Doctor refusing to give sick note, need some help/advice

[Rroff]

The beauty of a "mental health" issue like depression is that you can control exactly when that healing begins.

Not really - if you have a mental health issue where you don't even have a process to deal with a situation that most people commonly can deal with naturally you can't just snap out of it. You need to build a mechanism to deal with it and that takes a lot to overcome even with help from a professional and the initial barrier can seem insurmountable when you can't see what is beyond it - can't even conceptualise what you need to aim for to overcome it.

 

[.Lethal]

Why does everybody seem to have some kind of depression or anxiety these days?

I'm sure most people need to just snap themselves out of it (exception for people with depression due to lack of serotonin or other chemicals, but even then the drugs won't be enough on their own. Will power is needed)

I think social media and greater awareness have contributed to this being heard of more frequently.

I have no trouble believing the OP has an anxiety problem that has got out of control. There is nothing strange about people being depressed or anxious, those are normal human conditions.

What is abnormal is that we now have a culture that encourages people to wallow in their depression and anxiety, rather than overcome it. This is because it allows people to excuse their faults and failings, which is easier and more comfortable. When your life isn't going in the right direction, you can just blame some bogus medical issue and woosh, all sense of responsibility is gone.

And of course the medical professionals and pharma are more than happy to perpetuate this culture of lies in order to line their pockets.

Nobody encourages people to be miserable, many mental health facilities are strained and unable to give proper help to those that need it. These people want to help those who are unhappy, medication is a last resort after CBT therapy, one on one meetings and group discussion.

With regards to the comment about excusing faults and failings, generally speaking its the opposite, you'll find those who suffer from depression put themselves down to much and self criticize which is one of the biggest challenges when trying to get over it.

Call me cynical but there's probably more to this than op is making out. I don't see why the doctor wouldn't give you a sick note if you had a genuine reason.

It could also be that the Dr in question is taking this case personally rather than dealing with it professionally. Generally when you see threads like this I wouldn't want to make the OP feel worse by raising personal doubt in the off chance that it makes them feel worse than they already do.

 

[meh?]

I have suffered from anxiety for year's, it's not nice and I wouldn't wish it on my worse enemy. I was bullied at school which caused it.

Fast forward to now I'm 30, crappy job but brilliant people. I got signed off work at the end of August with really bad anxiety which has come on for no apparent reason after being anxiety free for a number of years. I have just been to the docs for my med review with a view to going back to work a couple of days a week.

The best way to beat anxiety I found was to talk to people and open up to them, lay everything on the table so to speak, medication helps but after talking to the right people I'm slowly lowering my medication.

One last thing.... Sorry but the doc is right you have to face your fears otherwise you will never get over them. Start of slow tho don't rush it. Set your self targets like walking to the shops etc.

Sorry for my life story

 

[Rroff]

I think social media and greater awareness have contributed to this being heard of more frequently.

There seems to be a certain type of people who hide behind it (who probably don't suffer from it but talk themselves into believing they do) when life gets less than cuddly and easy. Worked with a few who over the years who as soon as they actually have to do some real work *bam* signed off for 6 months with "depression and anxiety" and you can see it coming a mile off after awhile.

(While I might be doing some of them an injustice I'm fairly sure most of them haven't suffered from real depression a day in their life).

 

[.SJ]

I've worked in a supermarket for nearly 10 years. I have anxiety and depression. Working helps a bit but it sure as hell won't "fix" you.

I finally got the courage to see my Dr about three years ago and have been on Sertraline ever since.

 

[Upgrade]

I've worked in a supermarket for nearly 10 years. I have anxiety and depression. Working helps a bit but it sure as hell won't "fix" you.

I finally got the courage to see my Dr about three years ago and have been on Sertraline ever since.

Thing is, ever since being on Sertraline, my anxiety has been worse. It's been over 6 months being on it and feels like it's doing nothing.

 

[.Lethal]

There seems to be a certain type of people who hide behind it (who probably don't suffer from it but talk themselves into believing they do) when life gets less than cuddly and easy. Worked with a few who over the years who as soon as they actually have to do some real work *bam* signed off for 6 months with "depression and anxiety" and you can see it coming a mile off after awhile.

(While I might be doing some of them an injustice I'm fairly sure most of them haven't suffered from real depression a day in their life).

Yeah for sure there will always be a small number who will try to take advantage of something.

 

[Eurofighter]

Depression won't be helped by sitting at home all day. I do have anxiety though and wss getting panic attacks. I couldn't do my job as I couldn't even sit at my desk and it has slowly got better by being off work. I have been off for nearly a year now but I also have schizophrenia. Looking forward to starting driving again and working. disability benefit is not as good as the money I was on previously.

