ls it healthier to work and live while having depression , or is there a centerlink disability pension, and if so , which is healthier ?

[Guest_1584]

Hey people .

l've met people on all kinds of Centerlink disability things over the yrs but can you get onto something due to depression ?

But then as in the title , maybe it's actually healthier for you to actually be out there in life and working and functioning ? - bloody hate that word but it's the only description l could think of . So what does everyone do , and which do they find is better ?

At one stage through a really bad patch l just didn't feel l could work or cope. So l asked Centerlink they told me l'd have to see the gp , get referrals ,go and get assessments and all kinds of other things can't remember exact details , but it was a nightmare l'd worry that l'd spend wks or mths putting myself through and then maybe get nothing anyway. But ok l'll just start with the gp and see where that goes first. And they told me it could get me 3mths , what, 3mths, but then l'd have to do it all again to get an extension or another 3mths and then again , and again , or some rubbish can't remember the exact details but it sounded far worse than the alternative and just struggling on to me.

Well, what a useless stressing , draining effort that was , here's a grown man in the mess l was in felt like l just couldn't even go on let alone cope or do real life , work , pressures buttt, saw a gp yet all he said was l'll give you a certificate for 2 days off . Two days, wt - to keep it polite here, 2 days l needed 2 wks just from the stress of dealing with him that once , without adding in my real problems. He wouldn't even give me a referral for the next step. Acted like there was nothin wrong with me meanwhile l'm wondering if l wanted to go on l mean that's the state l was in.

Centerlink also wanted me to enroll with a job agency and so here l was having to tell some 19yr old girl with a button and computer and the power to send me packing with no damn clue how  l was or living , threatening to stop any payment if l didn't jump through their hoops too in the meantime, it was insanity .And all that took about 2 wks of stress driving sitting round waiting and explaining myself over and over and what little money l had at the time on petrol , it was a nightmare and left me in worse shape than l started.

rx

[Guest_1584]

No worries at all and your through your first wk , big congrats. Do you like it , the people , the place , work , how are you feeling about it all?

10 yrs ago yeah right , it is ironic isn't it , bloody life can do anything l'm literally scared of the word never.

But anyway yeah that money was a real kick in the head l can tell ya, it had such a psychological impact. lt'll be 3 or 4yrs now , no dates as yet naturally l'm hoping 3ish right now.

On other stuff , here l go again l think life must be trying to tell me something l haven't come across so many older working people all within a few wks , ever let alone farmers , it's kinda weird. But today l bumped into the daughter of the older farmer from next door to our old place. We had one ac with this big farm next door. He was well in his 70s then must be 80ish now . We use to hear about all kinds of locals when we moved there , l get the same here it's pretty funny sometimes but apparently this old rascal owned 6 farms and still worked 7days a wk. 70s , isn't that incredible stuff well , his daughter said he still is , wt ???

l think l better go and stand in the corner hang my head in shame.

rx

[geoff]

Hi RX, funny you mention about this 75 year old chap, my 8 year old granddaughter had to fix my son's computer, I don't know what was wrong but said Dad I can fix your laptop for you.

Geoff.

[Guest_1584]

Ha what a classic Geoff, lucky dad .

[Guest_1584]

Well , all my trips are done for at least 6mths and l'm back into my normal routine just working at home now.

Yaknow , if the mind and mh is on a good or reasonable keel , it is a pretty good bloody job and life work wise once your organized for awhile and it does blend in really well with the way and hours l like to live l must admit. l still can't see the future though, like on an on next yr and next next next next ,or the will.

l feel like well alright , if l must l must right now and if l must it's not bad at all as far as jobs go , but never the less the thought of much longer and l just don't feel it doable. l can keep it together for now though.

rx

[Lillylane]

I’m glad to hear that your job suits the way you like to work and that for now you’re doing ok.

MH challenges can take up energy. I somehow have to work out a way to pace myself better so that I’m not burned out by midday. And then my mind seems so slow, and more likely to miss things.

The people I work with are lovely. I feel like a shadow of my former self and that my skills don’t match up to theirs. Guess I just have to keep trying my best to improve.

My Plan B is to study (in a completely different field in mid year.

I wonder if anyone reading has experience of changing careers or starting over, or studying, in their forties or later?

I love to work and throw myself into it, but I’m not sure I’ll ever feel confident in the job I’m in.

[Lillylane]

Had a better day today and it’s helped me feel more hopeful. It’s hard to push through the rough days and believe there will be good days as well.

Lillylane

[Guest_1584]

Hi lilly , that's nice to hear good for you. l mean you haven't been at it long of course the others will be more advanced , time time , if your interested enough to stick at it it'll get far better over time.

But yeah nice question l hope people drop in and talk about their situations l'd be really interested too. Have seen bits and peaces of some.

40s , oh hell yeah , many people change course even much older. They say now the average will be 3 or 4 times through the working life.

I was early 40s when l started this business. Before that something else 13yrs , before that something else a bit similar to what l do now , but not the same , 12yrs. l tried a few other things at the time too early 40s, before l found this one. l was also gonna do a course in something completely new but changed my mind on that one.

l do envy those people that have been all nice n safe and settled in the one career right through, but it didn't go that way for me.

Anyway , it hasn't been long for you then at this one hang in there hey until you decide , good luck.

rx

[Cee123]

I checked the Centrelink website for claims to disability, from what I saw depression wasn't even listed there. And/or depression and anxiety were classed as temporary illnesses. Which I think is BS. I have days where I can't even function due to depression and anxiety. And I've had this for years and years. Nothing temporary about that! So if that's not a disability I don't know what is. I think it's stupid they are putting more and more people with depression and anxiety onto the jobseeker because they are not classed as "disabled enough", because there are many like me who can't get out of bed at times or can't even leave the house a lot of days and suffer with anxiety in public and around people and having to look for jobs further aggravates that.

[Guest_1584]

Thanks gee and yep l agree.

l think it's bloody terrible people like this are forced to try and work nd l tell you what it must force parts of society into the depths of such despair . lt did me some yrs back , and for awhile there l really didn't think l would get through it . l did try them at the time and it was a nightmare l just couldn't deal with , and yeah from what l remember every 3mths l would have to relive it and go through it all again for the next 3mths. There are some here that have something worked out with centerlink , not sure if they're a perminate ongoing thing or a 3mth to 3mth thing.

So how do you get buy then , not on Centerlink or ?

rx

[Cee123]

Hi randomx.

For the past 10 years, I've just been living with my family and living on the savings I had built up from when I was working in my early 20s. But now that's basically run out, and I've only just signed up with Centrelink again. And already I'm feeling like I cant handle it and just want to dig a hole and bury myself.