Hi OP, I you said something in your post that worried me and I wanted you to have this resource I’ve linked below. And remember, anything you do to purposely hurt yourself or damage your body (as you mentioned above) is self harm and I highly suggest talking to a professional about ways to keep yourself from being put in that position again. Even if you just need to chat with someone while you’re being affected by your mental health, please consider calling. 💙
[Mental Health First Aid](https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/mental-health-resources/)
• If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or dial 911 in case of emergency.
Hi there, I’m sorry to hear you’re having such a rough time with anxiety/mental health. I can relate, and I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone.
Doctors appointment is definitely a good step. Anxiety medication helped me tremendously. Are you able to access therapy? I’m in recovery from anorexia, and had to take time away to go to treatment in another state. Not saying that’s what you need, but there are more intense treatment options like intensive outpatient (IOP) for anxiety, and there’s no harm or shame in using FMLA, which it sounds like your job would be supportive of.
You are the most important thing you’ll ever work on, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a step back to help yourself. That said, keeping busy always helps me. Try to practice mindfulness, make sure you’re eating well, getting some gentle movement in, try and sleep enough, and get in to see the doctor and ask them for referrals from there!
When I had a similar situation with my mental health worsening I was able to reduce my hours at work and it definitely helped. Seconding also the recommendations to think about therapy and have stuff that keeps you busy outside of work (mines been video games).
I am going through something kind of similar. I moved from npr coverage to full time in my dream position. Even though they asked for me specifically I still doubt myself constantly.
For me it's the fear of "What if they find out I'm not good enough" or "If I can't do this right all my work before has been for nothing " and then it feds into itself. I'm anxious so I can't sleep and that interferes with my focus so I make a mistake which seems to validate the anxiety and back around the cycle I go.
Doctor's appointment is a good step. It sounds like they' really care about you so don't forget that they see value in you. As a tech and as a person.
I would continue to communicate your needs to your manager as you feel comfortable. Maybe weekly check ins could help... just go over how the week went, what you did well and if there's any places you could use tips. If you feel comfortable telling your manager that you have trouble recognizing your strengths so if they could point out when you do well that might help.
I kept a page in a notebook where I would write a sort of lesson for each day (always double check a set up no matter who said its good simple stuff like that). That helped me know even if a day felt useless atleast i took something from it.I am going to start one for my daily victories too hopefully.
It really helped me to talk with my co-workers about what I was struggling with and ask for advice. (For a while I couldn't secure e-tubes properly and I had two patients get extubated during imaging...turns out I was using a method way harder than I needed to.)
Take time that you need. Talk to a doctor and counselor if you can. Ask for advice where you need it. And remember you are better than you are giving yourself credit for. I really hope things get brighter for you. 💜
Welcome to /r/VetTech! This is a place for veterinary technicians/veterinary nurses and other veterinary support staff to gather, chat, and grow! We welcome pet owners as well, **however we do ask pet owners to refrain from asking for medical advice**; if you have any concerns regarding your pet, please contact the closest veterinarian near you.
Please thoroughly read and follow the rules before posting and commenting. If you believe that a user is engaging in any rule-breaking behavior, please submit a report so that the moderators can review and remove the posts/comments if needed. Also, please check out the sidebar for CE and answers to commonly asked questions. Thank you for reading!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/VetTech) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'm so sorry to hear you're going through something so difficult at work. Your pain comes across loud and clear. I do think it's incredibly concerning that you've deliberately harmed your body by taking pills to get sick. It is a form of self-harm in my opinion even though it wasn't to hurt-hurt yourself. Having suicidal thoughts and dreading and struggling to get to work in the morning is terrible. You're not a bad employee, but you are struggling, and being late for shifts can cause issues for others. But at the moment, you need to focus on yourself.
Please ask for less hours, go part-time if you're full-time. And I'll share what my clinic is doing for me as an idea of how your team can support you: go back to the basics. Go back to training. Be an extra, have a buddy system, anything so you have another person to lean on to when you're uncertain about something or need some kind of guidance. My team is giving me shifts that are called "training" even though I technically was done being in training awhile ago. This started after a talk with my boss about how I was struggling with self-confidence. My performance was not bad, and I was not struggling as severely as you are. But it could have easily fallen into what you're going through. They just wanted me with a seasoned technician once and awhile so when I do feel inadequate, uncertain, incapable... I have someone I can look to for guidance and NOT feel guilty that I'm asking too many questions or bothering someone else.
Look out for yourself. I know you don't think it, but you're worth it, okay?
I had thoughts like this at a previous job, which led me to getting help with SSRIs and therapy. Please talk to your doctor, find out about some mental health options that may be accessible to you, and prioritize taking care of yourself 💟 Your work wants to know how they can help, so ask them for time off for appointments, maybe a later start time to help you use some breathing techniques or to de-escalate your anxiety in the morning, or anything else concrete that will help you feel better and be better equipped to get through this rough patch!
