Hi
Has anyone got experience of this? I'm on Universal Credit in the looking for work category but after a lot of stressful events in the last 6 months ending in getting ill 6 weeks ago I've realised Im not very well, mentally. Well I've known that for a while really as I experienced domestic abuse from my husband and we fled the family home during lockdown. Thing is I think I've been running on autopilot for a long time, since then, lots of court and admin to sort out and I think the adrenaline has kept me going. But I need the merrygoround to stop now otherwise Im not sure whats going to happen, I feel very unwell and as if Im going to breakdown any minute. I can hardly function at the moment. I am alreay on antidepressants and HRT as I am menopausal but feel that its not pills I need but some proper therapy/counselling for trauma. Im experiencing panic attacks, can't go out, anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks, crying all the time, not sleeping, eating badly, brain feels like it has shutdown.
When the stuff with domestic abuse was sorted (although it is never sorted with domestic abuse and he continues his stupid behaviour from a distance through the children) I had to deal with illness in my family, and then our pet died, and then I was ill. I think because i had to stop because I was ill and went to bed for 10 days I suddenly realised i was not in a good place mentally. It might sound a bit extreme but I feel like I'm having a nervous breakdown, burn out or something, I've never felt like this before. I just can't cope with anything all of a sudden. Nothing, I wander about the house, doing nothing, I'm not cooking, cleaning, shopping, everything has suddenly got on top of me. I've been trying to get counselling for ages for trauma after being diagnosed through the NHS with c-PTSD over 18 months ago. I did trauma-focussed CBT with them but it made it much much worse. Then I was on wait list with a DA organisation for counselling through them and after 6 months it started but it was very erratic as the counsellor kept on either being late, or not turning up, or changing days at the last minute, and after about 8 sessions - over 9 months - I decided it was making me even worse so I said "Thank you, but no thank you" to it. Beggars can't be choosers when you're in my position I know, but I just couldn't continue.
I've let UC work coach know I'm not functioning but they are really putting on the pressure to find work. I got a fit note for being ill for last 6 weeks but theyve made an appointment for the day it expires. They have also sent me a note saying I am being sent a work capability questionnaire. My question is, does anyone have experience of this for mental health? What does it involve? How will i get them to understand? What is the interview like? It says it will be in person IF they decide from the questionnaire I qualify to be assessed. Is there anything else you can advise I need to do or say to get understood and believed. I feel that they might not take me seriously as I am very high functioning generally and they might just look at me and say she's fine.
Any advice? Feeling a bit desperate as I've got no family, no friends (DA isolated me) and Im struggling with the cost of living crisis at the moment as well. I do want to work and have every intention of working but I feel I need to get well before I can do that.
Thanks if you've got this far. x