Does mental illness qualify as a sickness?

[Rawrzxor]

So, I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, recurrent, severe when I was 15. As I've grown, I've learned to cope with it as best I can. However, occasionally, one of these episodes is severe enough to where I just can't get out of bed in the morning. Colors look less vibrant; I don't want to hang out with anyone; I don't want to play video games; I don't want to watch t.v.; I don't eat, but can force myself to eat a light meal; I get horrible headaches and stomach cramps. I don't want to do anything aside from sleep or lay in bed. Start time was 2:30, and I didn't manage to get in until 4:30. Being able to come in at all was a ing fight.

If I miss a day due to unbridled depression, would this be applicable to the federal law about being able to call in due to sickness? Can they fire me or write me up for that? I've worked for UPS for almost 3 months, and I've called in once because my aunt was in the hospital on death's door. This would be my first sick call-in. Obviously, if I can get out of bed in the morning, I'll go.

I haven't felt like this for a couple years...

Inb4, "just go to work ." You really have no idea what it's like.

 

[Individual]

Once you've been an employee for a year you will have your sick days. For now, it is largely going to depend on how understanding your sups are.

 

[Xexys]

I have an idea what it's like. My wife has been diagnosed with severe depression for over 25 years. It is a disease, a very debilitating disorder that messes with your endorphins in your brain. Your receptors are not accepting the endorphins which causes the migraine headaches. Prosac was/is the number 1 drug to treat this disorder that came out the middle of the '80's and has helped thousands.

Nowadays, many more drugs are on the market. You can develop a tolerance to a specific drug and after some time it may not work for you. Self deprecation, suicide, there are many things that "float" through your mind when in this state of depression.

Find yourself a psychologist and then find yourself a neurologist for your headaches. With their help, you may find some comfort. It's an everyday battle and I feel for you. This is not a very good thing for anyone to have.

Just today my wife went through a Lumbar tap. This is done to see if your brain is receiving too much, not enough or even toxic fluids that travel up to your brain and back down your spine. These fluids are replaced in any 8 hour period all the time. These practices are extreme, but my wife has experienced migraines since she was 7 years old. Most of the time, people don't start getting these kinds of headaches until the middle 20's. I feel so bad for anyone that has migraines or is depressed.

It's very tricky to treat both of these conditions at the same time. Many drugs will have side effects and sometimes two drugs will intermingle very badly and put the person in the throes of great depression. Watch what you put into your body and use your insurance and get some help.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Normally I would suggest that you suck it up but I also know someone who has to deal with this on a daily basis. I would further suggest that you see if this would be a medical condition that would qualify you for FMLA protection but you don't have enough hours. Talk to your sup as repeated and unexplained absences and/or tardiness may lead to your termination.

 

[stealth8]

Xexys

Very well said. My wife was hospitalized in a psych ward for a week when her depression got to the point that we had know other choice. She was threatening to kill herself. Depression is a disease that can be treated in various ways. In our case medication helped to calm her down and get her back on her feet at the beginning , but after going to 3 different psychologist she finally "clicked" with one and it made a world of difference.

She was able to stop the meds after about 15 mos and 6 mos later she was back to her same old self again. It was by far the worst thing my family and I had ever gone through in our 30 yrs together. I ended up attending some support groups in my area dealing with mental illness, and it is unbelievable to me, how many people were going through the exact same thing.


People are afraid to admit they are having mental issues because of the stigma attached to it. ( people don't want to be referred to as a nut case) I think that is part of the reason for a lot of these mass shootings we are seeing more often in our society. People are just afraid to reach out for help. Society needs to understand that it is a disease ( chemical imbalance in the brain) and needs to be treated as a disease.

I was very lucky at the time we went through it ,because I had a Center Manager at the time that was very understanding ,and he let me have as much time off as needed to get the situation under control. Our insurance at the time contracted a company called Mental Health Network (MHN) and they were unbelievable. They were like angels sent from heaven, they took care of everything!

I guess the bottom line is : if you or your family ever goes through a bout of depression there are people out there that really care and are trained to help you . Don't be ashamed to reach out!


Sent using BrownCafe App

 

[Wally]

Lots of folks with a lot less problems are milking the gravy train of government benefits.

 

[brownmonster]

Not wanting to get out of bed. No vibrant colors. Sounds like winter.

 

[HubBub]

If you've got seniority and just need a day just call and tell them you're sick, you don't need to give details. Learn the attendance policy where you are. Where I'm at it's extremely lenient.

In my experience though sitting around doing nothing is the worst thing you can do when you're depressed.

 

[HubBub]

Also, just because you don't get sick days doesn't mean you can't call in sick. Just means you don't get paid.

 

[raceanoncr]

First of all, take care of YOURSELF. Do whatever it takes to live a life as close to normal as you can and take care of your family. Listen to the Docs. Get documentation of every visit and every condition you have, that is, get Doctors notes.

That's the only advice I can give due to my not having these issues or knowing anyone that does. BUT, I do know it exists and can be deadly.

