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Stress and Diabetes

Silly me! :oops: I copied and pasted my post from the other thread, and THEN read all the other messages!!

(BTW, Apologies if this post repeats!!)

Lots of excellent advice here, especially from Ken. And don't forget the words 'constructive dismissal'!

While you let these people grind you into the ground, you WON'T get the chance to bring your strength back up, which is why you need to go on the sick. Then you must take a huuuuuuge step back and, as mentioned here already, forget about work and whether they are managing without you. And if they're not? What is the worst case scenario?

Thanks for replying so quickly to my last message. Yep, I've had a struggle in my time! The company that gave me my redundancy (an Indian Bank) also gave me stress and depression. Working with colleagues who wouldn't speak English, a Manager who wouldn't back me up on this, a Manager who wanted me out of the department (I was the department secretary!) so she could get one of her own kind in. Aggravation and jealously when I was promoted to the highest secretarial level. I was up against all sorts!! :cry: In between all this I had 3 family deaths, all a month apart. I was so unhappy I couldn't grieve properly. During my last few years at this place I was at times at my very lowest ebb!!! So when the redundancy was offered I needed no second thoughts. After I left I took a few months off but was then commuting again to London, and after several years began to question my sanity in doing so! :?

Am I happy now? Yes, undoubtedly. I still have to work for a few more years but it's getting closer and closer. Do, please, listen to what people are saying here. You must think of yourself from now on, and you must, as advised, let your family know what is going on so they can support you.

Good luck with the GP this week. Lots of hugs from me too. Write as often as you wish. I'm here to listen. And I speak from experience!
Janet
 
If there are lots of people off with stress the college need to do something about it, not wait til they have no staff left. If they know how stressed the staff are but do nothing about it, do you really want to continue working there anyway?

That may sound flippant, but I've been in a similar situation. We got time & motion people in, whose report warned that if nothing was done, errors and illness would result. Still nothing was done until it was too late. After 3 months' sick leave I managed to go back part-time and hang on until several of us were made redundant. Not a pleasant process but those I'm still in contact with agree we were better off out of there.

Stress also affects your ability to manage your diabetes, with implications for your long-term health, so you need to put yourself first.
 
Hi HpprKM

I hope that all goes well with your visit to the gp this week.

Just to reassure you, I know that school teaching staff get up to 6 months sick leave on full pay and only then does it go to half pay, so you do have time to get well without financial worry.
You need to use this to spend time on yourself and give yourself a lot of love – there is only one 'you' and to many of your friends and family you are irreplaceable so please look after yourself to the exclusion of ALL else.

Big ((((((hugs))))))! :)
 
Hi all you kind folks,

I went to GP today and she was very sympathetic, spent over 30 mins in a 10 slot with her! She said the College are at fault and I need to confront them with some issues, she offered me some time off to get my thoughts straight and feel a bit stronger and ready to deal with them, I said I would put that on hold, but may take her up on it. Dr said that my biggest problem was obviously work, to get that straightened out I would feel able to deal with other life issues, also that the highest causes of depression were work related! No surprise there I suppose, so I am going in tomorrow, it is half term and no students and can get some marking done, not sure if Head wants to speak to me when I am the same campus as her on Weds, but I do need to make it clear that we are under duress in the dept, that even cover lecturers cannot cope and are leaving or cutting back hours, that last week (just one example), three of our full time lecturers were off sick the rest of us had to provide cover for their classes, often teaching our own class at the same time! I was given a new subject, when I expressed concern I was just told it was easy and I would manage, when I asked for coursework I was waved in the general direction of a book, but it was not the right book for this year, as we were awaiting new ones, there is no support for dealing with difficult students just lots of words of support which count for nothing. I must stop there, because I am in danger of rambling on forever, and that is another thing I cannot stop thinking or talking about it - another sign of stress I guess :|

If things do not work out satisfactorily I am going to make it clear the Dr said I am stressed and should take some time off, and I will do as she says, that will leave them another lecturer short, maybe someone might start asking just what is really wrong with our Dept, as my Dr said it needs proper leadership!

Thanks again for you wonderful words of wisdom and kindness, you are an amazing bunch of people.

XXXX to you all - your support although not directly diabetes related (although I feel sure that the stress is exacerbating the problem), you are very kind and nice people :D

Outcome of meeting will be reported once it has been undertaken, I am not prepared to be held totally responsible for things not being right, and I will point out my large amount of successes!
 
Good, you seem a little more positive! I sometimes think that when you presume to be at a very low and you cannot do any more for yourself, once you talk to other people, cry on their shoulders and tell them all your problems, worries and woe, and get positive feedback and support... you gain just that little bit of strength to say 'actually yes, I can do it and I will do it'!

So, good for you. Don't forget to take up the offer of sick leave.
xx
 
HpprKM, I wish you luck in reducing the amount of stress you are under, and in recovering from the effects it has had upon you.

I am suffering in a similar way, however sick leave is not an option for me. I wish it were.

All the best to you!
 
Re: Stress and Diabetes- Update

I have been to GP and she said I was definitely suffering from work related stress, she was very supportive and offered me time off to get myself stronger to deal with the issues, I declined as it is half term and I was only working two days a week this week, no teaching! She suggested ways of dealing with stress and actually spent more than 30 minutes in a 10 minute slot. I knew I had to go to work and meet with my manager to deal with the issues, long term sick leave not really a good option, and I do like my job most of the time, get bored if home too long.

I met with my manager with a feeling of confrontational dread, only to find she was completely on my side and almost, for her at least, apologetic, she said she was shocked that a member of her staff had not been kept informed of proceedings and talked about ways around the issue, also the fact that there had been so much sick leave that she was aware that the staff who were working were supporting those who were off and that she was dealing with it. I have also spoken with colleagues who are so very supportive, and all in all it has turned into quite a good week.

I have a couple of days off, and although I some marking to attend to, plus assignments for my Uni course to work on, I am taking some 'me' time, I have to learn how to switch off from work, and I have not been doing that...I need to plan my time and ensure that it is all compartmentalised. This in itself will take some working on, but I must do so to ensure I do not get so close to just giving up, as I did last week.

I am so thankful that I have so many people to support me, people can be so unexpectedly kind and selfless, and in this rather harsh world that is good to know. YOu have been wonderful, some of you are also going through hard times, and I know that many are probably coping with so much more than I have to, sadly when a person is really down that fact is so hard to keep sight of, or at least to have immediate effect, but it certainly does win through in the end.

Wishing those who are troubled all the luck in the world, and hoping that things might turn around for you. :wink: . Such kind people - thanks so very much. X
 
So glad that everything is looking brighter, look after yourself and keep talking things through. :D
 
So pleased to read a more positive post! I bet you are relieved to have the manager on your side, so hopefully things should work out for the better.

Good luck.
 
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