A manger at a company I work at has one on one time with me where she checks in on my mental health. she fully supports me prioritizing my mental health over my job. she told me it was concerning that I think I’m going to lose my job if I persue an inpatient program for mental health at a hospital because there are policies in place to protect my job and encouraged me to talk to HR and gave me resources regarding the company policy for things like that but I’m scared to take that step. I feel like no one in my family would support me and I need money. I worry so much about everything. I guess that just because I’m anxious 24/7
Hey Stuck , I’m sorry that things seem tough right now. All I can say really is it’s ok to feel scared. Big steps and change are scary!! Be brave , you can totally do this.
Do what is best for you and your health and try to worry about family and money after, or not at all as I’m sure they will support you if you reach out to them. Your health has always got to be priority over everything .
I hope things goes well and I hope you get the help you need. You got this friend !
It is truly amazing and very brave of you to be your vulnerable self with someone so supportive with you at work, but also for considering the inpatient option. It is absolutely understandable to feel scared, and I can tell that it is something most people feel before admitting themselves in an inpatient program. After all, it is something completely new, it is about having a different life schedule for a certain time and being away from our home. All reasons to be anxious because it is all new. However, I can assure you that benig your own priority, putting your mental health first, is always the right thing to do. And indeed, it won’t make you lose your job. You can try to see it as if you had a physical injury that require you to stay in hospital. It’s completely the same. No shame or fear of losing what you have at all. It is, for you, going to be a time to rest, be safe and develop new coping mechanisms. It is, actually, a time invested in yourself that will have a positive effect at your job too. No noe wants you to push beyond your limits. You deserve to take care of yourself as much as possible.
I’m very proud of you, and I hope you will make sure to meet your needs mental health wise. If persuing an inpatient program is necessary, then so be it. Your family may not understand, but that would be on them, really. They are not living your life. They don’t get to tell what is good for you or not.
Thank you. Another fear I have is picking a facility. Because from what I’ve looked up, reviews were bad near me and in the next state over. It’s not just ex patients but also some from family members who were not happy with the condition that their loved ones were living in. Idk it’s a scary idea and not seeing good reviews in the state I’m in is more scary and discouraging. Idk. I think I need to get my thoughts straight. I just got insurance from the company I work at (was recently hired after being a temp with them for months) but still, my financial situation isn’t the best and still rely on my parents and live with them. It sounds like excuses, and maybe they are but to me it’s a genuinely scary step. Maybe I’ll look into the resources the company provides. Might be a good start
We also have a corporate Chaplin but I’m not religious and idk, I have a therapist so I think what do I need a Chaplin for. He’s nice but again I feel intimidated
You don’t need to have a Chaplin if you don’t feel the need to. Actually, if you are not comfortable with them anyway, it wouldn’t help at all and be counter-productive for you.
As for the perspective of going inpatient, I hear you. It is true that many mental health institutions are suffering of a lack of finances, which can result in the quality of the environments, sometimes the services provided too. However, there are amazing workers in these institutions, who are ready to move mountains for their patients and be amazing caregivers, even when they are not helped themselves by their work environment. The reviews that you have read were also from loved ones of patients, so they might have seen just the surface of the institution. Not saying they are wrong - I don’t know! and will never pretend to know - but just that their commentaries could also be taken with a grain of salt.
Something that could be a kind of middle ground for you, would be to look after hospitals that provide daycare. Basically, institutions where you don’t have to be there full time, only during the day or during certain activities then the evenings you go back to your home. It is just an idea though, as I don’t know if that is a thing where/close to where you live, and if it would even meet your current needs. Just know that it is something that exists, and is often prefered rather than a full hospitalisation.
Good idea as well to look after the resources of your company. It is definitely something worth to check in! The hardest part, in my opinion, is often to find the right information where we need them, which requires sometimes to open a certain amount of doors. But it is always worth it, because it’s about your mental health and well-being.
