Posted by deirdrehbrt on December 3, 2003, at 23:10:31
In reply to Losing control of life - struggling at work, posted by Wildflower on December 3, 2003, at 10:53:58
Wildflower,
I truly feel for you, I know how stressfull that can be. I don't think that there is any answer that can fit everyone's situation though.
About a year and a half ago, I was working as an engineer. I had just been through a divorce. After a suicide attempt, I was hospitalized. I got back to work, and three days later I was laid off. It was an honest thing, they laid off my entire department.
Shortly after that (real big surprise here) I made another attempt, and went to the hospital again. When I got back, I started to see a local psychiatrist. (My former employer was fantastic in that they kept my insurance coverage for a while.) He suggested that I not look for another job, and file for SSDI.
Being considered legally disabled was a huge blow to me. I had lost my job, I lost my ability to work, and after some psychotic symptoms (hallucinations), I no longer drive.
I know though, that this won't always be the case. I have a number of different diagnoses, and they won't all last forever. The DID, and BPD will go away, or at least be something that I can learn to handle with consistent work and following the exercises, etc. that my therapist recommends.
I'm also bipolar. That won't go away, but if I watch my symptoms and keep taking my meds, it probably won't rear it's ugly head.
So.... what am I saying? I guess this: Follow the advice of your professionals; if they tell you it's time to take a break, then give that serious consideration.
Let your boss know that the appointments are not optional, but maybe you could come to a compromise; is there a therapist close to where you work. If there is, (unless you've a lot of time invested with the current one) then maybe you could have your therapy while taking less time off of work. I used to have an appointment before work. That might not work for everyone, as sometimes you can be upset when you leave, but it might be worth considering.
There is an awfull lot to think about, but let your boss know that you are working on the problem. That way, you acknowledge to your boss that you've heard his concern, and you are doing something about it. If his problem is just the hours away from work, maybe you can arrange to make up the hours on another day. If he is upset about breaking up your day, then maybe the appointment can be moved.
I think that the only serious trouble is when the manager informs you of a concern, and his concern is ignored. If you had to take say one two days off per week, they that probably can't be resolved, but if you work with your manager you can work it out.
I have a friend, that for quite a few months, lost a great deal of time. Her psychiatrist wrote to her employer, explaining her condition, the accomodations that were needed, and the expected duration. Her employer made those accomodations, the correct regimen of meds was found, and she still has her job.
It can be done, but I think you really need to keep your employer in the loop.
The last thing is to remember that your health is the first thing. If your job is getting in the way of getting better, you're not doing anyone a favor by continuing. Likewise, leaving a job when you don't really need to can cause it's own problems.
Please take care and do the right thing for you. I'm certain that you can figure it out.
Dee.
poster:deirdrehbrt
thread:286200
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20031124/msgs/286398.html