?

My GP is aware I have been struggling the last few months as they receive notification every time I’m treated in A&E and prescribe me the anti-depressants and diazepam but I have always said work isn’t the cause so I’m worried they won’t think I need time off and will refuse to sign me off. Is this likely? I know people at my work are frequently signed off but it usually seems to be with physical things rather than mental health which is obviously harder to see or prove.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer any insight into how being signed off would wirk.

No they don’t probe a lot IME (signed off once but had GPs offer/suggest a line a few times) if they know you’re struggling and you think it’ll help having a break from work that would be it. And that’s without self harming and therefore physical issues. And no work doesn’t need to be the source of your problem. It should be straightforward to get one, don’t let that be a source of worry, look after yourself and I hope you’re better soon.

Thank you. So would I just book a normal doctors appointment and then when they ask what’s wrong just ask to be signed off work?

Also, if I’m signed off could I go into work for a single meeting? I’m a teacher at a special school and one of my pupils has their annual review of their EHCP next week which is quite an important meeting and one I don’t feel I should miss. I think I could manage the meeting if I could come in just for that, but if I’m signed off would that be possible?