[krisssy]

Originally Posted by sasha2006

Perhaps with your experience, you could provide some suggestions for my situation. I am a student nurse with a generalized anxiety disorder and find it difficult on occasions to concentrate and focus during my clinical rotation. I need advice on how to help keep myself organized and keep it together. I do know that it helps alot when i feel prepared but what can you do when there are things that you can't prepare for? Also, in what ways can i prepare for my shift? (I am currently doing my rotation on a Med/Surg floor with a heavy patient load and i am finding it very challenging to prioritize care and to keep up to speed).
Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
sasha2006

Experience will make a big difference. I felt the same way in nursing school. I would post this in a different area where you will get more answers from experienced nurses. You don't need to have an anxiety disorder to feel how you feel as a student. I would post this under the general area or in the area where experienced nurses give students advice or under the student section to see how other students have found ways to cope. Krisssy

[krisssy]

Originally Posted by sarabasedis

I am involved in a divorce from my x. My job related stress led me to go into intensive outpatient therapy. I am not working. The manic depression I was experiencing caused me to spend all my cash, so now I am desperately trying to hold onto my house. My divorce lawyer says that my x's lawyer thinks I am trying to manipulate the system by "faking it" since I am a college educated woman while my x only has 3 yrs of college and earns alot of cash. I am about to lose my health care benefits.
Do I take care of my health? Do I stay in IOT or try to work perdiem for a while just to earn cash. I am going to shoot myself in the foot if I work in order to pay the bills even if I feel I am not well enough to work? AAAAHHH!!!

You must take care of yourself before you can help others. Can you apply for social security disability and then get medicare? You can get ss disability for mental illness, and then you get Medicare with it. Krisssy

[sarabasedis]

I have applied for SSID, but it seems to be taking a very long time. Meanwhile, the IOT plans to discharge me in 1-2weeks. Should I take a job I was offered? I just need to have some confidence, but my anxiety gets in the way

[elizabells]

I'm sure we've probably covered this already in the thread, but...

What, EXACTLY, do I have to disclose to a potential employer? My cyclothymia does not interfere with my ability to do my job. I don't take benzos anymore, but I do take Adderall, which could show up on a drug screen as an amphetamine. Do I have to tell them anything?

[zoeboboey]

Originally Posted by grannynurse FNP student

Unfortunately, a great number of states have only Medicaid. And a good number of us have income that disallows us from that system.

Grannynurse

Yes, even MINIMAL income can exclude us from getting help with medical and also housing and food! sigh...

[zoeboboey]

Originally Posted by DogloverLFC

I am a nurse that has major depression and ptsd. i have been having alot of flashbacks memories lately. i realize i have lived in denial most of my life and making poor judgements, including in my nursing career. Poor judgements that caused me to make mistakes and lose jobs. I am struggling with trusting myself to continue to work because of my mental illness. There isn't anything else I am qualified to do. I can't seem to let go of my mistakes and am obsessed with thinking about them. Can anyone out there help me with some advice or offer hope, own experiences?

Hi, Doglover, don't know if I responded before but I KNOW THE FEELING - I have "retired" from nursing so many times (whenever I got REALLY sick) because of all this. The last time (2 1/2 yrs ago), I was starting to really "fudge" on my documentation and "minor" medications because I just could not keep up - and that killed me. So hopefully this is the last time I will "retire" - I am checking out activity therapy certification and there is also a degree I may pursue. We'll see. I'm on SSDI now and taking it slow.

Beating yourself up; shame; will just keep you SICK! But I'm sure you know that already!

By the way - what does this -- -- smiley mean??? it's weird!!!


xo

[zoeboboey]

Originally Posted by sarabasedis

Dear Doglover,
I have also struggled with poor judgements, anxiety disorder which caused me to make mistakes, which caused more anxiety...You may be obsessing over your past. You have to let go of it. Remember the saying: The past is history the future is a mystery, the present is a gift from God, which is why it is called a present.
By engaging in obsessive thinking, you are creating a treadmill for yourself. You are not a victim, or a survivor, but a wonderful, intelligent human being ( see what I learned in IOT?)

You learned a LOT!

{{{{{{{{{{Sarabasedis}}}}}}}}

[zoeboboey]

Originally Posted by DogloverLFC

RE: "Some of it has been political because I don't know how to handle myself with people".

Boy Doglover, this is a HUGE one for me! Can't stand being angry, can't stand being critical, can't stand incompetence (mine or that of others), can't stand laziness, can't stand my overcompensating for others and then being resentful, can't stand not being able to assert myself, can't stand my feeling inadequate when someone "puts me in my place" - etc etc etc... I walk like this... enguin: in my mind and just feel like an idiot...

and that is just in the depression/anxiety mode!

Then in "manic" mode I am super controlling and a wicked egomaniac. Needless to say I confuse people sometimes, ha ha!

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{DL}}}}}}}}}}} We're ok. I swear if we all judged ourselves LESS (mentally ill or NOT!) we would all do so much better! I was saying that today (I did a volunteer shift in activity therapy today) that if I don't "try" to do stuff I can do a good job! ie, not being self-conscious but letting the God just flow..

ok getting a little deep here. With what I won't say... (chuckle)

[zoeboboey]

Originally Posted by sarabasedis

I am involved in a divorce from my x. My job related stress led me to go into intensive outpatient therapy. I am not working. The manic depression I was experiencing caused me to spend all my cash, so now I am desperately trying to hold onto my house. My divorce lawyer says that my x's lawyer thinks I am trying to manipulate the system by "faking it" since I am a college educated woman while my x only has 3 yrs of college and earns alot of cash. I am about to lose my health care benefits.
Do I take care of my health? Do I stay in IOT or try to work perdiem for a while just to earn cash. I am going to shoot myself in the foot if I work in order to pay the bills even if I feel I am not well enough to work? AAAAHHH!!!

I know you wrote this a while ago - What I found was that when I worked as long as I could, or went back to work when I was unsure I could, that that lent more documentation/credibility to my illness when it came time for SSDI - it showed up on my social security record (number of hours worked when) and in my mental health provider records. Keep your own records/journal also. Just like nursing, "document, document, document", and maybe use an SSDI lawyer who doubles as a divorce lawyer (if there are custody or child support issues) for x-marital issues. Also document all of HIS "sweet traits and foibles" of which, I am sure, there are many! LOL! And make a list of people who have witnessed his shtuff as well - day care prov., doctors, counselors - people you can call on to speak on your character or about his. I don't know your particulars but I have a few "particulars" of my own

[zoeboboey]

Originally Posted by krisssy

Experience will make a big difference. I felt the same way in nursing school. I would post this in a different area where you will get more answers from experienced nurses. You don't need to have an anxiety disorder to feel how you feel as a student. I would post this under the general area or in the area where experienced nurses give students advice or under the student section to see how other students have found ways to cope. Krisssy

Good idea Krisssy! I for one tend to "pathologize" what is in actuality plain ole "normal"!