The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
I have PTSD and I lost my job.
harvest
By birthright,a stupendous badass.Registered User regular
By birthright,a stupendous badass.Registered User regular
I have PTSD and I lost my job.
On December 9, 2006 I had a serious panic attack at work. Panic anxiety and the resultant attacks are something I've had to deal with on and off since June-ish of 2002. The one in December was unprecented in intensity and duration; the after-effects of that attack lasted nearly four days. I left work that day and went to the emergency clinic to get a tranquilizer, advice, and a note so I wouldn't get fired for leaving my shift early.
On December 11, 2006 I saw my primary care physician and he provided me with EffexorXR 150mg pills, an anti-anxiety and anti-depression drug. Seems to work ok as a sort of emotional band-aid, but the problem was still there of course. I also requested a referral to a psychiatrist in my local area.
This same day I went back to work and started the paperwork to take a medical leave of absence. That was pretty painless, and my HR contact was helpful if uninterested. The most important part of the terms of my leave was that it could last no longer than 12 weeks, or 84 days. I though to myself, "Two weeks ought to be enough for me to get a grip." Two weeks turned into four, and four turned into eleven. I spent a lot of time consulting with my physician and my psychiatrist to confirm that the medication I was on was having the expected effects, and then started to seek out a counselor for psychotherapy.
I've seen the therapist three times in the last three weeks. The first time I went in I filled out some papers about my feelings and behaviors, and we got on the subject of psychological trauma. Thirty minutes into my first appointment with the therapist revealed that I suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, complete with a lot of classic symptoms like anhedona, disociation, panic, and adrenal overproduction. Subsequent visits have focused on how to deal with my emotions and calm down my adrenal system, and appointments in the future will focus on the sources of my traumas and their effects on my life in the present.
My leave of absence from work ended on March 1, 2007. I had some tools for dealing with panic and overcoming some of my fear, so I was hopeful that I'd be alright at work and it'd help me get back to feeling normal. Wrong. Two hours after clocking in I was out in my car weeping and shaking, feeling that all-too-familiar feeling of doom and paranoia. I had abandoned my shift, and the consequence for that is termination. On one hand I'm relieved, and on the other hand now I have to figure out what to do to pay for future psychiatric care.
This is where you guys come in.
Has anyone suffered a similar chain of events, or does anyone know if/how I can collect unemployment/social security benefits in Washington State? Or where to get started to find this out? Do I need to talk to the Department of Health, Department of Labor, a lawyer, a priest, or what?
On December 9, 2006 I had a serious panic attack at work. Panic anxiety and the resultant attacks are something I've had to deal with on and off since June-ish of 2002. The one in December was unprecented in intensity and duration; the after-effects of that attack lasted nearly four days. I left work that day and went to the emergency clinic to get a tranquilizer, advice, and a note so I wouldn't get fired for leaving my shift early.
On December 11, 2006 I saw my primary care physician and he provided me with EffexorXR 150mg pills, an anti-anxiety and anti-depression drug. Seems to work ok as a sort of emotional band-aid, but the problem was still there of course. I also requested a referral to a psychiatrist in my local area.
This same day I went back to work and started the paperwork to take a medical leave of absence. That was pretty painless, and my HR contact was helpful if uninterested. The most important part of the terms of my leave was that it could last no longer than 12 weeks, or 84 days. I though to myself, "Two weeks ought to be enough for me to get a grip." Two weeks turned into four, and four turned into eleven. I spent a lot of time consulting with my physician and my psychiatrist to confirm that the medication I was on was having the expected effects, and then started to seek out a counselor for psychotherapy.
I've seen the therapist three times in the last three weeks. The first time I went in I filled out some papers about my feelings and behaviors, and we got on the subject of psychological trauma. Thirty minutes into my first appointment with the therapist revealed that I suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, complete with a lot of classic symptoms like anhedona, disociation, panic, and adrenal overproduction. Subsequent visits have focused on how to deal with my emotions and calm down my adrenal system, and appointments in the future will focus on the sources of my traumas and their effects on my life in the present.
My leave of absence from work ended on March 1, 2007. I had some tools for dealing with panic and overcoming some of my fear, so I was hopeful that I'd be alright at work and it'd help me get back to feeling normal. Wrong. Two hours after clocking in I was out in my car weeping and shaking, feeling that all-too-familiar feeling of doom and paranoia. I had abandoned my shift, and the consequence for that is termination. On one hand I'm relieved, and on the other hand now I have to figure out what to do to pay for future psychiatric care.
This is where you guys come in.
Has anyone suffered a similar chain of events, or does anyone know if/how I can collect unemployment/social security benefits in Washington State? Or where to get started to find this out? Do I need to talk to the Department of Health, Department of Labor, a lawyer, a priest, or what?
harvest on
0
Posts
If so, I believe there are alot of programs, services, etc. for war vets that you may be eligible. I was just hearing about a yoga program on the radio the other day for vets.
Depending on where you are in Washington and how old you are, there may be other options for you too. The 45th Street Clinic in Seattle (Wallingford) is one place to check with for cheap/free care based on your income level, and there's another one on the West side of Capitol Hill that I can't remember the name of.
http://www.thelostworlds.net/
If you can prove that PTSD is a direct result of your military service, you should qualify for 100% disability pay.