Recently, I was asked to change my work hours from part-time to full-time in order to fill in for someone on maternity leave. I accepted. I wanted to see if I could work full-time again. The first 2 weeks went fine though I could feel fatigue - especially from the insomnia that I have most nights.

The third week, the fatigue got worse and by Friday I was exhausted and it showed in my work - errors were creeping in. On the day before, I had done work for 2 other attorneys and the work for the attorney I was working for fell behind. I did not manage to get a lot of rest over the weekend though I tried. Again, my CPTSD thoughts had increased, probably from fatigue. Maybe also because I had stopped therapy. My IBS problem had also been acting up too.

Today, I again made an error thought it was not terrible it pointed to a problem. Further, the attorney was condescending. When I got home, I noticed that my feet and legs were slightly swollen. (I had quadruple by-pass surgery 10 months ago.) Not a good sign physically. (Coincidentally, my cardiologist cancelled my appointment for a second time. I need to see her now, not later.)

I am sure that the C-PTSD thoughts are raising my blood pressure and maybe causing the swelling. Maybe I should go back to part-time? I seem to need a lot of rest to be both mentally and physically stable. Thoughts?

[Raindropvampire]

It sounds like your body is telling you what it can handle. It appears the full time schedule does not give you the rest and downtime that you need. I really hope you can get in to see your cardiologist soon.

I have CPTSD and just working 4 instead of 5 days makes a major difference in my quality of life. I work 5 days I have 0%. I work 4 it's about a 35%. I work 3 and I can actually ALMOST enjoy life. Unfortunately I have no choice. I can't pay my bills on 3 days a week and right now we are too short staffed for me to work 4 days. Don't be stubborn and stupid like I am.

[Lanadelle]

Geeze, it would be great if you could go on disability and rest for a year or more .... You deserve it xx

[WannaDog]

Originally Posted by Raindropvampire

It sounds like your body is telling you what it can handle. It appears the full time schedule does not give you the rest and downtime that you need. I really hope you can get in to see your cardiologist soon.

I have CPTSD and just working 4 instead of 5 days makes a major difference in my quality of life. I work 5 days I have 0%. I work 4 it's about a 35%. I work 3 and I can actually ALMOST enjoy life. Unfortunately I have no choice. I can't pay my bills on 3 days a week and right now we are too short staffed for me to work 4 days. Don't be stubborn and stupid like I am.

I have PTSD and I wonder what CPTSD is.

[leomama]

Thanks for this . I haven't gone back to work yet since my diagnosis and it's helpful

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Raindropvampire]

Originally Posted by WannaDog

I have PTSD and I wonder what CPTSD is.

I sent you a PM so as not to disrupt Unguy's thread

((( unguy ))) ...

I have to carefully balance my activities too, and my mind and body don't mind letting me know when I'm stretching it too thin ... It's important that we listen and make adjustments before it does it for us, and I believe you know as well as the rest of us with C-PTSD do, that if we don't, it will, and when that happens it will all come tumbling down!

I even wrote me a little reminder about it that goes ... "Gotta be careful to not get too big lest it all fall apart and me along with it!" ... Our minds are like any other part of our bodies, and when they get put under too much pressure they too will break, and those of us with C-PTSD have a breaking point totally different from those that don't have it.

Don't know how flexible the people you work with are, but if you can convince them you'd be able to perform better, then perhaps they might let you tweak your schedule to a shorter work day - say 6 instead of 8 hours - or, perhaps even allow you to work 3 or 4 days a week instead of 5?

Hoping you find the best solution that works for you and your condition, not society's prescribed driven hecktivity that simply doesn't fit those of us with C-PTSD!

Sincerely,
Pfrog!

If anything, the office wants me to work MORE hours, not less. But, they won't hire me full-time and make me permanent either. So, I get no benefits. Further, I can't use them as a reference while I'm working there and I need to leave (if I do, that is) on good terms in order to get a good reference. (I have a sociopath former employer who is spreading lies about me to keep me unemployed; she is sick.)

