Worried to hell and back

[SirensPoison]

I had an assessment a few months ago for my depression and anxiety etc.. long story short they said i am fit to work, which i am not. Have a tribunal coming up (on my fricking birthday) and i am just soo worried that they will still tell me that i am fit to work. Since the assessment i have been put on a higher dosage of antidepressants, self harmed and all that fun stuff. I just dont know what i'm going to do if they still say i'm fit for work. Just want to throw myself off of a bridge

[sarahannsmith_1984]

do u have anyone who knows u and sees u on a daily basis? they can go with u to the tribunal and give evdience on how they see how each of your mental health issues/disabilities or health problems effect u daily which may give them more evidence to say your not fit to work

[SirensPoison in reply to sarahannsmith_1984]

Yeh i live with my grandma and boyfriend who are coming with me

[Leese16]

Hi! It is so **** the way these forms are set up. Its always more about physical health than mental health. Do you have a gp or mental health worker who could help you? You could get advice ftom a citizens advice bureau or a disability advisor? As the last reply said, going with family members is best because they live through this with you. You could maybe keep a diary tracking how youve been feeling and what youve not been able to do etc etc. Always base these things on your worst ever day. You could also say that the stress of this whole process is making you worse. Its so unfair for people with mental health issues cos its not always something you can see like a brokenleg or something. Hope everything goes ok for you xx

[SirensPoison in reply to Leese16]

Very well said, I dont live with my mum and she doesnt understand what i go through every day.. and i have a memory of a fish

[MAS_Nurse]

Hi SirensPoison, I am sorry you are going through this. It must be very difficult for you. Sarahannsmith_1984 and Leese16 have posted some very good advice. MIND, the Mental Health Charity also has some helpful information mind.org.uk. Please continue to post on the forum for support. Best wishes.

[SirensPoison]

I also have no idea how long it will take to get the result of said tribunal, i thought i would hear about it on the same day and was like yay great another crappy birthday, but my grandma said maybe they're doing it then because they want to give me good news

[sarahannsmith_1984 in reply to SirensPoison]

once they have read the evdidence from your drs/specialists. heard from you and your patner they usually send u out to wait and then someone calls u back in then they give u the descion based on what they've read and heard.

[Hidden]

What age are you? I think some of the these assessments depends on your age. I'm 57 & got my esa50 form & sent it on a Wednesday & received result on Tuesday saying I was awarded esa I rang them & they said it was for 3 years. They couldn't have contacted my doctor for a letter as it was less than a week from start-finish. I suffer depression, paranoid schizophrenia,epilepsy & Crohn's disease. I hope you are successful in your claim. Sam.

[SirensPoison in reply to Hidden]

Heya, im going to be 25 in a few weeks but have been suffering long term and have only got worse

[Florida1959]

Take someone with you, who knows you, so often at these things we can’t soeak etc, so try to take someone who sees you on a regular basis. Maybe a mental health worker, good luck, tc x

[salfnd]

Mental health is so misunderstood sadly still to this day. God knows what sort of job they think your be able to do then if they say your be Fit for work. Try not to worry over this because your just making yourself worse, yes i know easier said done. Im glad your taking your Grandma and Boyfriend with you, im wondering if they could write a letter about how they feel your DEPRESSION affects you on an hourly , daily basis, because having depression our mood changes so quickly, so that might help if they both but it down how they both see you in their own minds and their worries for you if you were sent back to work. Can i ask if you still self harm? Because this could just get even worse which isnt going to be any good at all. I wish you all the luck and i hope you get the answer you truly deserve .. xx

[SirensPoison in reply to salfnd]

That's a really good idea, will pass that one on, And yeh i have started self harming again cos of all this

[Sarah1111111]

Just to give the complete opposite view, I found going back to work, although really really tough did in the long run help me. It was so difficult I wanted to give up on it at times and just accept that I wasn't fit to work but I pushed myself and now I can see that it was the right thing to do. I feel I have a purpose in life from working and it means I get out the house every day and chat to people. Might be worth giving work a go say for a year just to see how you get on - you might surprise yourself. You have to be committed to doing it and challenging yourself but it might work out well. You are so young it would be a shame if you believe that you have nothing to offer the world. I am sure that you have so many skills waiting to be discovered. What job would you like to do if you were feeling up to it?

[SirensPoison in reply to Sarah1111111]

I have no idea what i want to do to be honest, I have worked before and got made redundant which opened the flood gates to depression

[Sarah1111111 in reply to SirensPoison]

that's tough - its so hard when you are made redundant. perhaps this is an opportunity to find something you love and try and get a job in that some how? it must be really hard to go back to work after being made redundant as it knocks your confidence even if you didn't get depression. I hope your family can help support you if the outcome is that you need to go back to work. If not then maybe give volunteer work a go and see how you get on - then you can chose your hours and try it out without the commitment of a job. let us know how you get on.