when counselling and medication don't work - what can you do instead?

[Iwillneverbesatisfied]

I have anxiety and PTSD due to prolonged workplace bullying and discrimination. I still work there and I'm struggling as the matters have not been properly addressed. Being disabled (multiple disabilities) makes me a less attractive candidate to other employers and this current climate also limits opportunities. I am actively job searching to no avail and I've used up all my sick leave entitlement. I can't afford to take any more sick leave nor can I afford to just quit - we have no savings and DH is in a company where several people have been made redundant already so we fear for his job. I need to keep mine, even though I am so unhappy. HR have not helped but my doctor is being great. I tried sertaline and that did not help. I tried counselling and mindfulness and that did not help. I guess because the problem (work) is always going to be there. My work are questioning my performance and my behaviours, even though they created the PTSD (which my doctor diagnosed me with). I do not know what else to do to make me feel better until I find other work (which might never happen or be a long way off). I've asked for an exit package but my union do not think I will get one and if I do, it might not be enough to keep me going financially until I find something else. I feel so trapped. I'm constantly crying and getting headaches and bad thoughts. What can I do if medication and counselling does not work?

Have you got a date for the employment tribunal?

I know unions don't like it but I would seek solicitor advice as well. It may be better to leave on a compromise agreement with a good payout for your mental health, or to take the out of court settlement. I am hearing tribunal processes that started recently are predicted to take three or four years to settle.

What do you really want out of them?

@Iwillneverbesatisfied, it sounds a hellish place to work full of absolutely horrible people .

My union have said they will try to get me an exit package of around 12-18 months, which will be £40-60,000. (my salary is just over £30,000) DH says that's nowhere near enough. He fears it will run out before I find anything else. Union have said there's no guarantee I will even get such a package and that this would be a good one. Being disabled in this climate really limits my chances of finding anything else though so its a huge risk to take. Me and DH arguing as he wants me to stay for the job security and regular income.

No date yet for tribunal. everything on hold due to Covid.

Gosh, I don't know but I'd be tempted to accept and strengthen myself up before a new job or retraining?
Do you have big financial committments?

How about a few sessions from a good counsellor to unpick some of the threads and find a way forward.

I have a mortgage with nearly £90,000 left to pay. I have a DD in early secondary. I have a car on high purchase to pay off. A student loan (as I was trying to get new qualifications to widen my options).

We have no savings. DH was made redundant a few years back and that used up all our savings until he found something else. I supported him. Now he doesn't want me to take any package that is less than what our mortgage is. I can kind of see where he's coming from because his redundancy was a shit time.

So if you accept 60k you willl have an outstanding mortgage of 30k?

Is that doable if you and partner find some kind of employment?

What would we live on as my wage pays for other things as well.

My anxiety is sky high as I don't know what to do

I think you should get advice from an experienced employment lawyer. Compensation for loss of earnings is based on an after tax amount. It’s really rare to get as much as 18 months and I’m afraid 90k is going to be very hard to achieve. I don’t know all the circumstances so it’s possible but settlements in that region are very rare and I think you have to be aware of that.

If your job is making you ill, I would get the best settlement offer you can be leave. You can get another job doing something even if it pays less. They have stopped paying you already and now they have given you poor performance reviews they can argue that they would have dismissed you anyway (which will affect the amount you are able to claim).

I've decided to take an exit package. Will be discussing it with my union and HR this week.

I'm relieved and scared at the same time - my disabilities will make it very hard to find anything else so I'm worried the money I'm offered will run out, but at the same time, I just can't stay there.

Sorry,I may have missed it,what age bracket are you in.

PTSD treatment is much less successful when the person is still involved with the root cause - it causes re-traumatisation and does not allow for phase 1, stabilisation to occur

This is my experience of PTSD. While I was still involved in the circumstances causing the PTSD I could not recover. Getting out was extremely difficult as you are experiencing too, but for different reasons, but it made all the difference for my recovery. It was like my body was screaming at me that I needed to get away from the “threats”.