started working...signs of stress?

[lucycherish]

ok so i started working 28/09/2011, first job i have had since being diagnosed (working in a mental health home) i love my job but as i am bank staff everything can be very last minute which is difficult to plan out with a little girl too (childcare, how to get to work etc) the past two or three weeks i have been having some awful headaches, to the point where i am almost in tears (not to sound fat headed but im quite good at dealing with pain!) i dont have another appointment with my consultant until the end of the month (1st appointment in about a year) so i was wondering if any of you lovely people could help me, could this be a sign of stress? have i took on too much? i dont want to work myself to the bone and end up having seizures again as they are under control with meds, any help would be appreciated! Thanks in advance :lol: xxxx

 

[Wally]

It seems like the Keppra really dries me out. So I have to force myself to drink a lot of water. That could definately be a source of the headaches I also don't handle stress as well as I did before this crap all started. I would suggest some meditation and come up with something fun to do as a reward and an escape. That's what works for me. Good luck!

 

[Nakamova]

It could well be stress, and there may be environmental factors related to your new job that are contributing. Is it noisy there? Are the lights fluorescent? Are your hours interfering with your sleep and/or your meals? Make sure you are eating and hydrating properly, consider taking a supplement like magnesium (it might help with your headaches), and as Wally says, take a moment a few times a day to meditate (it can be as brief as 5 minutes with your eyes closed) and treat yourself well.

 

[Wally]

Oh yes. Noise is very bad.

 

[lucycherish]

My work interferes with pretty much everything! For example i could be working a 14hour shift and only get 2 20min breaks, in that time in supposed to eat, drink, go loo, relax etc! and on my breaks i am still with residents so there is no let up at all through out the day! it isnt really noisy...only when the irritating old cook comes in an starts slammin an banging everything for no reason! my manager said i would be having a 'risk assesment' on my epilepsy and the effects of working there (she said this about a month ago) but am i the only one thinking that this should of been done as soon as i started? And i think she forgets i am a mum too, so trying to do all the last minute hours she wants me to do, find childcare, make sure my daughter is happy and all the rest is just seeming impossible, it is quite stressful, i have just recieved my appointment in the post for the 21st november so will have a good chat with consultant about it, i would speak to my manager but she either just brushes u off or gets moody with you like its your fault an stuuf, like when they didnt pay me and i had to ring her to say i wouldnt be able to do one shift as i couldnt get to work with no money she kicked off and another manager said 'well if thats your attitude i will get all your shifts covered!' talk about fuming lol!! I wouldnt mind but they are supposed to be 'managers within the mental health sector' an they dont give one! they dont even know anything about a lady who is a resident who has epilepsy as i asked a few questions about it an they couldnt answer! ahhh gunna end my rant now haha Thanks for your replies guys xxx

 

[SeizingSince88]

Try a supplement called Rhodiola. You can find it in any health food store like GNC. It isn't a anxiety pill really, but it helps take the edge off while still giving you mental clarity and awareness. I love it personally.

 

[lucycherish]

thanks will see what consultant suggests as so far he has been great plus im quite concious and wary of taking other supplements etc xx

 

[Loopy Lou]

Hey there, I'm also in the northwest and in a similar sort of job, which I've now been in for just over 3 years (and just hanging onto by my fingertips). The risk assessment they do will probably say something like no lone working, no hoisting/wheelchairs on your own, no working at heights etc.

I know that jobs like ours can be so stressful, especially since there's no regular breaks and shift patterns can be all over the place, not to mention the varying temperament and moods of the people we work with.

When you're at home try to relax, get a decent amount of sleep and forget that work exists until you have to go there again

 

[lucycherish]

thanks loopy lou! and do try to relax when im at home but it isnt always easy especially when my wages are barely covering bills and i have a daughter to look after too. i love my job but just wish the hours where more regular plus im doing training an stuff so im still doing written work at home too!! ha theres no escape! oh well im off too blackpool for a little weekend away tomorrow so will relax a bit then, thanks again for your input xx

 

[Loopy Lou]

Oh yes, you're right, you should have had a risk assessment put in place before you started your job. If you were to have a seizure and injure yourself or someone else then the company could be liable. I'm so wrapped up in risk assessments I can't do my sodding job lol

Try as soon as possible to get a contract. It gives much more security. Bank work can be tough and the company could legally let you go with no reason and no notice.

Edit cos I never saw your above post lol - holiday, in blackpool? Bring a brolly haha also, are you aware that there are benefits you can claim while working? For example DLA, child tax credits, housing benefit. It will certainly help with the financial side of things and maybe take that bit of stress off you.

