Mental health

[deej1995]

Hi everyone,

This is the second weekend in the last 2 months that I’m going to be off due to my mental health. I had this problem whilst at uni around 2-3 years ago, and my anxiety has come back again. I’m so concerned that this is going to lead to RoyalMail finding a reason to get rid of me, and I don’t know what to do. I know that when I’m like this if I go to work I’ll just end up crying/sitting in the toilet all day so there’s no point in me going. I don’t feel as though my manager really understands, however the shift manager seems great but he’s on holiday at the moment.

I’m sorry for the long post which may just seem like the ramblings of someone with a really bad MH problem, but I just don’t know what to do and I’m feeling really lost.

[theotherone]

Sorry to hear about your problems and don't worry about the rambling because it's not and places like this can be a great outlet.
This is my own personal opinion in that you need to see a GP or get referred to OH so you can get a proper diagnosis and get yourself covered if the problem is on-going.
RM will most likely ask what you have done to help yourself and the RM do offer advice via a help line.
Speak to your union rep and explain the problem.
Hope you feel better soon.

[theotherone]

BTW as soon as you are off with mental health problems you should be automatically referred to OH in my own experience because RM have a duty of care.

[rogersh]

As previous posts imply, no need to apologise if you are struggling to cope with anxiety. I have no personal expertise & can only offer to give you contact information provided by RM & CWU.

http://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/2 ... -DRAFT.pdf
Edited from link.
If you would like some support with your mental health, then help is at hand.

We want everyone who works for Royal Mail to feel they can be open about their mental health, and
ask for support if they need it.
If you need help with your mental health, please talk to somebody about it. Remember the First
Class Support helpline is available by calling 0800 6888 777 for direct access to mental health
support as well as to receive financial, relationship or legal advice. The helpline is fully confidential
and available 24/7.
Our Feeling First Class website has materials and advice (use the code FFC1 to register) including the
Because Healthy Minds Matter mental health awareness eLearning.
Click here (insert link to ‘Mental Health Support May 2019 v1.0’) to see the full range of support
available to you.

Also from myroyalmail - Me At Work - Health and safety - Supporting your mental health
https://www.myroyalmail.com/support
The First Class Support helpline is completely confidential, independent and available 24/7. Call 0345 266 5060

Edit; Search on this Forum
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=102286&p=954854&hil ... th#p954854

[postslippete]

Real sorry you feel that way

I can understand why though. One of the newer guys I was speaking to told me that they enjoyed having a week off from Royal Mail but didn't know what they were coming back to when they arrive.

And I knew what that meant implicitly

They could find themselves on a totally different duty to one that they had been doing. It could be a duty that might have a few days worth of mail or D2Ds on it and it needs to be cleared.

More likely it could be coerced, sorry forced, to take the lapsing by an uncompromising manager or having to work in a toxic workplace with self-interested staff.

I believe that we all experience some form of anxiety working for this company.


Update: And yet it could be all and nothing of these things because our job really should not define who we are anyway.

I'm sharing a video that's worth watching.
[youtube] https://youtu.be/TdClGAR6yZU[/youtube]

[bustedflush]

The fact is, never having had MH issues, I found the nearest I ever came was the stress of the unknown i.e. being a reserve. The nerves that approached towards the end of a week off, never knowing what you would come into on the following Monday. Mostly I would be OK, getting allocated to a familiar round and partner, but sometimes it would be dreadful.

I have to say in all honesty that if you suffer from anxiety a RM reserve is the last job you should be doing, as the unfortunate poster has discovered. If you have anxiety or similar issues, you need some kind of stability. You can control this mostly in the half of your waking hours outside work by managing your life as you find comfortable and easiest, but the other half inside work is a different matter. In our office we had a lady postie with this issue who had it resolved by being given the same round permanently with the same partner. This naturally caused not a little resentment anong the longer-serving reserves who were constantly chopped and changed.

I suppose I am saying that for those with the MH issues of the poster above, routine and familiarity will be the solution in the main. The job of reserve cannot in most circumstances provide this, in fact the opposite. Therein lies the problem.

[Haditup]

Please do not despair, help is at hand if you need it.
Those who suffer from anxiety / depression know too well how debilitating it can be.
Finding the root cause of anxiety can be difficult, overtime your mind/ body has becomes sensitised then boom out of nowhere you are in meltdown and the walls come tumbling in.

Practising Mindfulnesses is the Natural way to alleviate anxiety but can be difficult when your mind is racing fast.
Exercise ,jogging, cycling ,anything that increases your heart rate is also a good at reducing stress ,anxiety ,depression.
Keeping off Caffeinated drinks (but don’t go cold turkey)and Alcohol will also help a great deal

Your GP is at hand for help ,where you could ask for a sick note, medication maybe offered in the form of anti depressants.

