[waterknob1234]

I hope I am not wearing everybody out. I feel like I post too much but I really have no one else I can talk to who understands. I still want to find a different job. But I want to find a job that I can do within reason. I don't want to go from one stressbox into another. I am hanging on the best I can in my present situation. I would like to find a therapist/psychologist/psychiatrist whether I can afford one or not. I don't seem to be getting better on psych meds alone (citalopram and buspirone). On my current job it would be very difficult to take off work regularly to go to therapy and once the head bosses find out I am in psychotherapy I will lose my job. And trust me, they will find out. I work in a place where everybody knows everybody's business. Last night my husband saw how distressed I was and he told me to just quit my job. It's hard to just quit when he doesn't have a steady job. I feel stuck. I don't quite know what to do but I know I need professional psychological help.

[TheOriginalMe]

Just a few semi-coherent thoughts for you.
Can they really fire you for that?
Is there any protection under anti-discrimination laws?
Could you take a few weeks unpaid, surely they couldn't fire you for geeting psychological help if you are on unpaid leave?

I'd say you need time and space to get better and if you want psychological help then you should follow that through

[eeyorestail]

If you feel you need professional psychological help, I think that should be your first priority. As far as fitting it in, what is your work schedule like? I know some therapists who take patients in the evenings and even on weekends.

[waterknob1234]

Originally Posted by krminnj

If you feel you need professional psychological help, I think that should be your first priority. As far as fitting it in, what is your work schedule like? I know some therapists who take patients in the evenings and even on weekends.

If I could find somebody that would take patients in the evenings and weekends that would be ideal. My work schedule is supposed to be 8:30 to 5:00. I sometimes have to go in early and usually end up working till 6:30 or 7:00 PM. If push comes to shove I can always arrange to leave work at 5:00PM. Thanks for responding.

[Momentofclarity]

I can't help you with your job or how to get a therapist or such...cause I know nothing about it.. But I hope you'll find a way.

[Fuzzybear]

(((((((( waterknob ))))))))

[eeyorestail]

waterknob, I don't know what your insurance situation is like, but one good source to find info on therapists is this site.

[waterknob1234]

Originally Posted by krminnj

waterknob, I don't know what your insurance situation is like, but one good source to find info on therapists is this site.

Thanks, I actually went to that site and there were so many therapists listed for my area it made my head spin! There is also a community mental health organization I plan to look into that I think they charge by your income and have some flexible hours. I have terrible insurance so I know I will have to pay for everything out of pocket.

[A.Lone]

So it's difficult to find evening help in your town too? It seems to me that the "mental profession" should be required to offer evening/weekend hours for those of us who can't or find it difficult to take off work during the day. But that would make sense. Who prescribes your mental meds? I can fully understand your job situation. Legally you can't get fired, but the pressure from work loads, co-workers, bosses & owners make it extremely difficult to take time off during the day - MAJOR guilt trips that we don't need.

Everyone says to hang in there and something will come about, but that's so much easier said than done. All I can say is I'm looking for the same thing and good luck in your search also.

[eeyorestail]

There is also a community mental health organization I plan to look into that I think they charge by your income and have some flexible hours.

That's great!

[waterknob1234]

Originally Posted by A.Lone

So it's difficult to find evening help in your town too? It seems to me that the "mental profession" should be required to offer evening/weekend hours for those of us who can't or find it difficult to take off work during the day. But that would make sense. Who prescribes your mental meds? I can fully understand your job situation. Legally you can't get fired, but the pressure from work loads, co-workers, bosses & owners make it extremely difficult to take time off during the day - MAJOR guilt trips that we don't need.

Everyone says to hang in there and something will come about, but that's so much easier said than done. All I can say is I'm looking for the same thing and good luck in your search also.

You hit the nail on the head. There is so much pressure from all of the above. I wish you luck in your search. The bad thing is when I'm not working I'm too exhausted to do anything but sleep. My medical doctor is prescribing my depression meds. I've been using him as a psychiatrist but I only see him every 3 months. Every time I go there I have more weird physical problems. He orders tests and they show nothing wrong. I can't afford more x-rays and tests when I believe it is my mind messing up my body. My medical doc is very sweet and tries to be helpful but I think at this point I need psychiatric help. Thanks for responding.

[depressedalaskan]

I agree with the clinics that have a sliding pay scale. Some clinics will also help pay for medications.

[usered]

You don't deserve to feel like this, and asking and finding help can be the hardest thing. I have been really frustrated with the idea that employers can't let people go for medical or mental health related issues. I had a kidney stone and a week before my surgery I was let go. They simply said I wasn't getting along with a co-worker. Unfortunately, even if they let you go for a clearly illegal reason it's then up to you to contact an employment lawyer or you're state office which deals with such issues. This means a legal battle or at least lots of red tape to wade through. I'm now struggling with the unemployment process and my depression. I'm not trying to depress you even more, but I want to share my experience. I should have left my job, but hindsight is always 20-20. Your mental health is worth more than any job could possibly be. However, I stayed because some, if not all, of my co-workers were supportive and I didn't want to lose that support system. Keep your chin up as best you can. There are huge social hurdles to getting help for any kind of mental illness and I hope that someday society finds some way to protect workers and not just the people with all the money. Please know you're not alone.