(((((((TJ)))))))

We spend such a long time at work, so whatever c**p happens there affects our mental health. One of the things that pushed me into long term sick leave was the constant threat of re-organisation / redundancy. I just couldn't deal with all the second hand anxiety on top of my own problems. Where I work is a multi-agency team, there are three people employed by the council and about 20 employed by other organisations. Some of the employers are great about supporting their staff, no-one gave a stuff about my two colleagues and me. Anyhow, bizarrely going on long term sick has protected me because Occupational Health have said my illness should be regarded as a disability and the sickness absence can't be counted against me when looking for redundancies. I'm not sure how I feel about calling depression a disability though, instinctively it seems wrong.

Getting secretive quite a serious warning sign for me. I find that if I shut about things being bad people will assume I'm feeling better and they'll drop their guard and that opens up opportunities, I won't be anymore explicit about that. So even if all you can do is keep posting here then please do that. Please don't cut yourself off from your wife, she sounds like a rock for you.

My brother told me that my nephew has developed an interesting coping technique, it involves throwing an axe at the lawn. My bro said he tried it and found it extraordinarily satisfying. Do you have an axe & a lawn? Sadly I've paving so even with an axe the effect would be somewhat different.