You could also ask Royal Mail could for a referral to Occupational Health who will give you counselling sessions over the phone.

Remember,you have been through this before and In time you will recover.

[Haditup]

My previous post mentions asking Royal Mail for a referral to Occupational Health.

The OH preliminary report will state because you suffer from anxiety ,depression for more than 12 months it is considered a disability and is defined under Equality Act 2010.

Now this is empowering, your manager will need to consider reasonable adjustments.
Different start times, work from home ,reduced hours etc …

[wazer]

I understand what your going through.I have a good manager (rare breed),who has helped me over the yrs.Ive always had help from OH. See your doctor or mental health nurse.There are a number of helplines and classes you could look at.

[CillitBang]

I went off sick with mental health in October last year due to work related stress and anxiety, exacerbated by bullying manager and being moved every day to failing rounds. Being away from work gave me the realisation I'd be happier away from royal mail entirely. Notice went in a few weeks ago and started a new job, one week in and it's great. I'm actually treated like a human being!! After 8.5 years of being treated like an idiot

TLDR the toxic environment of RM is not good for mental health in my experience, though it may vary office to office.

[twoloops]

Few weeks ago I given a lad 25+ years postie for the week who had been kicked off his walk due to revisions, seemed quite down & dejected & was hoping to get out, he spoke of sometimes wanting to close his eyes & cross a busy road

[Basildon Bond]

This is the second weekend in the last 2 months that I’m going to be off due to my mental health. I had this problem whilst at uni around 2-3 years ago, and my anxiety has come back again.

This could end up a long post as I tend to be quite loquacious! However, I am going to keep it as short as possible (and will probably fail!).

Mental health is a hard nut to crack but it is doable – trust me. I’ve been there. Those that have never suffered it, or only suffered minor issues just don’t understand why you feel the way you do or are struggling at the moment. You probably don't really know exactly why your anxiety is back. It came; it went; it came back. Other aren’t walking in your shoes. This can immediately start you off feeling lonely and on the outside looking in – and for anxiety that’s certainly not going to help the situation.

I think the term “mental health” is not all that helpful as it lumps together so many things that are really quite different. You can have short-term stress as a mental health problem on one end of the scale right through to suicidal thoughts on the other – and lots of things in-between.

Cutting to the chase: You have make a list of what you are actually suffering from. For example:

• anxiety
• depression
• hopelessness
• fear
• anger
• suicidal thoughts

Often there are common comorbidities with mental health issues like anxiety and depression combined, or using drugs and alcohol to self-medicate. For example: One person may get stressed and then get angry as a release mechanism. Another person in the same office, on another frame (speaking to those in delivery) may get stressed and become depressed and naturally bottle it up. Maybe both drink too much to cope – or not. We are all a bit different – and there is nothing wrong with being different.

How do you start “fixing” yourself? Well, the word “fix” can be be a problem because using it frames the situation as you’re a bit broken and “not normal”. I don’t think it’s helpful to look at yourself as needing fixing. Instead look at it like you have sensitivities to certain things in life: Things that have happened in the past, and/or are happening now, and/or you worry they will or won’t happen to you in the future.

But if you want to change things what should you do? The current problem with “mental health” issues is that they are not commonly discussed nor even accepted as “OK”. For example, consider you partner with a new person tomorrow on a van share and you are both loading up the van (again I’ve speaking to the delivery side of the job). Let’s say you’re about ready to go and that person disappears back into the office and returns with a bottle of pills and a load of tissues. They look at you and say: “I have always suffered from terrible hay fever.”. Do you judge that person harshly for the problem? Probably not. They cannot do much about it and are just coping with it and would like you to understand their situation – they don’t expect you to pat their hand; just understand they’ll have a runny/blocked nose, cough, and itchy eyes etc. What if your partner says they have asthma? I’m sure most would sympathise or empathise depending on whether we can personally relate or have friends or family with the condition. Again, what if a partner says they have type 1 diabetes? No real judgement – maybe even a conversation starter on what their daily routine is and keeping a check on blood sugar levels. However, when it comes to “mental health” the default position currently seems to be to say nothing and mask the symptoms at all costs.

How do you make things better for yourself? Be honest! It can be so refreshing to be honest with those around you. Say to people: “I am really quite stressed out today.”. Or make it specific like: “We have two specials and both are on the last two loops. That’s got me stressed.”. Then pause and discuss with your partner how to get them done, what all the options are, and what you both think is best: drive straight over, reverse the walk today, or rearrange the bags to do the last two loops first.

What’s my general advice on coping with anxiety?

