Monday, December 11, 2006
Its been a fun couple of months!
I am pleased to say that I’m feeling better.
if you've been following the last couple of blogs (and if not why not) you might remember that I have been signed off sick since the start of October with stress, and needed medication to help (diazepam for anxiety and temazepam for insomnia for the medics amongst you). I took them for a while as needed, but haven’t needed any for 2 weeks. I am now on holiday, before starting a new job as a school nurse, in a school with children with physical and learning difficulties. This will mean term time only working for me, which is a first. With the whole family off for the summer holidays we might even get to go to New York, before I'm to old feeble and forgetful to go!
I have had two courses of counselling, one funded by my union, and one arranged via work. Both have been valuable, and complimentary, as the two therapists have used different styles of therapy and helping. In the course of two or three sessions I have obtained a lot of insight into myself, my work and other relationships and begun to plan for my future.
One is very client centred (where the therapist lets the client set the agenda and offers little or no advice), and the other has a background in psychotherapy, and is much more interventionist. He will offer advice, opinions and direction. One of the first things he said to me was “don’t have other peoples illnesses for them”. He offered the opinion that the system was sick and the situation I was placed into was intolerable, the surprising thing being not that I had failed to cope, but that I had coped for so long.
With a difficult home situation at present, with three children all going through puberty, exams and having to live with each other. There is a lot of slamming of doors, shouting and loud music. There have been evenings where I have been very tempted to go to the pub to avoid going home for a while!
After 20 years NHS service, without any significant sickness until now I think I am probably due a sabbatical (I certainly won't be using any maternity leave!) As painful as the experiences have been, they have given me the chance to rest, reflect and to take stock of what is going on in my life and to consider the direction that I could go. What is it that makes me smile? What is it that only I can do?
The answers to the above questions will take a lot of thought, prayer, reflection and advice from others. Watch this space!
if you've been following the last couple of blogs (and if not why not) you might remember that I have been signed off sick since the start of October with stress, and needed medication to help (diazepam for anxiety and temazepam for insomnia for the medics amongst you). I took them for a while as needed, but haven’t needed any for 2 weeks. I am now on holiday, before starting a new job as a school nurse, in a school with children with physical and learning difficulties. This will mean term time only working for me, which is a first. With the whole family off for the summer holidays we might even get to go to New York, before I'm to old feeble and forgetful to go!
I have had two courses of counselling, one funded by my union, and one arranged via work. Both have been valuable, and complimentary, as the two therapists have used different styles of therapy and helping. In the course of two or three sessions I have obtained a lot of insight into myself, my work and other relationships and begun to plan for my future.
One is very client centred (where the therapist lets the client set the agenda and offers little or no advice), and the other has a background in psychotherapy, and is much more interventionist. He will offer advice, opinions and direction. One of the first things he said to me was “don’t have other peoples illnesses for them”. He offered the opinion that the system was sick and the situation I was placed into was intolerable, the surprising thing being not that I had failed to cope, but that I had coped for so long.
With a difficult home situation at present, with three children all going through puberty, exams and having to live with each other. There is a lot of slamming of doors, shouting and loud music. There have been evenings where I have been very tempted to go to the pub to avoid going home for a while!
After 20 years NHS service, without any significant sickness until now I think I am probably due a sabbatical (I certainly won't be using any maternity leave!) As painful as the experiences have been, they have given me the chance to rest, reflect and to take stock of what is going on in my life and to consider the direction that I could go. What is it that makes me smile? What is it that only I can do?
The answers to the above questions will take a lot of thought, prayer, reflection and advice from others. Watch this space!
Labels: anxiety, counselling, NHS
# posted by Mark @ 4:02 PM 
