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Strange advice from GP today

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bluefox
bluefox Community member Posts: 636 Pioneering
in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Can someone please tell me if I should feel grieved. My friend, her Mum has depression and anxiety, yet has been told to stay off work until she’s ready. She’s under IAPT. 

I am being told today to look for part time work yet I’m under a Community Psychiatric Nurse and potentially need lithium to stabilise my mood. And need Atomextine for my ADHD. 

I saw my GP face to face and needed the presence of my companion, to which he said, well you got here today. Yes I did with the help of my companion, otherwise this doesn’t happen. 

How does this affect my benefit entitlement? I am clearly not fit to look for a job if I can’t leave the house all the time. 

Am I crazy? Or are they crazy? 
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  • bluefox
    bluefox Community member Posts: 636 Pioneering
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    I suffer with depression, severe anxiety, functional seizures and have recently been diagnosed with ADHD and have high clinical suspicion from 3 psychiatrists that I require an autism assessment. 

    I am under a mental health team and maybe getting a CPN. I’m also likely to be prescribed lithium soon to stabilise my moods. 

    My GP today insisted on seeing me in person and due to my severe anxiety around leaving the home, I have to have a companion at all times.

    His attitude to my health condition was: find a part-time job?! Okay how? I can’t leave the house by myself and if I’m out too long I get fearful and want to come back. 

    Secondly, he said well you’ve turned up today. Yes I’m aware of that but enduring the severe anxiety in the presence of a companion. Without that companion, I don’t attend the surgery. I needed calming down to go and visit the GP. 

    Anyway, if this is his opinion, does that mean my LCWRA is now invalid because he thinks I should look for a part-time job? 

    And yet this is the same GP surgery my friend attends and her Mum has been provided with letters etc about her condition and yet she can drive from Manchester to Leeds. 

    I am banned from driving because of my seizures. 
    I am unable to travel alone. 

    And yet I’m being told this unbelievably bad advice?

    So if I try a job, fail, fall flat on my back side and make my condition worse. I then have no money which then increases my suicidal thoughts which btw the psychiatrist noted that I suffer with ‘chronic suicidal feelings’ and moderate risk of ‘self-harm’. 

    But yeah just go get a job hey. I am absolutely flabbergasted. 
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  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 55,097 Disability Gamechanger
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    You do not need to look for work if you don't want to that's entirely your decision and no one elses. A GP telling you to find a job will not affect your LCWRA or Support Group, as you were advised in your thread yesterday it's not a GPs decision.

    Maybe it's time to find a different GP...
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
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  • bluefox
    bluefox Community member Posts: 636 Pioneering
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    poppy123456 said:
    You do not need to look for work if you don't want to that's entirely your decision and no one elses. A GP telling you to find a job will not affect your LCWRA or Support Group, as you were advised in your thread yesterday it's not a GPs decision.

    Maybe it's time to find a different GP...
    I’m in agreement with you, poppy. Maybe it is time to leave this GP surgery because that is absolutely disgraceful. 

    Lithium is a very serious drug that requires constant blood monitoring, that and my avoidance behaviours and moods, coupled with the seizures and neurodivergence. I am finding daily life hard never mind a job on top. 
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  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,796 Disability Gamechanger
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    Agreed find a new GP ASAP.
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

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  • bluefox
    bluefox Community member Posts: 636 Pioneering
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    woodbine said:
    Agreed find a new GP ASAP.
    Second opinion. Or just a completely different practice?
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  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,796 Disability Gamechanger
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    Different practice.

    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

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  • bluefox
    bluefox Community member Posts: 636 Pioneering
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    woodbine said:
    Different practice.

    There isn’t many in my local area. Maybe I should get PALS involved. 


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  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 55,097 Disability Gamechanger
    edited May 2023
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    bluefox said:
    woodbine said:
    Agreed find a new GP ASAP.
    Second opinion.

    For what? 
    bluefox said:
    Maybe I should get PALS involved. 




    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
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  • bluefox
    bluefox Community member Posts: 636 Pioneering
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    poppy123456 said:
    bluefox said:
    woodbine said:
    Agreed find a new GP ASAP.
    Second opinion.

    For what? 
    bluefox said:
    Maybe I should get PALS involved. 




    PALS can tell the GP that they’re not following NICE guidelines and that the panic and agoraphobia inventory scale is a valid measure of avoidance. 

    Quite clearly my doctor is not clued up. 

    But you did say, poppy. Time to find a different GP. Does that mean a new surgery or a second opinion?
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  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 55,097 Disability Gamechanger
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    Your GP advised you to find some work but you do not have to do as they advised you to do. It’s entirely your decision whether you work or not. 

    The reason I advised to find a new GP is because isn’t this the most obvious thing to do if you’re not happy with your current one? You don’t have to find a new surgery.  I don’t know what you need a 2nd opinion for? 
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
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