Work and Panic Disorder

[tesla]

I suffer from frequent Panic attacks currently. Have been on medication for over 10 years but seem to be well out of control again and Psychiatrist is refusing to change this medication indicating it could make me worse. I have been referred to a Psychologist who is trying to hynotism techniques and grounding techniques from GP. The Psychologist has also suggested that maybe the Psychiatrist is also wrong on medication.

I work in an IT technical role in a school environment. Suddenly they want me to start teaching large groups of teachers how to use software. In my whole career i've never had to do something like this and fear public speaking hence why I work well in a technical role. Is it possible to get a medical certificate that indicates I am not able to perform public speaking due to current anxiety condition?
It is actually not in the statement of duties of my job so potentially could get my union to advise on this also.

[baet123]

Hi Tesla,

Welcome to the forums and thank you so much for posting and it is great to have you here. Thank you for sharing a bit about your situation to us and this is an extremely brave and courageous thing to do and I take my hat off to you!

I can tell that your extremely intelligent, courageous and brave just to name a few. These are amazing qualities you possess and you should be proud of that.

Sorry to hear that you have been suffering from panic attacks and have been struggling for a while now. You mention that it is getting out of control again. Has anything changed of late that has brought this on? Could the possibility of you having to present to large groups be bringing this on?

In terms of your psychiatrist refusing to change medication for valid reasons, this may be true, however, if it isn't having the effect you desire and your experiencing some side effects, it may be worth considering getting a second opinion and going to your GP to discuss getting a referral to another psychiatrist who specialises in panic attack disorders and the medication to suit.

It is extremely encouraging that you are actively seeking treatment and that you have been referred to a psychologist. The more professionals opinions, the better! The psychologist will provide you with a plethora of techniques/intervention methods and you can discuss them with him/her to see which intervention method is most applicable to your situation.

In relation to the public speaking and teaching groups of teachers to use software, I think its important to remember a few things that might bring you some comfort. 1) They obviously respect your expertise and value your skillset and knowledge or else they wouldn't ask you to present right? 2) The teachers are most likely quite digitally illiterate in relation to a lot of what you will be telling them so you shouldn't worry! You will do great and they will be extremely thankful to listen and learn from you!

It is absolutely possible as school and university to get exemptions from group work/public speaking and the like but I am not sure how it would work from your employer. Best thing you can do is be honest with your employer and discuss the topic openly.

Hope this helps and keep us updated.

All the best,

Nick.