Feel like I should definitely know this but I知 literally stumped.
I致e been having a nice old attack of the mentalz of late and I did get my medication increased without actually seeing a doctor so hopefully that will help but I know it値l take a wee while. In the interim I知 more unsafe than I致e honestly been in years and it has been suggested that I should attempt to actually get a face-to-face GP appointment and I知 now willing to try that but I知 not clear on what can be offered? Does anyone have any thoughts or things I could ask about?
Examples of things GP could do:
* Have regular appointments with you every few weeks to months so that a medical human is checking in with you and aware of your mental state. Especially while you are in an adjusting to new medication period.
* Refer you for an assessment with CMHT. Help if offered might have long waiting lists but it's a good to get on the books if you can.
* Let you know about local services your surgery may offer such as a counsellor, MH nurse or social prescriber. Or things such as charity crisis cafes/support lines (in my area we have one run by mental health matters that all the professionals seem to give out leaflets about).
* Refer you to the crisis team if you are feeling really unsafe.
* Help advocate for you with any services they refer you to.
Side note some employers offer a free Employee Assistance Programme that can offer 24 hour support and/or up to 6 sessions of counselling. Your union would probably know what is available to you.
A lot of GPs also have a mental health nurse ‘in house’ now which may be an option. This could provide emotional support as well as any ‘skillz’ stuff (if you think that would be helpful). Feel free to message me if you like!
Thank you so much both of you. I am going to give it a try.
My next debacle is that usually the only way to get an appointment at my surgery is to ring up on the day and that doesn't really work for me with my job. Options would be to ask if there are any advance appointments which could be weeks, take a day off in anticipation of making an on the day appointment or just call tomorrow morning and then tell my school I need to go for an appointment but I'm pretty sure that's not a thing. I also unfortunately have a slight problem with my employer at the moment so the less I have to speak to them or that they know, the better.
I don't know specifically what they can do other than they can't do anything if you never try.
Re taking off work and getting an appointment, if you are as unsafe as you are saying, I'd say take the day off in anticipation regardless. You've been pretty stressed for a while and time off even without an appointment might be good for you.
It's not your problem how they handle you not being there. That's their problem. And hopefully you can just say it's for medical reasons. Dunno about there but at least here they aren't allowed to ask specifics.
Please do not give me virtual hugs unless you are only using the hug function on threads. Thanks.
You can't always keep it separate.
This is happening, this is part of you.
Honestly Jenna, I think it's probably time to take a few days off. I know you're reluctant to and it's not an easy thing to do with your job but it very much sounds like you *need* a f2f appointment as a priority at this point, and frankly probably some genuine time off where you're not having to just do your job from home. I know that a GP note is something you would need to facilitate that.
I recently met my GP surgery mental health nurse and he seemed like a good person. I don't know how you feel about PRN but that's another short term thing they may be willing to explore while everything is so tough.
Sending love, I really hope you can put your needs first this time. I promise it's a good thing to do <3
'It's an impossible choice ... I'll just have to hope that when I flip the coin it somehow explodes and kills me.'
"You're not scared of climbing mountains. You're scared that you can't make them move."
Honestly Jenna, I think it's probably time to take a few days off. I know you're reluctant to and it's not an easy thing to do with your job but it very much sounds like you *need* a f2f appointment as a priority at this point, and frankly probably some genuine time off where you're not having to just do your job from home. I know that a GP note is something you would need to facilitate that.
I recently met my GP surgery mental health nurse and he seemed like a good person. I don't know how you feel about PRN but that's another short term thing they may be willing to explore while everything is so tough.
Sending love, I really hope you can put your needs first this time. I promise it's a good thing to do <3
I would echo the others. Take the time off and see your GP face to face. I don't know what they can do but it's worth finding out. In the meantime stay safe. If you can't, go to A&E or phone 111 or 999. A mental health emergency is an emergency.
