What happens when you go off with stress?

[Nintendogal]

If I go to the GP and say I need ot go off work with stress, what will they do? How long will they sign me off for and how often do they review it? Will they just believe me and let me self manage it or will they want all the detail?

I feel like I need at least 2 months off to get my head in a better place. Can I say this or will they just sign me off for a week at a time and I will have to keep justifying it?

Also OP you don’t have to disclose to anyone here why you need it off. I describe mine as ‘stress’ but it was a combination of my life had totally fallen apart for various unbelievably dreadful reasons and I was struggling to do my job. Thankfully I had a female manager who I had disclosed everything to. Hence why I got HR backing.

And unless your are the thread police I suggest you mind your own business. In will post what I like where I like. This is a public forum and I have not broken any posting guidance. I answered the question that was asked as it was asked and will not be bullied by people who think they have a right to dictate the answers given. I didn't ask the OP to explain anything here. They said they didn't want to have to explain or justify their reasons to the GP but wanted a two months sick note without having any treatment or anything else because they would "self manage". Perhaps you think that doctors and employers are amenable to lengthy absences on the sick without any explanation, which is exactly what the first post said, but in the real world they are not. Had the OP said that they had discussed it with their employer, and that the employer was supportive, then the response would have been different. I won't apologise for not being a mind reader.

@Quveas I presume that the intent of your post was to help me - as I'm not sure why else you would respond to a post like this.

If you intended to help, I appreciate that, but at this point your comments are no longer adding anything helpful so I'd request that you leave it now.

If you weren't trying to help, then I am wondering why you are here, and would also request that you leave.

Thank you @Whatonearthisgoingonnnn that is good advice to allow yourself to do things that actually help rather than holing up at home. Glad to hear your employer was supportive, that is so important and I am lucky with mine as well. I hope you are feeling better.

I’m a completely different person now. I actually did leave the job I went off sick from because after having time off I just knew if I went back I’d end up back where I was, it wasn’t the cause of my breakdown but it was definitely a factor in it. Equally they were fine with this as they understood. You have to do what’s right for you and it took me a long time to gain the strength to understand this. I’m just over 2 years on from it, new job (well almost 2 years in!) and thriving

But yes - get out in the fresh air, go for lunches, get your hair done, whatever makes you feel better. Being off work with stress/depression or anything mentally related is absolutely more of a reason to do so.

Hope you feel better soon OP! Huge hugs! You’re doing completely the right thing for you.

@Quveas OK well that's answered my query and it's clear the intent of your posts isn't to help me in any way.

I have no idea why you are on this thread bashing down a person who is so unwell that they are having to take a substantial chunk of time out of work.

Thanks for the kind words @Whatonearthisgoingonnnn It's great that it enabled you to change your job to something that works much better for you. I will definitely try to work in some of those suggestions too.