 

[lucycherish]

thanks for replying again and i did take a brolly and it was well used haha!! iv tried to claim benefits but as my partner is also working the only thing we are entitled to is £20 child benefit and my daughters nursery fees paid up to a certain amount, think its 70% cant get naff all else considering quitting my job but i like my independence x

 

[Loopy Lou]

I think im at the same point really - I would get more money by being on the dole than my weekly wage. I can't increase my hours though as I only reduced them to 16 a week a couple months ago because I can't cope with the hours. I've always been a worker though so don't know what I'd do if I did quit! My job is pretty much the same as yours except I work with adults with learning disabilities. Stress!

 

[lucycherish]

sucks doesnt it! quick question, when you work overtime do you get paid overtime? And the majority of the people i work with have schizophrenia and we dont even have panic button/walkie-talkies in place an theres only even 2 members off staff, oh my boss is getting a gob full when i next see her haha xx

 

[Loopy Lou]

To get overtime we have to work over 165 hours in a four week period Ah, I remember when i used to be able to do 75+ hour weeks....

You should have systems put in place for the safety of that staff and the clients. Where I work there is only about 4 people living in each house. Like a normal house rather than an institutional sort of place, and there's always enough staff and we have things put in place in case of emergency.

Working with people with mental health problems can be dangerous and there should be a way for staff to keep in contact at all times. Plus... only two people per shift? How many clients do you have? Our general rule is that there's at least one member of staff for every two clients. Your place could get into serious trouble with CQC if they don't have the right staffing levels and something goes wrong.

 

[lucycherish]

we have 13 residents, one of which is new and considered quite high risk for temper etc, even though between 8am and about 3pm there are usually two managers in we never see them because they stay in the offices one of which is locked and we have no access to!! another things about locked doors while im on the subject we dont even have access to s store room which stocks essentials like toilet rolls and cleaning products so if theres none left out we cant do part of our job! Also have u had an injection or anything for coming into contact with urine? i spoke to a friend who used to work in a hospital and he said you should definately have it done and management should make sure you do??? And i have absolutely no means of contact with the other staff members and no way to even know where they where if anything did happen! please tell me CQC do random visits? because they would get the shock of their lives!! i really feel sorry for the residents though there is no effort made to keep them active or take them out like they should, fair enough a few can go out to local places on their own but all residents should go out together even if its only for a meal! xx

 

[Loopy Lou]

Yes, CQC do random visits. We have had a couple within our company lately (all passed with flying colours, yay!). They can be few and far between though. Now... if someone were to call CQC with concerns.... they would perhaps visit more.

We had to have I think hepatitis jabs, and there was another one but I can't think what it was. You should definitely have the right PPE available and ready for reasons like first aid and cleaning bodily fluids etc. That's gloves, aprons, and goggles and masks if required. Especially if you have to do personal care for people (bathing, toileting etc).

Sounds to me like whatever company you work for is putting people at risk and could get into a lot of trouble for it.

 

[lucycherish]

sounds awful but im half considering calling CQC myself! i still havent had my epilepsy risk assessment nearly 2 months down the line! We havent had any jabs not even the flu one!! One resident caught a previous injury on her leg yesterday so i got the first aid box to find there was not a single anti-sceptic wipe in any of them, so had to try to clean to wound with tissue and water which was a complete pain! We only have gloves for cleaning bathrooms and they cant be used anywhere else not even in the rooms where people have incontinence problems! No goggles and no masks, same goes for gloves, they have blue latex ones for use in the kitchen! They are putting people at risk and im not the only member of staff getting incredibally peed off with it! i think the panic buttons/communication between staff when incidents could be occurring and lack of communication between managers and employees is the main two!! it all seems like a lethal mix, and i have a lovely 14hour shift to look forward to on friday so bring on the head aches!!! :-/ x

 

[Loopy Lou]

Do staff have to keep written logs of everything? For example we have to do health and safety checks, first aid box checks weekly, checking supplies of PPE and recording everything. Not even giving you basic protective equipment is a serious breach of health and safety laws and raises questions about infection control and levels of cross contamination. There's also mandatory training that you should have, including first aid, food hygiene, health and safety, moving and handling, medication and fire training. Yup, sounds like the place you're at isn't operating properly and that's no good for your clients or the staff.

I should jack in my job and go work on the legal requirements side lol

 

[lucycherish]

you really should lol! You could kick some ass in my work lmao! as i have not long got in from work and have managed to relax then im not gunna go into detail about how much it all pisses me off but hey theres always tomorrow for that lol xx