Not sleeping at all š„²
I have many mental health problems, and alcohol addiction as have ptsd from sexual assault. I applied for pip two months ago and waiting for outcome and itās just making me spiral even more . Iām surviving on about an hour , 2 at most sleep and so run down . My IBS , is bad , Iām having panic attacks and wish Iād not even applied for pip now even though benefit advisor told me to , but my brain doesnāt function well with change or stress I just get manic and make myself unwell . I struggle to get through every day life as it is so I hate that I have this added stress . The horror stories I read about this bloody pip just makes me feel ill. Feel like Iām losing my mind . I try so hard to get by each day but itās difficult. Hugs to anyone else whoās struggling right now also . š„°
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sorry to hear that you aren't sleeping at all what helps me when I'm not sleeping is listening to meditation on YouTube and you can get pillow spray and rescue drops that goes on the tip of your tongue I hope these suggestions help
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Thank you @durhamjaide2001 il give these a try as feel like Iām losing my mind itās awful. Whatās best rescue drops so I can have a look ? And pillow spray ? I do listen to a thunderstorm app at times but thatās stopped working for me as Iām so highly strung . My mind is constantly 100 miles an hour. X
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Sorry this is effecting you so much @tracies1996 I remember how stressed I was when I first applied for PIP, when I was dealing with extreme anxiety and freshly diagnoses PTSD, it wasn't fun. My best piece of advice is try to keep busy and try not to think about your PIP application. Easier said than done I know, but it's worth remembering you only ever hear about the bad experiences people have, never the good ones. Many people are claiming PIP with no bad experiences.
Have you spoken to your GP about how it's been making you feel?
I'll pop you an email in a bit, so please be on the look out for it. āŗļø1 -
The cruelty of PIP is in the wait. Once youāve applied, you are stuck in limbo, exhausted, anxious, and destabilised. It does not just test eligibility. It tests how long you can endure uncertainty.
I cannot offer solutions, because the process itself is the problem. The horror stories are real and well documented, and they dominate the conversation for a reason. But many people do get awarded. It is just that when the outcome is fair, most are too relieved or too worn down to talk about it.
I hope you do not have to wait much longer for your claim to be approved.
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Thank you @Albus_Scope and @MW123 your right itās exhausting. I could have applied a few years ago now but I refused to because I found it hard enough when fought for esa and I did appeal that but was soul destroying and draining .Struggling with my mental health etc is bad enough. I only applied as my benefit advisor lady talked me round and said look you really should it will help you massively. I wish I was a person who didnāt overthink or spiral or have the worst panic attacks itās like my brain is wired totally wrong at times . I would love to be that person who never worries or suffers ptsd or flashbacks . I guess I should be proud I did apply though and Iām always trying small steps to accept help again from counselling etc. ( I hate appointments of any kind or talking on phone lol ) but I know I must try and push myself at times . Thank you for replying to me and sorry for your hard times too. X this forum btw is full of lovely kind people I really appreciate it x
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Hi there. I can really relate to you and some of your conditions and other conditions I have doesnāt help and makes it more difficult and impacts severely on our conditions of the fear we face due the uncertainty for being in the hands of dwp. We have added stress or losing our benefits. We think weāre the only ones but we are not alone trying to survive just from being unwell never mind the uncertainty of our own circumstances and situation weāre in. I sent off my pip review form 4 months ago itās not even been looked at yet. Itās stressful as the first time I did it!
I sometimes think is it worth the hassle, the upheaval, anxiety and fear and then I think I donāt have any choice. I am so tired of fighting the world but I have no choice it would certainly affect my life if I lost pip due to my circumstances and situation in my time of need. My circumstances are very bad at the moment and I canāt see a way out and it makes me think of bad things all the time, I think anyone reading this would know what I meant. So sorry I donāt mean to be feeling so low but I have no one who understands to reach out to.
I wish everyone all the best luck and God bless.ā¤ļøš
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So sorry you are so low too lovely @Leelitsa . Youāre right we rely on what we get but itās sooo much stress which as anyone knows stress and anxiety can bring on so much more itās not as black and white as the government might think . Things like this make me spiral more and I self destruct which isnāt good at all . All I want in life is to find some peace and try manage day to day but itās never really possible. We donāt ask to be this way , unfortunately things in life happen to us and mess us up. In my life Iāve just came across very bad ppl from a young age which carried on through life . So if I get one day out of the month where I feel ok Iām thankful as a lot of my days aināt so . I hope you get some good days hun and I hope you hear good news about your pip soon .Fingers crossed š¤ . š„°
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Hi @tracies1996,
Thank you for replying back to me, I really appreciate it. You have helped me feel valued just by replying and grateful.š
Goodness šš»āāļø I also have suffered in the hands of some bad ppl for many years of my life and it really badly messed me up too. Also one of my mental health conditions is ptsd due nearly passing away. Thank goodness am here still.š
We have come a long way and like others on here too.
Wish you many good days and finding that precious peace and happiness. Also wish you very best outcome on your pip claim.š¤All the best my lovely.ā¤ļø
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I am glad that I managed to help a tiny bit
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@Passerby yeh itās definitely made me spiral mentally .š©
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I only found out about PIP when I applied to my council for a Blue Badge back in 2018. I genuinely didnāt know working people could get extra help with disabilities until then. I rang for the forms, and my first assessment was in person at a centre, a physiotherapist who was professional and kind, did my assessment. It took five months from application to award. I was awarded standard daily living for two years.