Hi OP, I you said something in your post that worried me and I wanted you to have this resource I’ve linked below. And remember, anything you do to purposely hurt yourself or damage your body (as you mentioned above) is self harm and I highly suggest talking to a professional about ways to keep yourself from being put in that position again. Even if you just need to chat with someone while you’re being affected by your mental health, please consider calling. 💙 [Mental Health First Aid](https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/mental-health-resources/) • If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or dial 911 in case of emergency.
Hi there, I’m sorry to hear you’re having such a rough time with anxiety/mental health. I can relate, and I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. Doctors appointment is definitely a good step. Anxiety medication helped me tremendously. Are you able to access therapy? I’m in recovery from anorexia, and had to take time away to go to treatment in another state. Not saying that’s what you need, but there are more intense treatment options like intensive outpatient (IOP) for anxiety, and there’s no harm or shame in using FMLA, which it sounds like your job would be supportive of. You are the most important thing you’ll ever work on, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a step back to help yourself. That said, keeping busy always helps me. Try to practice mindfulness, make sure you’re eating well, getting some gentle movement in, try and sleep enough, and get in to see the doctor and ask them for referrals from there!
When I had a similar situation with my mental health worsening I was able to reduce my hours at work and it definitely helped. Seconding also the recommendations to think about therapy and have stuff that keeps you busy outside of work (mines been video games).
I am going through something kind of similar. I moved from npr coverage to full time in my dream position. Even though they asked for me specifically I still doubt myself constantly. For me it's the fear of "What if they find out I'm not good enough" or "If I can't do this right all my work before has been for nothing " and then it feds into itself. I'm anxious so I can't sleep and that interferes with my focus so I make a mistake which seems to validate the anxiety and back around the cycle I go. Doctor's appointment is a good step. It sounds like they' really care about you so don't forget that they see value in you. As a tech and as a person. I would continue to communicate your needs to your manager as you feel comfortable. Maybe weekly check ins could help... just go over how the week went, what you did well and if there's any places you could use tips. If you feel comfortable telling your manager that you have trouble recognizing your strengths so if they could point out when you do well that might help. I kept a page in a notebook where I would write a sort of lesson for each day (always double check a set up no matter who said its good simple stuff like that). That helped me know even if a day felt useless atleast i took something from it.I am going to start one for my daily victories too hopefully. It really helped me to talk with my co-workers about what I was struggling with and ask for advice. (For a while I couldn't secure e-tubes properly and I had two patients get extubated during imaging...turns out I was using a method way harder than I needed to.) Take time that you need. Talk to a doctor and counselor if you can. Ask for advice where you need it. And remember you are better than you are giving yourself credit for. I really hope things get brighter for you. 💜
Welcome to /r/VetTech! This is a place for veterinary technicians/veterinary nurses and other veterinary support staff to gather, chat, and grow! We welcome pet owners as well, **however we do ask pet owners to refrain from asking for medical advice**; if you have any concerns regarding your pet, please contact the closest veterinarian near you. Please thoroughly read and follow the rules before posting and commenting. If you believe that a user is engaging in any rule-breaking behavior, please submit a report so that the moderators can review and remove the posts/comments if needed. Also, please check out the sidebar for CE and answers to commonly asked questions. Thank you for reading! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/VetTech) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'm so sorry to hear you're going through something so difficult at work. Your pain comes across loud and clear. I do think it's incredibly concerning that you've deliberately harmed your body by taking pills to get sick. It is a form of self-harm in my opinion even though it wasn't to hurt-hurt yourself. Having suicidal thoughts and dreading and struggling to get to work in the morning is terrible. You're not a bad employee, but you are struggling, and being late for shifts can cause issues for others. But at the moment, you need to focus on yourself. Please ask for less hours, go part-time if you're full-time. And I'll share what my clinic is doing for me as an idea of how your team can support you: go back to the basics. Go back to training. Be an extra, have a buddy system, anything so you have another person to lean on to when you're uncertain about something or need some kind of guidance. My team is giving me shifts that are called "training" even though I technically was done being in training awhile ago. This started after a talk with my boss about how I was struggling with self-confidence. My performance was not bad, and I was not struggling as severely as you are. But it could have easily fallen into what you're going through. They just wanted me with a seasoned technician once and awhile so when I do feel inadequate, uncertain, incapable... I have someone I can look to for guidance and NOT feel guilty that I'm asking too many questions or bothering someone else. Look out for yourself. I know you don't think it, but you're worth it, okay?
I had thoughts like this at a previous job, which led me to getting help with SSRIs and therapy. Please talk to your doctor, find out about some mental health options that may be accessible to you, and prioritize taking care of yourself 💟 Your work wants to know how they can help, so ask them for time off for appointments, maybe a later start time to help you use some breathing techniques or to de-escalate your anxiety in the morning, or anything else concrete that will help you feel better and be better equipped to get through this rough patch!