NOW, unfortunately, UPS, in general, is very unforgiving when it comes to ANY illness, whether it be mental or physical. As you gain more seniority you will see this. Exam: You call in sick, you will be asked why. IF you tell them why, you will get diagnosed on the spot. THEN when diagnosed, you will be given a cure. That cure is "GET IN HERE NOW" .

Now, don't dis me on this and say that UPS is so caring. I said, "in general". Not every center, hub, district is that way.

UPS is a business and the people behind the desk/phone/computer are in the business of running a business and are taught to run that business no matter what it takes. So, IN GENERAL, those people really don't care what your issue is. If it wasn't for Acts like FMLA and other Federally mandated laws, there would be NO protection for a case like yours.

Again, I sympathize with you and wish you the best but just beware that you WILL run into flak from the company. If not, I applaud you and your management personnel.

 

[Brownslave688]

Depression hits very close to home with me. I can promise its affected me as much as it can a person who doesn't have it.

With that said this job and this place are probably not an ideal situation for you. The hours the atmosphere just can't be good.

I also believe laying in bed and calling in is the worst thing one can do. Force yourself to go to work force yourself to be around people and ill bet at the end of the day you feel better than if you had laid in bed all day.

 

[bleedinbrown58]

So, I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, recurrent, severe when I was 15. As I've grown, I've learned to cope with it as best I can. However, occasionally, one of these episodes is severe enough to where I just can't get out of bed in the morning. Colors look less vibrant; I don't want to hang out with anyone; I don't want to play video games; I don't want to watch t.v.; I don't eat, but can force myself to eat a light meal; I get horrible headaches and stomach cramps. I don't want to do anything aside from sleep or lay in bed. Start time was 2:30, and I didn't manage to get in until 4:30. Being able to come in at all was a ing fight.

If I miss a day due to unbridled depression, would this be applicable to the federal law about being able to call in due to sickness? Can they fire me or write me up for that? I've worked for UPS for almost 3 months, and I've called in once because my aunt was in the hospital on death's door. This would be my first sick call-in. Obviously, if I can get out of bed in the morning, I'll go.

I haven't felt like this for a couple years...

Inb4, "just go to work ." You really have no idea what it's like.

Calling in sick for a day isn't the end of the world...the worst they can do is write you up. It's probably better to do that then just showing up 2 hours late.

 

[Xexys]

Depression hits very close to home with me. I can promise its affected me as much as it can a person who doesn't have it.

With that said this job and this place are probably not an ideal situation for you. The hours the atmosphere just can't be good.

I also believe laying in bed and calling in is the worst thing one can do. Force yourself to go to work force yourself to be around people and ill bet at the end of the day you feel better than if you had laid in bed all day.

A person who has never been affected by depression really does have a hard time dealing with a loved one who does have this. While I can relate to you wanting a person to "force themselves" to get out of bed, this is much harder to understand than anything I've ever tried to understand. It is very hard for a depressed person to even want to get out of bed let alone do it.

While there are many stages of depression, a person who's diagnosed with severe depression has no control of their mind. The OP describes colors not being as vibrant. This I can relate to with my wife. She has also described to me the same. Stomach aches, aura headaches are also full indications of severe depression. Forcing oneself to "get out of bed" or mingle with people just isn't in the realm of reality for a depressed individual. Understand, most severe cases of depression almost certainly have tendencies to just want to be dead. Not necessarily kill oneself, just be dead. My wife once described it as she wouldn't care if she was involved in a car accident that killed her. So, it's not suicide per say, just a descriptive word (suicide) for an end result of the depressed state of mind.

A person such as myself has a hard time dealing with this state of mind. Counseling is probably in my future as one of the posters here in this thread has described. I believe it will help me to understand more of what the depressed mind is really all about.

I feel your pain Rawrzxor. Hang in there and for sure go see a good psych doctor.

 

[Rawrzxor]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the sentiments. No one said anything when I returned to work, so that's good. I guess I have a lax hub, because they didn't grief me at all on the phone either.

 

[soberups]

It is a legitimate, reoccurring medical issue and should be treated as such. See if you can get your doctor to sign the necessary paperwork so that it qualifies for FMLA, this will protect you from having your absences counted as occurrences that could lead to disciplinary action. Good luck and hang in there.

 

[Future]

When i get depressed(which is often) i take a nice bubble bath and go to the circus. Circus aka UPS....... Hang in there kid,make sure you are seeing your DR when these episodes do happen to you,as stated above you should seek FMLA for days that your not 100%. Dont just deal with the issue,seek all the help you can get from Medical people. There are a million different meds out there for your condition, maybe just a switch could help you.

 

[Indecisi0n]

I think I have mental issues.

 

[Wally]

Wouldn't going to work take your mind off things? Maybe not, but for me it does.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Wouldn't going to work take your mind off things? Maybe not, but for me it does.

We are talking about people for whom simply getting out of bed in the morning can be a huge challenge.

 

[bleedinbrown58]

I think I have mental issues.

Yes, luckily your inflatable woman is very understanding.