Two years later, during COVID, my review was due, conducted over the phone with a nurse. The assessor came across as dismissive from the very start. The call began at 9am sharp, and after confirming my identity, she said: āWe have to be quick, I havenāt got much time.ā It was abrupt and unprofessional, no explanation, no courtesy. Just a clear signal that she saw the assessment as something she had to get through as quickly as possible.
I wasnāt prepared to put up with that attitude, and I made it very clear. I said firmly that I wouldnāt be rushed through a process meant to evaluate my needs with care and respect. I even suggested rearranging for a more suitable time for her. She backtracked and said she did have time, so we continued. Six months later after that assessment, I found out Iād kept the same award for a further two years. But that interaction stayed with me. It was a stark reminder that the system doesnāt just test eligibility, it tests your ability to stay composed while being treated with indifference.
Then a year before that award ended, I received a renewal form. I sent it off, and it took 17 months from start to finish. Near the end of that 17 months wait, I received a voicemail from a DWP doctor asking me to call back by 6pm on a mobile number. I rang, and all they wanted was to confirm my medication was still the same as Iād listed 17 months earlier. That assessment was paper based. I was awarded enhanced daily living and enhanced mobility, backdated for the full 17 months (minus the standard award Iād already been receiving). Awarded for ten years.
Passerby, if itās been on your mind, Iād gently encourage you to apply. The process can be slow and tiring, but many people do get awarded. And if they say no? Youāre no worse off than before. Youāve lost nothing by trying, but you might gain something that makes daily life a little more manageable.
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Iām truly sorry to hear about the loss of your mum, and your health issues on top of everything. Itās completely understandable that things got delayed.
When I applied for PIP, I relied on consultant letters, detailed, specific, and focused on how my conditions affect daily life and ability to carry out certain tasks. That clarity made a real difference.
I always tick ānoā to DWP contacting my GP. Itās not about secrecy, itās about control. I want to decide whatās shared and how itās framed. GP reports are often vague or written by someone who barely knows you.
PIP isnāt about diagnosis. Itās about how your condition affects your ability to function day to day. Thatās what matters. If you apply, focus on how your conditions impact your daily living. Use everyday language, tie it to the descriptors, and keep it clear. You donāt need to over explain.
Including your ESA50 and WCA report could help, especially if they describe your functional limitations well. Just make sure the language fits PIP criteria and highlight whatās most relevant.
Youāve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. Iām glad I applied, the extra financial support makes a real difference to my life. Itās sad how many people miss out, either because they donāt know the benefit exists, or because horror stories put them off.
When I first applied in 2018, I took a simple view, the worst they could do was say no. If I were in your situation, Iād apply now. Donāt let fear of rejection hold you back, or stop you from claiming the support youāre entitled to.
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Hi @tracies1996 šš¼š
Speaking to you as someone with problems with panic due to trauma, I'm wondering if you're panicked and would benefit from my latest favourite mental health tool. It's called bilateralul music. It has to be listened to with a headset or earbuds. It is supposed to help you process thoughts and emotions. In my experience, in a panic state, the nonverbal (instinct) side of my brain is screaming for attention. So the nonverbal bilateral music helps me process these thoughts and feelings, and it's incredible how quickly I can calm down. I can go from a 10 to a 3 in an hour. I also use it as prevention, if I feel anxious.
Here is my favourite playlist. I hope this helps....
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Bless you. Dont worry about the sleep as in dont fight it and keep trying to sleep when in an aroused state it usually makes it worse stressing about it. Try asking for a med that isnt a benzodiazapine that you can go up and down on so no tolerance. Maybe ask quetiapine off label you probs find first time knock you out and you can hover around 150mg and increase 300mg when you really need to. A low level dose constant would avoid withdrawl but you can go up when high arousal. Drs dont seem to worry about abuse if you explain. I found daridaroxent works. if you have ptsd you take it everynight but if you need to get up in morning its so hard to do an not something take all time and also takes time to work in system. For IBS i take pepcol and this helps do you find with anxiety and stress that you get other pains in body same time which can be scary? I only find alcohol stop this?
I never had a prob with pip because i think on paper i was homeless but LCWRA and everything else i have found nightmare. Its easy to say not to worry but your right to worry its just likely you will probably overthink and overstress and you cant control that much just accept it an try to just manage your symptoms or situation. I slow alcohol and saved it towards bed time and reduce it alot.
its painful and difficult to function but i eventually got a puppy that while world falls apart i have to take care of him, but i dont think your at that stage but that routine as commitment helps but is taxing. I find if adrenaline is high in evening i used to have beer but i never span out of control but i take clonodine and now and this helps heart rate but honestly if your adrenaline is high nothing is going to slow it down really. You can try hot baths over a few days to continually to take stress out body as part of routine before bed.
You can try holding shoulders up high squeezing tension (like a long shrug) and letting go this can help remove tension of stress by alot like euphoric, but this isnt something you can keep constantly doing the anxiety is always going to be there. If you keep thinking about suicide im supposed to say get help? i find loud music anything and try do something that you need to do thats repetitive an easy or think about a happy memory that can make you laugh?
Good luck
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