quit work due to anxiety or depression

just wondering did anyone ever have to quit their job due to anxiety ,depresssion or the w/d process. vicky

Yes I did quit my job because of anxiety problems partly created by adverse (tolerance) affects of alprazolam / ambien and partly because it was a very very stressful job.

At the time I asked a doctor: 'What should I do', he answered by asking the following rhetorical question:

'What's more important, making money or your life?'

 

My anxiety level and agoraphobia are at a level where I can't work.

Interesting....

 

I wonder if the type of career has a big part in having to quit. I know working with the public would be very difficult, and on the other hand working in a environment where you don't deal with many people, if any, would be easier.

 

just a thought..

as an rn I know I could not work at my job and go through benzo w/d and when anxiety was so high I could not even make it out of bed to get to work. so yes agree with previous post depends on your job. NO rn could work through benzo w/d unless she maybe had desk job with no patient contact at all but no hosp rn could work via benzo w/d if they did god bless them

 

I just read your stories and think how can someone work 40 hours a week and go through all this if you do god bless you as well

 

I also agree with first poster my father always told me health is number one over the job.. If you dont have your health. I agree, vicky

My anxiety level and agoraphobia are at a level where I can't work.

  I have been where you are at probably still there for now working in therapy and counseling.

Interesting....

 

I wonder if the type of career has a big part in having to quit. I know working with the public would be very difficult, and on the other hand working in a environment where you don't deal with many people, if any, would be easier.

 

just a thought..

    AMEN AND i TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOUR STATMENT HERE THIS IS SO VERY TRUE THOSE IN PUBLIC SAFETY JOBS , RNs , teachers I can see I know as RN I had to take medical leave I could not even get out of bed somedays.

 

I like you- I like your replies, responses to people. I agree with a lot you have to say. I think you are a very good person and an assest to this board as a moderator one that is caring and answers all people. You try to help everyone and you are laid back. so next time I get panic try a cheeseburger? HA vicky

I just recently resigned from a goverment job. I had 13 1/2 years seniority. I resigned in Jan and I finished up my taper in Feb. Did I resign because of w/d? Partly, although there were dozens of other issues going on besides my w/d. One of them was that my workplace had been a constant source of stress for me for a long time. It had become for me, a poisonous atmosphere. It was not an easy decision for me, since I have a wife and 2 children to support and a house mortgage to pay. Not to mention the cost of health insurance! There comes a time, however, when a person's health is more important than making money. I'm lucky to have some resources at my disposal until we can decide what to do next.

pangelingua

Yup, cheeseburger! lol ... Fresh land o lakes deli sliced american cheese is the key...........Eat 4 slices of cheese while the burger is cooking and when the burger is done it has to go on your favorite type of bagel from the bagel store. Add lettuce, tomato and anything else you can find in the fridge.....

 

Thanks for the compliment vicky  ....... I worked through my taper and it was really difficult. 80% of my day, I am alone so I had my moments. I basically acted out those moments while the sweat was running off of me like a river... It was horrible :'(

My anxiety level and agoraphobia are at a level where I can't work.

  I have been where you are at probably still there for now working in therapy and counseling.

 

My husband keeps asking me why I don't get a job. He doesn't get it. Sometimes he tries. I freaked out just going to the pharmacy today.

 

 

I have resigned in january of 2009, because I felt can't deal with the stress. Thanks God my husband very supporting.

I have had panic, agoraphobia..etc...and sometimes still have.

 

All my respect to you Gman working through on WD. BTW what do you mean working in the enviroment? Like landscaping? LOL

 

I'm afraid of open places..my biggest fear to mow the lawn. |JK

 

Anyways if you get any other thoughts share with me.

Teri

Question?

Has no one been able to obtain medical leave for this purpose?

Question?

Has no one been able to obtain medical leave for this purpose?

 

My pdoc and therapist actually considered me disabled (but not entirely because of benzos.) Unfortunately, SS doesn't see me as disabled.

I went through a pretty long stretch of tough times. I was granted some stress leave a few times for some issues that I had, not just with meds but personal as well. In order to get the extended leave, I had to have a doctor's note which required co-operation from them. Unfortunately, I began to lose their co-operation because they simply saw me as having "anxiety" issues. This, together with the fact that my workplace had been, and continues to be (as ex-coworkers have been telling me) a really poisonous working environment, was my decision to leave. I have been blessed with the fact that a different branch of the agency I worked for has since employed me part-time with a promise of full-time as soon as another persons retires, which could be soon. I love the work that I do now and the people I work for. I have been told by at least one of my ex-coworkers that they hope to get into a position like the one I have now.

I worked at Wal*Fart. I loved the job, my co-workers and the customers, but hated the company. I got hospitalized twice because of pd. I had to take three LOAs, each lasting about a month. I was there about four years. Then I went to work at Wendy's. I loved the job, my co-workers, my customers and the company. I could only work about 10-15 hours a week. Any more than that was too stressful for me. I was only there about six months. Then I went to work for UPS. I tolerated the job, loved my co-workers and my customers and tolerated the company. I was there for just over a year with no LOAs, sick days, tardies and only one customer complaint.

 

I love working with the public. I'm very hard on myself. When I make a mistake, I verbally beat myself up. When customers get the slightest bit upset with the company or me, I take it very personally.

