Returning to a high stress job after anxiety leave

[Creativeworrier]

I have just been signed off for two weeks with crippling anxiety/panic/a bit of a breakdown. I work in a professional career which is known for being high-stress. Has anyone ever come back from this work-wise? I dont know if two weeks off is going to be sufficient. I'm physically shaking constantly and can't function properly at the moment, and the thought of my work is completely overwhelming.

This happened to me. It was awful. Two weeks was certainly not long enough in my case. You need to rest and to take the pressure off. I would bet you will need quite a bit longer off to recover. I hope your work is sympathetic op.

A friend of mine is currently going through the same thing. She’s taking at least 3 months off. Please try and do the same. 2 weeks off isn’t anywhere near enough time to fully switch off and recover.

Thank you. Work have been wonderful so far but I wonder if that will continue if I need further time off. I'm under 2 years service as well.

Can you break this down OP and identify the key points/aspects that are the most stress/anxiety to you. Separate what you do out into compartments and mentally address them individually, before going back and also when back and feeling overwhelmed.

I agree two weeks is unlikely to be sufficient time to recover. Three months is more like it.

Each line of work will be broadly the same wherever you go. Maybe a change of direction is something to aim for?

I have had a similar experience. I used to get signed off for 2 weeks at a time & would panic as the end of each 2 week period neared & I needed to get signed off again- so I got signed off for 4 weeks instead.

As i got better, that feeling stopped until I was totally ready to return.

1. you need longer
2. if not already accessed, medication to get you over this hump coupled with psychological help
3. a phased return to work
4. consider an alternative role

Two weeks absolutely won’t be enough. Having seen this in people months is not unrealistic and gently since work has created this breakdown and work isn’t going to change you probably won’t be able to go back either without seriously changes or leaving. The stress of keeping in touch is real and eventually it will come to a mutual parting.

I found I needed to shift my entire thinking. If no one will die if I make a bad decision then, in the scheme of things, it doesn’t matter. Working in a stressful and toxic environment (if you’re unsupported and not positioned to succeed then that’s a form of toxicity) means you can’t change the environment but you can change how you respond to it.

It’s highly likely that you will need longer than 2 weeks off but most GP seem to start with 2 weeks and go from there. I’ve been in a similar position and when I went back to my GP (before the end of the 2 weeks) I was signed off for a further 4 weeks. And it can go on from there depending on how you recover.

Be wary of going back before you are ready. I have made this mistake in the past and it just means that I end up going off again. So get help and support now and make sure you take the time you need.

Thank you all. I'm already acknowledging that a change of direction/career may be on the cards. Im just sad about that as I've worked very hard to get where I am. But health comes first.

There is no toxic environment, maybe a toxic industry and a failing public service aspect.

My DH was signed off for two weeks initially, which I think was more than anything a breathing space to try to decide what to do next.

Took him a week or so to become functional in terms of everyday life. Then we had a good think about his job and whether it was actually possible for him to function there given that the changes to his role which had led to the increase in stress were not going to go away.

Signed off for another two weeks during which time we decided he couldn't go back, and was then signed off for three months (a month at a time) to cover his notice. Started medication in this time.

That all started about five months ago. I've gone full time, he's not working and is doing all the kids/household stuff.

He wants to work again and he's starting to get frustrated but I don't think he's ready to go back to anything yet and he's pretty resigned to not going back to his previous profession. He's finally taken the decision to come off professional registers etc.

Give yourself as much time as you possibly possibly can.

What's happening to your work whilst off? Im in a high stress profession, if someone took time off for anxiety, it would be left to us to pick up their slack, increasing our risk of anxiety and burnout.

How long have you been there?

Are you suggesting she shouldn’t have taken time off? Because that’s how it comes across.

The employer is responsible for supporting their employees.

This feels irrelevant to what OP is asking for support with, and a bit of a dig, to be honest…

OP agree with others that you will need longer. Is there any talking therapy you can access through work? Coaching? You will need long term changes if you want to return but also as others say maybe career change as you can’t risk your health for a job. It’s tough I’m sorry

I’ve experienced something similar. It is definitely something you need to give yourself time to recuperate and switch off properly. There isn’t a set timescale for how long this will take but 2 weeks isn’t enough. In my experience GPs tend to sign you off for 2 weeks initially, so they can review you closely initially. I’ve known people who have gone back to work too soon in these cases and it’s never panned out well.
It really is a case of it takes as long as it takes.

I completely agree with @Itsbeenalongtimeincoming about the keeping in touch aspect. I had a particularly poor experience with this a few years ago and felt like I was being bulldozed. It prolonged my recovery and I went backwards. Lo and behold never returned to that job. There’s often a tendency for organisations to blindly follow absence processes. Everyone’s absence is different and it isn’t always appropriate to be insisting on weekly or daily calls during the first week (ridiculously common): if someone is absent from work because of stress or anxiety, you shouldn’t be insisting on them speaking to their manager every day!

I’m glad if the OP’s employer is being supportive. You have to put yourself first. Tune out for a bit and just do things for you.

It might not be a toxic environment but don’t underestimate the effects on your health. I changed direction after I started throwing up at work brought on by stress. Managers were asking me to go back following their procedures after my sick note ran out but I resigned as I knew fundamentally it wouldn’t change and after a few weeks I felt more myself and not overwhelmed.

You need more time off OP to get better and also to think about what you want to do long term once you can think clearly.

I had a complete breakdown about 3 years ago (I even had suicidal ideations and had to be under the care of the local mental health crisis team) and was off for almost 3 months.

In the end I left that job as it was contributing to the stress and my employer was not supportive. My health was important than staying in a toxic environment.

That is not the OP problem and frankly your comment is quite inappropriate.

She needs to prioritise her health.

Management needs to plan for and deal with staff absence.

Ignore myplumhelper - the impact on other staff is not your fault, it’s a management issue (also why are there so many usernames in this format of possessive adjective/colour/noun at the moment? It makes me think they are bots).

I was in your position about 18 months ago. I took a fortnight off (not enough), was promised change but it never materialised and management were increasingly chaotic. I took a demotion to a role in another team and although the pay cut wasn’t ideal, it gave me some breathing space to work out what I wanted to do next. No regrets. If you have the option to do this and can afford it, I’d highly recommend it.

I’m now looking to take a step up again but I have a much better idea of the kind of role I’d like.

I have just been through this. I have been off for 6 months. When I go back next month, I hope to have honest conversations with the managers and hope to see some improvement with the situation. If not, I'll be resigning.