I gave a commitment to fill in for someone on maternity leave. I will try to fulfill that obligation. If I can. It doesn't look like it going to happen.

I have been trying to change my diet to avoid diabetes without much success. I do manage to eat some very low carb meals. And, I have incorporated some exercise (walking home from work when possible) and higher fiber foods (hard when you have IBS) into my diet. The IBS has been very problematic of late. My cardiologist has now cancelled 2 appointments in a row and I need to have my weight and blood sugar checked. I recently bought a scale to weigh myself but it does not seem to work properly; I need to return it. Can't anything go right?

I finally came to the conclusion that I am an introverted asexual. I go to therapy and they expect me to form friendships and love relationships easily and, unbelievably, to enjoy the process and the outcome. How stupid can T's be?

The stress that I'm under and unhappiness that I suffer from is unbelievable. Thanks for listening.

[Aracnae]

I was in the same position as you are for a while, but I've got no real easy answer. Right now, I miss so many days when I try to work that it makes it impossible, so I'm working from home (sort of) doing free lance writing and various other things. I don't make much money, but I enjoy it. I would probably try and fulfill the obligation for the person on maternity leave, and try to leave after that if you can. Don't let yourself burn out, and if you feel you are, make sure you're communicating with your employer. I've had to do that more than once, but I've been lucky enough to work for people who were understanding. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you can find something that works for you.

Hi unguy. I haven't been around for months as I've been too mentally unwell even to participate in PsychCentral.

First-up, you get my congrats for working at all - I haven't worked for nine years due to mental illness and am plummeting toward poverty and homelessness. So you're doing really well and you should acknowledge that.

You seem to have good work skills on offer to your employer, despite them not giving you job security.

I think it's about working within your limitations - including MI, sleep problems, medical problems (I have IBS and it's a terrible thing. Your heart probs are obviously a super serious thing - my love to you). Extending oneself beyond ones capabilities can lead to a big crash, in my case the BIG CRASH. So I think as much moderation as possible is the order of the day (she says in retrospect - he he he!)

[amandalouise]

a couple suggestions.....

if you are here in the USA maybe you can get on some high blood pressure medication. this is medication that holds your blood pressure stable at normal range no matter what is going on in your life. to do this you will need to contact your treatment providers here a regular medical doctor prescribes this kind of medication.

maybe you can talk with your treatment providers about your mental problems. here in the USA there is no longer a mental disorder called CPTSD. the label and disorder has been discontinued and everything it was, (symptoms and diagnostic criteria and treatments) have been moved to other mental disorders and new mental disorders. with this change comes new treatment options. in other words a lot more opportunities for getting treated and feeling better.

if you are in the USA your treatment provider can explain to you which one of the new mental disorders your CPTSD transfers over to and which new treatment options are best for you.

I am sorry you are going threw this right now, Your physical and mental health are more important than any thing, If you are not getting the right amount of sleep that is going to mess you up, I liked what some one wrote on here that it would be nice if you could go on disability, I know you need the money to survive, But you also have to take care of yourself first, That is number one and you said you worked for a Sociopath, It is no wonder your Cptsd is getting worse, My personal experience with those type of people, Sorry is all I can say

Thanks for your suggestions. The CPTSD has made my heart condition worse. Last year I had quadruple by-pass surgery but the pre-surgery symptoms are returning. My flight or fight hormones it seems are always turned on. Foot problems and food problems are complicating things. I am now borderline diabetic. I had to be taken off of statin meds for my heart because I did not tolerate them. With the HMO discount, the cost of the new med is $370 per month. I have applied for assistance and am waiting to hear.

I am at my wits end. Therapy has not helped me at all and I've had lots of it. Working leaves me so tired that I'm often exhausted and so tired that my CPTSD acts up. I am already on SSDI but it does not meet all of my expenses so I have to work part-time. I don't seem to be able to hold it together well if I work full-time. I continue to isolate more than ever; it's the only way that I feel safe.