Basically, my doctor and the mental health practitioner that I saw yesterday have said that I should take time off of work to 'recover' due to the spiral down I've been suffering from the last few months. The wife has joined the band wagon and suggested it too... all of them saying that my health and well being is more important than work.

This is all good and well but not very practical. I certainly can't do it this week (I'm the only bugger in my office doing work as everyone else is either on annual leave or ill themselves (flu?)).

Sure, if I get a sick note.. and say take a week? 2 weeks? longer than that? what good is it going to actually do? Will I suddenly feel well again because I'm sitting on my tod at home twiddling my thumbs? Isn't that just going to add to stress when I get back due to a build up in paperwork that I'll have to deal with on my return?

I bit the bullet and took this problem to my boss (financial director), who I do get on with quite well... but he's not exactly comfortable with chats about MH (isn't an arse about it.. but I can see him start to fidget and look a bit uncomfortable). Told him what I've been advised and laid out my concerns which he took on board. Put his 'director' hat on (metaphorically speaking) and said that 1st off my health comes first, they can't sack me for being ill. That yes, he too understands what I mean by being ill and does being at home do any good? and that 1-2 weeks would be doable... but if it was to be like 4 weeks+ then that would start to impact on the business (my job isn't hard exactly, but it's time consuming and has a direct impact on the companies cash flow)... mentioned about having to get temp cover... but I could tell that there would be other implications in this (my mind kept shouting 'made redundant').

So yeah... I'm to talk to my Dr again (as per my bosses advice) and see what they mean precisely before making a decision and then let him know.

Meh, has anyone else faced these problems?