 

One day at UPS, during the Christmas season, my sister and my daughter were my co-workers for the day. I was running the register while they were sorting the mail and packing packages. One of the computers was down. I was working on the other one. I had a line of customers. I was helping them two or three at a time. Two were asking me a variety of questions. One was asking about customs to mail an international package and the other was asking about USPS. I really didn't know much about either one because that wasn't part of my job. Also, they were asking about things that are often subject to change and they do change frequently. Another customer wanted to buy a single stamp. I accidentally charged him for a book of stamps. The computer froze. The customer didn't know I'd made a mistake, I just told him how much he owed me for one stamp and he paid cash and left. I broke down and cried in front of the whole crowd of customers. A lady I went to church with happened to be there. She walked me outside while my daughter and my sister went up front and waited on the customers. I went into one of the most major full-blown panic attacks I have ever had. I went back inside and decided to sort the mail. I accidentally put an item in the wrong P.O. Box. I caught the mistake long before the customer came in. It was no big deal. I just had to take it out and put it in the correct P.O. Box. I went into an extreme verbal assault on myself. Panic attack #2 came along. It was not as severe though. I'm just so thankful that my replacement came along and I got to go home. I didn't want my boss to find out secondhand what happened, so I called her and told her. She told me that I was unreliable and fired me on the spot. Twice she asked me to come back. Both times I turned her down.

Deciding whether to work or not to work is a tough one over here as well.   I struggle with it.  I've continued working so far thinking that it will force me to get out a bit and avoid isolating myself.  Not to mention I don't have alot of money and need to pay for rent and food!

 

Sometimes the days are overwhelming and other days I feel better having gone.. came home feeling better than when I left.  

 

I hate to offer advice as I'm feeling pretty rough at the moment and hardly feel like much of an authority but....

 

My gut feeling tells me that work is a decent tool to keep someone from isolating themselves.. that being said, I could appreciate it being too overwhelming.  If I'm not capable of continuing working (and it is indeed a consideration) I think it will be necessary to be very diligent in making sure there are reasons to get up and get out everyday.  I think I would be writing down a simple of schedule of activities to make sure I got out of bed and out of the house.

Just a thought.. good luck.

 

 

Hi ,

 

Has anyone here in the US been able to get disability/social security while going through benzo withdrawal?

I am currently on a family medical leave (and paying my own insurance premiums). I believe you can only use 12 weeks a year for an FMLA. I have a few more weeks and know I won't be well enough to go back at that time. Are there any other financial resources available?

Is anyone here familiar with the FMLA laws? If so can you give me some advice. What are the rules regardind Social security?

 

Thank you

~Kim

Deciding whether to work or not to work is a tough one over here as well.   I struggle with it.  I've continued working so far thinking that it will force me to get out a bit and avoid isolating myself.  Not to mention I don't have alot of money and need to pay for rent and food!

 

Sometimes the days are overwhelming and other days I feel better having gone.. came home feeling better than when I left.  

 

I hate to offer advice as I'm feeling pretty rough at the moment and hardly feel like much of an authority but....

 

My gut feeling tells me that work is a decent tool to keep someone from isolating themselves.. that being said, I could appreciate it being too overwhelming.  If I'm not capable of continuing working (and it is indeed a consideration) I think it will be necessary to be very diligent in making sure there are reasons to get up and get out everyday.  I think I would be writing down a simple of schedule of activities to make sure I got out of bed and out of the house.

Just a thought.. good luck.

 

 

 

Budgie, I see that you started tapering in Jan. from 3 mgs. and are now at 1.25 mgs.  I'm impressed.  I, too, started at 3 mgs. and am now at 1.125 mgs., but I started in Late October!  Struggling every step of the way and feeling lousy.  How have things been for you?  How often do you cut and are you dry cutting?  I started water titration at 1.25 mgs., but feel a little stuck right now, as I'm holding due to how I feel.  Thanks, ~~mbr

Hey Mbr, in order to keep this post on topic I'll fill you in on how I'm fairing and tapering over at my blog.

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=6369.60

 

See you there

Hey Mbr, in order to keep this post on topic I'll fill you in on how I'm fairing and tapering over at my blog.

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=6369.60

 

See you there

 

Thanks, Budgie.  Apologies to all on this thread.  Didn't mean to hijack it, but I guess I did.  ~~mbr

It is very hard to get disability because of benzo withdrawal.  I am thankful to say that I was one of the lucky ones. But I had many, many ER visits and three long hospitalizations, and they tried to commit me twice. It was a good thing in my case, as far as disability goes, that the doctors really didn't have a clue about benzo withdrawal. The doctors kept changing their diagnoses of me, and that I think was in my favor. I have read that SS does not want to give out disability to anyone who is struggling with problems due to addiction. Ha, I am the biggest addict on the forum I think. NOT ANYMORE THOUGH. 

 

Being on disability does not make me feel good about myself at all and is not something that I am proud of, it was and still is a definite necessity though.

 

There is absolutely no way in hell that I could have worked and still am not able to, but someday I feel that it is imperative that I go back to work.

I applied for disability three times and got turned down, even though I had an MD, a pdoc and two therapists say that I was disabled.

I have a friend who is a social security/disability lawyer, you might consider looking one up.  I feel like it's a bit of a sleazy business (and I'm about to become a lawyer myself, finishing up my last exam tomorrow and taking the bar this summer), but basically if they think you have a good case they'll work on contingency and assuming you get disability, they take some % of your payment (I don't know all the details, but working for some % of your payment is the sleazy seeming part to me, though I guess if people can't afford to pay up front, what can you do).  Maybe look online for a lawyer in your area who specializes in social security/disability.

I don't see anything wrong with trying to or getting disability when one has been a victim of  pharmaceuticals

more power to you if you can get it and get well.

Yes I had to quit my job because of all of this mess.  I had intense anxiety and insomnia start after being given a loading dose of birth control pills to stop a three week long period.  That's how this all started and how I ended up on Ativan.  I did have an extremely stressful job and it was good that I left ....I too have no idea how people work during this.    Bless them all. 

 

Although, sometimes I think even a part time job would be good to keep my mind off some things .....