Trust your judgement. You are thinking it's a might just be a good idea. Translated into normal speak "I really really need to speak to my gp just to see if there is anything they can do as I really will take anything"
Thank you muchly all. I saw a GP and he was super nice! Have agreed to take two days off, have been referred to some places and have some PRN. Obviously I now feel better and have convinced myself I shouldn't be off work but such is life. I'm back on Wednesday then I have a GP appointment afterwards so if it's all Very Bad when I go back to work I do have the option of getting signed off for a bit at the appointment so we shall see.
Well done for taking that step. I'm glad the GP was nice and put some things in place for you. Be honest about how things have been when you have your further GP appointment. I hope things improve for you soon.
I put it down on paper and then the ghost does not ache so much.
Don't try to calm the storm, calm yourself, the storm will pass.
Well done, glad the GP appointment went well and some positive steps have been taken. Hope today back at work has gone ok or if not that appointment with GP helps.
You seem sceptical about the whole feeling better while off so must be fine/ shouldn't be off work thing. Do you think being off work has been the helpful bit or getting a plan in place or both?
Hey Jenna, I'm really glad the GP was nice and that you were able to take a couple of days off at least. How are you doing now? How did it go being back at work? I hope you're managing to take good care of yourself and give yourself some of the kindness you show everyone else!
"I know you're sad, so I won't tell you to have a good day. Instead, I advise you to simply have a day.
Stay alive, feed yourself well, wear comfortable clothes, and don't give up on yourself just yet.
It'll get better. Until then, have a day."
Jen, i think just being heard and not dismissed honestly did make the difference. I guess extra sleep when i was off didn’t do any harm either!
Back at work was OK I guess (do you use your real name on here Serendipity?). In some ways the routine and the good bits really do help. I’m still feeling so rough though but I’ve started getting spectacular night sweats and am taking that as a sign that the venlafaxine increase will soon be affecting my mood as well as my sweating :P. Also yesterday’s GP seemed pretty nonchalant about my plan of adding in mirtazapine if given time the venlafaxine doesn’t do the trick and I was worried that they’d not be chill about that!
Bloody boss has summoned me for a srs bsns meeting and I’m seriously pissed about it and a lot of stuff about work but also whatever, I know I can look after myself in those kind of situations and if they do have nefarious intentions like my last workplace, they will not succeed.
A local charity I was referred to contacted me today and the lady was super-nice and is going to let me know after speaking to her manager about offering me an appointment so hopefully that will come to something.
Credit where it’s due, I’ve seen a fair few professionals over the last week and all of them have been really decent despite me being defensive and cagey because of previous experiences. I feel really lucky in that regard.
Sorry, bit of a feelingz dump there.
Last edited by Pi.R^2 : 09-02-2023 at 10:46 PM.
Reason: Poor paragraph separation. Ain’t nobody got time for dat.
I hope that the meeting with your boss goes OK and they are not going to be shitty. It's so rubbish that a good experience with professionals around mental health is uncommon enough to be a nice surprise, but I'm glad you have been treated with respect and that they are willing to rocket fuel you if needed.
Please make sure you continue to care for yourself as you do others, and give yourself permission to take some of the pressure off at least for a bit <3
'It's an impossible choice ... I'll just have to hope that when I flip the coin it somehow explodes and kills me.'
"You're not scared of climbing mountains. You're scared that you can't make them move."
All good! The increased venlafaxine has done the trick.
I missed a phone appointment from a charity (partly I’m forgetful but also it would have been nice if my phone had actually notified me of the call) and when I called back to apologise they said someone would be in touch to rearrange, which they weren’t but I’m ok with that as I really don’t think I need suicide prevention support anymore. I also have a (what I call) assessment with the weirdass MH alliance that exists in my area which seems to contain the CMHT at the end of the month which I need to decide whether to attend or cancel. I told my GP I’d discuss it with Lio actually and I’ve absolutely not done that yet!
I know you didn’t ask for opinion but I’m gonna give it anyway! I think you should still go, so at least then you can make a more educated decision and even if the time is not right now in terms of your needs, at least you’d know again in the future.
