Hard Choices: My Job or My Health?

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Thu, June 05, 2008

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One of the reasons I lost my previous job was because I used most of my sick time. Because of my depression, I recently took a month off, and of course that used up all my sick time and vacation time. Now I have been having severe headaches. Besides the constant dull ache in my head, periodically it feels like a knife jabbing into my left eye. I can't drive, and sometimes I can't look at a computer screen. I worked despite this for 3 weeks, but the headaches got a lot worse this week and the other day I told my supervisor that I couldn't work, that I had to see a doctor. She was really upset, and said I should bring in a note from the doctor. My doctor did tests and asked lots of questions and believes it is tension headaches from stress. She wrote that I should not go back to work until Monday. My heart sank. What if I lose my job?

That was when I realized that, if I have to choose between my health and my job, there is no contest. I choose my job. I don't think that would have been true 10 years ago, or even 5 years ago. Then I would have said, "Jobs are temporary; my body is permanent. If I have good health, I can always get another job." Now I know through experience that if I lose my job, I have nothing. If I have good health but no job, no housing, no food, no health care --for myself OR MY CHILDREN, that is so stressful that my health will not last long. If I choose health over job, soon I will have neither. If I have a job but poor health, I have money for food, shelter, medicine, doctor visits, and some of the comforts of life; I have health care insurance, and I have life insurance so that if I should die my children would have at least temporary relief. If I can just force myself to keep showing up for work, eventually I should be able to earn some vacation days back so that I don't have to take sick days to recover or to see a doctor. If work makes me sicker, I have to keep working anyway so that some day I might be able to get better, and at least my kids will be taken care of in the meantime, because if I miss work and lose my job I know that I will only get worse and my children will be vulnerable as well. So angrily, reluctantly, I choose work over health, because really I have no choice.

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JPQuigley

6/ 5/08 8:04pm

Yes having a job in todays economic situation is important. The firat thing I would do is talk to your doctor about the symptoms and possible treatments, then talk to your employer. Choose a good time for them and a good time for you, usually after a shift or even before a shift if it can be arranged work for most employers. Tell them exactly what the doctor said and ask your employer if they have any suggestions that may help you. Be ready for anything! Also, be ready to offer a solution that you can live with. I might also suggest you find a therapist that can write prescriptions so that you can combine the treatments under one roof, so to speak. Best of luck to you in whatever comes your way, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, I've seen it and it is not a train to run you over! hope this helps. JPQuigley

karmayogi

6/ 9/08 9:22am

Very true. No job, no money, so no health too! But you have to look for a way out. Alternative therapies such as yoga and music therapy as well as some herbs e.g. sage and St John's wort are effective in treating depressive disorders. Moreover these remedies are backed by strong/good evidence rating from Natural Standard, so they are undoubtedly authentic. Look up rvita.com for more information.

All the best to you.

Sera

6/12/08 4:51am

I can really relate to what you are experiencing....I lost my job of 20 yrs. in 2005 because of my depression. I missed more time from work than policy allowed....that's what they told me. It didn't matter that I had doctors notes for all of my absences....they said if they weren't pre-planned "approved in advance" days off...they were considered absences, note or not. I have struggled since then to return to work, but my confidence is zero. I did have two jobs since then that didn't last very long, I just couldn't handle the stress or the anxiety. I don't know what to do.....I need to work for many many reasons, and I know it would help me to return to the workforce. I miss it so much! But, at the same time...I am scared to death! The anxiety of returning to work overwhelms me so much, it keeps me from even trying. Then, the depression is really bad. I really don't know what to do. I can't imagine going on just to exist, because right now, that's all I am doing. And, that's on the good days. Good luck to you.

manny

12/22/09 6:00pm

i've been out of work after 30 years and am frieghtened about going back im still under a doctors care i still have high anxiety and trouble just getting up

Hard Choices: My Job or My Health?

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