First look at your general health, diet, and exercise (though in delivery exercise generally isn’t too much of a problem). Do you get enough sleep? Drink enough water (just water)? Do you have a fairly fixed daily routine and some structure to your days? Do you potentially have any unknown food allergies (nuts, milk, eggs, shellfish, gluten, etc.) causing problems (dizziness, swelling, sneezing, stomach aches, diarrhoea, bloating stomach in the evening, indigestion, constipation, etc.)? Just because you have got this far in life does not mean you will not develop a problem at some point. And you may have been living with a problem for so long you have assumed it is normal when it doesn't have to be. Spotting a problem can be life-changing as it can free you up mentally to cope with other things that until now were too much to take on. Don't like going out for dinner? Avoid eating with others? Leave early from dinners and parties? Look at your diet - there may be something causing that run-away feeling.

Look at mindfulness, breathing exercises, keeping a diary, and even Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

Be positive. You can talk yourself and the situation down or you can be positive and look on the brighter side. Spot and recognise when you are being negative and stop it. This is easy to say but it really is a challenge sometimes when it seems easier to allow yourself to be mired in guilt and bad thoughts.

Talk to your doctor. That is to say there are a lot of pills that can turn your mood around quite quickly. Doctors are really busy and probably won’t have too much time to chew over all the information. Personally, I see doctors as like a pills cash point where I look into what is affecting me and ask them if I’m talking sense then get a prescription out of them asap and test things myself. I would, from experience, avoid antidepressants initially as they are slower acting and can have side effects – even suicidal thoughts (who thought that was an acceptable side-effect)! Instead, for anxiety as an example, look at Propranolol or Tramadol – these do work a lot better. Ask to try either one for a dosage of one a day for week and report back to the doctor – take one an hour before the start of your shift. Keep a diary that has words that describe how you feel each day.

Pills really can get you out of a deep hole fast but don’t see them as a cure-all. It’s the longer term cognitive re-framing and positive talk, and sharing that will see you right overall.

[Dorset Plodder]

Sorry to hear about your MH situation, I hope it improves.

Most people think of a Posties job as physically challenging .... walking all those miles day after day. I think it's probably even more challenging Mentally.

It's Ironic that we've just been through a Mental Heath Awareness Week during some of the most stressful times any of us have suffered.

I've always found the Indoor Work Element the most stressful, once you're out the door the Fresh Air & Excercise bonuses kick in.

Unfortunately we're now being asked to do more, and more Indoor Work and Preperation, I wonder if this has something to do with the increase in MH problems. I always breath a BIG sigh of relief when I drive out of those gates on Delivery!

[crazyshrew]

Just want to let you know you are not alone
The following is why I amm in my third month of absence for Depression

"Fortunately" I have a lifelong history of serious ill mental health, I could see this coming...i have the knowledge from experience to know both what I need to do and what I need to ask others for.

I did everything I could

I have a number of colleagues who have had the horror of seeing me go though this before and have been amazing this time round (but if you asked them they wouldn't have a clue what that did that was special... just being a basically decent human being is apparently quite a rare quality)

And then my manager... conversations with him...like talking to a thick brick wall.
"I am struggling but I want to keep working, I need this from you to keep going"

He denied I had problems, he refused to look at or acknowledge previous OH reports (perhaps because they clearly state that I am covered by the equality act),

I'm probably one of a tiny percentage of posties who is desperate to be used as a reserve...I needed to get off the van share and be on my own as much as possible,
Simply being put on another duty and being responsible for someone else having to step aside or change would make me feel horrible

Obviously the stress then started building, then he has the audacity to complain about my attitude towards work, not doing OT, being miserable/angry/moody all the time

No choice but to go absent, he acted surprised and confused.
Two months on and during rare contact he has bothered to make he has still failed to acknowledge the cause of my absence.


To sum up, you are not now, and never will be alone in this company.
Most managers will do their best to gaslight you and make you feel that you are the problem
but that's because they have neither the spines or balls to assess their own weaknesses and own their mistakes and failures, and it is easy and more comfortable to project them on to their subordinates.

Best advice I can give, is if you feel yourself heading in to that horrible dark hole. Take time and make space for yourself. Not just the odd day or two here and there, that can unfortunately add up quickly and to your detriment.

Work out what is causing the problem. Are there identifiable triggers, that can be removed or changed,
or is it a fundamental part of who you are and you need is support and a bit of weight taken off until you are out the other side and you can carry on business as usual.

The is no right or wrong way to suffer, to recover or maintain good mental heal and well being.

Some people may be lucky and find it easier than others, but it doesn't mean their ways are right for you.

[richietns]

The original post is off a year ago .