If you are honestly ill then speak to a different doctor, increase your meds, do cbt and get a sick note. If you can then get a job.

 

[RoyMi6]

I've love to hear the other side of this story...

But yeah, if you feel like you're not getting the fair go that you deserve, get a second opinion.

 

[dirtybeatfreak]

I don't regard them as being the same at all, but since you do, let us move forward with the analogy: At some point, the persons legs will heal and they will undergo physical therapy to help them walk again. Is that not the same as walking it off?

The beauty of a "mental health" issue like depression is that you can control exactly when that healing begins.

Well yea, but until the leg is healed, you wouldn't tell someone to walk it off, that was my point, and you knew that. OP is clearly still having issues so telling him/her to 'get a grip' is exactly what you are doing, hence my analogy.

It's just not as simple as you seem to think it is. Yes there are medicines, therapies and methods for beating depression/anxiety, but it is not as clear cut as just doing these things. There are too many variables that can change how it needs to be treated and why it happened in the first place, the mind is a great deal more complex than a broken leg.

 

[drunkenmaster]

I don't regard them as being the same at all, but since you do, let us move forward with the analogy: At some point, the persons legs will heal and they will undergo physical therapy to help them walk again. Is that not the same as walking it off?

The beauty of a "mental health" issue like depression is that you can control exactly when that healing begins.

First, wow, you literally have absolutely no clue at all what you are talking about.

Second, a broken leg doesn't just heal, it needs fixing first, it needs medical intervention. Broken legs before medicine and without the knowledge to reset the bone led to death. Even resetting the bone in many cases isn't enough to heal fully hence a lot of broken bones are operated on and held in place with screws so that is does heal correctly.

You can't choose to control when healing begins, the brain is infinitely more complex than a broken bone and while we have an almost complete understanding on how to mend broken bones we haven't obtained anywhere near the level of knowledge required to fix mental health issues. Depression itself can prevent you via it's symptoms from seeking health. The attitude of ridiculous uninformed people like you have for decades prevented people from seeking help as well.

Most people who go the pill route end up trying many combinations of pills over the course of potentially decades before they find one that works for them, largely because brain chemistry is incredibly complex and how a drug affects people changes from one person to the next. Some of the pills make people MUCH worse, many of the pills have significant side effects.

When you don't know what in the hell you're talking about, and make no mistake you haven't got the slightest clue, running around giving awful advice is harmful, not helpful.

 

[dirtybeatfreak]

Well said drunkenmaster, exactly what I wanted to say but I am awful at explaining myself.

 

[balky12]

I think social media and greater awareness have contributed to this being heard of more frequently.

I would argue it's also probably the cause as well. People always showing off on social media, boasting, putting up pictures of all the fun things they do. Some people may then interpret that their lives are amazing compared to theirs, not realising that they probably have bad times to, just don't upload that into social media.

This in turn brings about depression.

 

[jumpy]

The beauty of a "mental health" issue like depression is that you can control exactly when that healing begins.

In a manner of speaking - Generally someone who is having problems has to actually want to get better. All of the external help in the world will be a waste of time if the individual does not wish to make use of it.

Part of the problem is that it's very difficult to get someone to follow your lead to help them to get better. If they don't want it for themselves you're wasting your time.

 

[CREATIVE!11]

Call me cynical but there's probably more to this than op is making out. I don't see why the doctor wouldn't give you a sick note if you had a genuine reason.

Once they've exhausted all treatment options they think they can offer they could just technically say get work. Some of Doctors I've seen have seen are genuinely disconnected from things.

CBT is great OP but again lasts what a few weeks? what you need is counselling to break down each issue and get to root cause.

Problem is these kind of treatments are not offered so you end up doped up on a ****** drug going in circles. I was on citalopram until recently and just got off it. I can't be arsed any more... it doesn't fix ****.

 

[Cold_And_Miserable]

Thing is, ever since being on Sertraline, my anxiety has been worse. It's been over 6 months being on it and feels like it's doing nothing.

Seek out a private psychiatrist and get them to prescribe nardil MAOI's.

 

[deusexlumina]

removed.

 

[adambro47]

1st off try and get another Dr . Im under a mental health Social worker as well as my GP for Anxiety they are handy to have around for that extra support i need , they also managed to write a supporting letter for my ESA claim and got me straight into the support group, now im not faced with the terrifying trip into town for signing on etc.

 

[Destination]

I'm on medication (sertraline 100mg) and I've went to therapy and then CBT. It seems like she's out of options to help me further, so she's basically stopping the sick notes and telling me to try find work.

What does your psychiatrist say?