ive been signed off for the last 14 weeks i'm signed off sick til today i cant face work :(

[dressedupnowheretogo]

do i give up the ghost accept defeat and hand my notice in

if i do can i claim incapacity benefit ???

and jobseekers or one or the other ???

i dont know what to for the best regards work

i feel im being a bit unfair im part of a team and i feel im letting the side down i've arranged to go in unpaid so i dont have to actually deal with clients

i feel i should be back at work but im not ready

any advice tia

new to mumsnet. Why have you been off for 14 weeks?

Lots of people can't face work but the longer you put it off the harder it will get.

What is the underlying problem ?

I agree with fed up. It only gets harder the longer you have been out. Based on people I have known, I don't think you ever feel ready to go back when it's stress. I think you go back and then start to feel better.

Is it work causing the stress. Can you change things - your workload, your job, your department?

Sorry, meant to start that comment with 'Is it stress related'. Just read it back and it makes no sense without that question at the start!

Why are you off?

Usually, the statutory length of sickness before action can be taken by your employers is 26 weeks.

Unless something comes to light sooner that suggests that you are falsify your sickness claim (eg off with a bad back but seen by another employee/manager to be playing golf etc).

Generally speaking, if you cant face work then dont work. Or, find yourself another job.

The thing is that you are more employable if you are already in a job so if you hate the role and want to find alternative work then although it's not pleasant you are best to go back and jobhunt whilst still employed.

hi its anxiety based
dont know what started it but im struggling with everything

im a hairdresser so i have to deal with the public and a big team

work have arranged dropped hours when salon is quietest ie no saturdays

but everytime i get to work to do work i freak out i had two panis attacks in thirty minutes last time

im okish if im visting bt the very idea of going and touching paying clients is freaking me out
im ont even able to do hair at home really

i did my mn friend at the weekend and that took me a good 45 mins longer than normal coz i was double checking and double checking and i felt hot and sick the whole time

i love my job bt i dont know what to do

sorry if im rambling but im finding this realy hard

are you taking medication? have you asked your GP to be referred for counselling?

So, the GP has signed you off. I think that is appropriate. Try not to worry about letting the team down. If you are ill you are ill.

What else is the GP doing for you? Are you on medication, or have you been referred for counselling?

yes i started on 20 mg of paroxtine then they changed it 20 mg of fluoextine and now they have doubled it to 40 mg of fluoextine

i asked abot conselling but my gp dismissed it thiought it was more important to double my dose

I think you need to go back and asked for counselling, or perhaps CBT?

fluoxetine is prozac, yes? I thought citalopram was used more when anxiety is the primary symptom. you do need to get teh medication right, but get ref for counselling asap (it may take a while) as the two together work better than in isolation

Worrying that you are letting people down will only make things worse! Do you think if you gave up your job you would be relieved, do you have to work, can you be without a job for a while until you sort out how you feel and what you want to do. Life is too short to worry yourself silly. Concentrate on getting youself feeling better.

yes im on prozac

i thought that too about the citolpram

i did ask about conselling i will ask again when i go to gp on monday cant go befor ethen coz i dont want to see the gp i did last week i find him an arse to be honest who doesnt take me seriously

You need to push GP's sometimes. Perhaps you can take a friend or relative along with you, who understands how you have been suffering. They will help ensure that you arent brow-beaten by a couldnt-care-less GP.

Hi there, I know totally how it feel (the work part) I have been signed off work since the middle of May and only two days ago was certed fit to return noxt Monday. I'm dreading it but I know I have to go back. I was also given AD's by the GP but I asked to be taken off them as I felt emotionally restrained on them - like I wanted to cry my eyes out but couldn't.

A few weeks ago he referred me to a pychotherapist and it is the best thing I have ever done in my life. I am finding a true sense of 'ME' and beginning to understand how different things in my past are impacting on my emotions and general funtionality today. I know everyone is different so I am in no way saying this is what you need to do but I would definately tell you to think about it.

I wish you the very best of luck. Take care
Abs

my spelling was terrible in that last post, sorry.

thank you abs

I was on prozac for the same sort of problems, I was off work for 5 months in total and going back was hard. I found that the prozac actually made me worse. I went back to GP and was put on a different ad and reffered for councelling. I feel a lot better now and am back at work on reduced hours and in a slightly different role where I do not have as much contact with the public. I think you need to go back to the GP and tell him that the tablets are not working for you could you try citalopram or sertraline and some councelling.

Welcome, take care

I thought the tricyclic anti-depressants were better for anxiety as they sedate you.

14 weeks isn't that long, my colleague was off for a year. Don't rush. A stepped or phased return can be helpful

dressedup it is good work are staggering your return, coming in quiet times etc, but from what you have said I'm not sure whether you are ready to go back yet. Ribena is right, often in these situations you start to feel better when you get there, and do it ever so gradually, but on the other hand if it's going to make you worse, maybe it's not time yet?
It sounds as though your GP is a bit rubbish, I agree with others that you need to push your GP as I think you would benefit from seeing a counsellor or some sort of specialist of some kind, who will know exactly how this kind of thing affects people in the work place and the best ways to deal with it to facilitate return to work (which is the best thing if possible).
Or could you see another GP, is there another one at your practice you could see?