Mental health reasonable adjustments question

[MarmadukeM]

Hiya I was after some advice from people with long term heath conditions who have asked for reasonable adjustments and what exactly that looks like.
I am a nurse at a GP surgery and I have bipolar disorder which is normally really well controlled. Unfortunately I had a lot of stuff happen over last year or so and it resulted in me having a really sudden and severe depressive episode early August which with hindsight was developing over a period of about 6 months but I never saw the signs.
so I have done 3 weeks back at work phased but it’s already impacting me as I have been stressed, partly from the nature of the job (patients can be quite rude and demanding— which I can’t do much about lol). But also it’s the relentless workload. It’s one in one out and you can run late and that’s also stressful. Despite my supposed decreased workload (linger appt slots as part of the phased return) a colleague rang in sick last week so they halved some of my slots and put her patients in so some of the appointments weren’t even the full length they should’ve been, never mind longer.
I know as phased return I can ask for longer slots etc but once I am fully ‘back’ an I able to request say a few 10 min break slots to allow me to catch my breath? We used to get a coffee break but they have taken that off us so it is non stop now 😖
I don’t want them to think I’m lazy (I’m anything but!) but I’m already not sleeping well and have increasing anxiety from being stressed and I don’t want to go back off sick… I am not really wanting to ask for special treatment but I’ve got to be sensible here and I think the last few nights of not sleeping well feel a bit like the canary in the coal mine as an indicator of mental health slipping 🙁

I haven't been through this but wanted to say I'm sorry you're having such a tough time. It's really good you're aware that you might be slipping backwards - it can be so hard to recognise until you're deep in it.

Your work won't want you to struggle so I'd recommend being honest with them sooner rather than later about how you're doing so they can help make some changes before it gets worse.

In the meantime, try and improve your sleep. Everything is much harder on bad sleep.

Good luck OP 🍀

Have you tried phenergan antihistamine for the sleep? It was one of fhe options my psychiatrist recommended and it’s changed my life. My bipolar is really impacted by even one night’s bad sleep and now I get a good 6-8 hours uninterrupted.

I can’t help with the work, as I was diagnosed later in life and was already working very part time when I had my only episode of hypomania and I never managed to get back to work. Any attempt to go back to work sent my mind racing and I took early retirement.

It is so hard having a condition where you’re told you need to reduce stress as much as possible. Do you think a job change would work? Front line NHS is always going to be very stressful. Would something that is still nursing but more 1-2-1 care where you build relationships with individuals work better? Or the private sector, where you’ll get more time per client?

Thanks for the replies, @PorkPieForStarters I am going to doesn’t them tomorrow and be honest about how I’m finding it.
I am doubting whether I even want to work in nursing anymore, but when you’re been unwell I know it’s not the time for rash decisions.
@SwirlingOctoberEmotions im already in quetiapine, pregabalin, Vortioxetine and mirtazipine so theoretically I should be zonked out lol but no! I totally get what you mean about the dress from work getting you in a whirl, that’s how I was feeling last week 😖

I would say that it is much eaasier to manage someone taking an hour and a half off a week then slipping and needing a period of absence could you make up the time in another way.

@Eatinghurts to be fair they will prob be ok with me having some breaks and whatnot I just don’t like asking for it. But yeah it’s better I’m there some of the time than none of the time! X

Do they have OH or is it possible to have the conversation? 20 minutes extra breaks is there most of rather than some of the time

@Eatinghurts we don’t really have occ health as such. General practice is but different to the big NHS trusts but I think they have access to an external occ health if needed. I can just have a face to face chat and they will prob just say yes to me as it’s quite informal. Like when I worked for NHS trust the red tape was crazy if you even wanted to change your hours or whatever but where I am now they generally just say yes if they can make it work. I think it’s more how I feel in myself that’s the issue - I’m a people pleaser lol x

OP, I understand.

Are you a member of the RCN? They have a legal team.