Feel bad for calling in sick

Like the title says, I feel bad for calling in sick. My work place is very good about encouraging people who are ill to take sick time. After all, that's what it's there for. I have a great work environment.

The problem is that I feel guilty for doing so. I feel that when I take sick time others will view me as trying to take advantage of the company. Or that things will go wrong and my work sucks. And because my work sucks I will get fired.

You can see where this is going. I take a sick day and I wind up feeling worse and worrying about work. I don't want to be hat guy that feels like he needs to be tethered to a phone.

How can I get past this?

Hello worrist: I don't know how you get past this. From what I've heard & read about this sort of thing it is sort-of endemic nowadays. Almost everyone feels they have to be tethered to their phones 24 / 7. They're even working while they're on vacation... that is if they take any vacation time at all!

Many years ago, I worked with a guy who was fond of saying: "If you don't use it, it isn't a benefit." Perhaps that's just the way one has to look at it. But I know there's always that little voice in the back of your head that's saying... "you'll be sorry..." Hope you find a way to get beyond this dilemma.

The thing is this: you're not indispensable. You don't have to be tethered; other people will work things for you or it will be there when you get back. You're doing yourself a great disservice by not taking time to heal. You could harm yourself eventually and then you won't be able to work at all.

Hey worrist
I feel the same way, but am getting past it. For me it was tied in with my psychological issues, like over self-criticism.
I'd feel that others thought I was lying about being sick, that they didn't trust me, but really it was the lack of trust in myself that I was externalizing.

Our culture definately expects a lot from us, work wise, but they do not own us and they do not have the right to make our lives miserable.
We deserve to be happy, even in our jobs, money just isn't worth that sacrifice.

I'm digressing, you say your work is good, so that's good.
It sounds like you are just too hard on yourself, like many of us are. Figuring out why you are such a tough critic is the first step to quieting it.

When I was in the hospital back in November I immediately went back to work upon discharge, against my supervisors suggestion. I felt guilty for being out 'sick' all week, so I went back to work and really didn't give myself time to decompress after being in the psych hospital all week.