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Post by The Doctor on Feb 8, 2021 12:58:16 GMT
My savings are minimal and my partner is on a low income. Before UC, I would have been entitled to a small amount of benefits due to National Insurance contributions, having sick notes and having less than £16K savings (I have nowhere near that!). But under the new rules, NI contributions aren't taken into account anymore nor are the sick notes (the DWP won't even look at them). You also can't try and claim old style JSA or ESA either if you live in a UC area. So it's a trap designed to not pay people a penny and send them to food banks instead. My mental health is nosediving again. I waited five weeks to be told this.
This is in a pandemic. When Boris on on telly saying they're giving extra help, they're lying. I've had to reach out to elderly parents for help now, which is humiliating but if I don't I can't contribute to household or food costs. I'm not likely to be signed on by GP as being fit for work again until March or April if I keep my progress up, which is now a thousand times more difficult as the DWP has let me down. Even then, how long will it take to get a job in the current climate? I've got my OU to get on with, but everything is taking 3 times as long to do as my concentration is shot and I struggle to get out of bed before 10/11am most days.
I don't understand how they can tell people who have paid into the system who can prove with documentation lack of work, few savings and ill health and say: "your payment is £0.00".
-Ralph
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Feb 8, 2021 17:42:57 GMT
My mental health is nosediving again. I struggle to get out of bed before 10/11am most days. Don't allow yourself to stay cooped up. Lockdown's going to lead to so many mental health issues, but while there's a lot that's out of your control right now, getting up and going out for a walk in the fresh air is within your power and is so much better than living life entirely through the Internet. Whatever you feel safe doing out and about at this time, within walking distance of your house, do it to the full as often as you can. Get out as much as possible every day. That's my completely non-expert prescription anyway. Martin |
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 2, 2021 16:43:45 GMT
DWP say I must attend a MS Teams work coach meeting despite refusing to pay me benefits I should be entitled to. They can fuck right off.
-Ralph
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Mar 3, 2021 18:31:33 GMT
Absolute arseholes.
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Post by The Doctor on Apr 2, 2021 11:04:37 GMT
I have checked my Informative Leaflet and it is Citralopam. -Ralph Coming off it over the next few days as though it has helped, the side effects have become unbearable. Switching to sertraline next week. -Ralph |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 2, 2021 11:44:25 GMT
Well done for sticking with it.
Sertaline is what I'm on and iirc someone else here has also had it.
Had a bit of sweating, which might have been my sinuses, when I first started but nowt other than that.
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Post by blueshift on Apr 2, 2021 14:10:29 GMT
That's me on sertraline. Very good and far kinder than some of the other stuff I was on. Took about a week to settle, I'd advise just sleeping it off first few days
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Post by The Doctor on Apr 7, 2021 8:41:50 GMT
Turns out the GP was lying when they said no side effects of coming off citralopam. Constant feeling of terror.
-Ralph
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Post by The Doctor on Apr 9, 2021 9:55:42 GMT
Not feeling any effect from sertraline yet. I get more from eating Smarties. I am noticing bad things now the Citralopam is gone: anxiety way back up, the weird mouth and cheek pains are back, face all tensing up in grimaces again, concentration fooked. Wondering if I made a mistake and if it was better staying on the Citralopam and living with the side effects.
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 9, 2021 10:13:06 GMT
Not feeling any effect from sertraline yet. I get more from eating Smarties. I am noticing bad things now the Citralopam is gone: anxiety way back up, the weird mouth and cheek pains are back, face all tensing up in grimaces again, concentration fooked. Wondering if I made a mistake and if it was better staying on the Citralopam and living with the side effects. -Ralph When did you start the Sertaline? IIRC it took a couple of weeks to properly kick in so stick with it |
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Post by The Doctor on Apr 9, 2021 13:01:20 GMT
I can't remember. My brain is fried.
Really struggling with OU module due to mental health. The module itself is very stimulating and enjoyable though my scores have dropped two grades from last module and it's looking like I'll fight to scrape a pass. No chance of a high degree classification now. On my good days, I know scraping a pass on this module will be good enough considering mental health crisis/unemployment/covid restrictions and that no-one actually cares what the degree classification is at the end of the day. It'll still be an Honours degree. On my bad days, I struggle getting out of bed and can't face doing any OU work, convinced I'm rubbish and will fail.
Used the last of my savings (wages from last job) yesterday to pay for my last module, which starts late September and the degree will be done and dusted summer 2022, giving me hope of getting a better job. Under two months left on current module. I put my last TMA in last week. Got an EMA to do (40% of mark) but have been unable to face doing the study prep for it yet. I still can't face looking for work yet.
-Ralph
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Hero
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
King of RULES!
Everything Rules
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Post by Hero on Apr 13, 2021 7:40:03 GMT
I am also familiar with Citalopram and Sertraline.
Sending prayers, good vibes and channels of positivity your way. I hope things start to look up.
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Post by The Doctor on Apr 13, 2021 8:54:46 GMT
Thankyou.  Currently feeling utterly horrendous and struggling to concentrate on OU work. -Ralph |
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Post by The Doctor on Apr 14, 2021 9:43:25 GMT
I have found the first couple of weeks of sertraline to be utterly horrendous. I feel awful, even worse than when I was in a bad job. Anxiety off the scale. Everything frightens me. I haven't felt this bad for years. GP appt next week to ask if I can come off it.
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 14, 2021 10:10:28 GMT
Oh dear, sorry to hear that.
But with these drugs it can be a bit trial and error finding out which one is right for you.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 14, 2021 10:11:22 GMT
I had a drug for the CMT a couple of years back that did very bad things to me and I got shot of as quickly as possible.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Apr 14, 2021 17:22:19 GMT
Augh, thinking kind thoughts your way, Ralph.  Martin |
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Post by The Doctor on Apr 19, 2021 9:37:15 GMT
Provisionally scheduled to visit my parents in Scotland last weekend in May, by which time they will have had their second covid vaccine doses (as will my fiancee). Last saw them mid-February 2020. Though with no indication when or if I'll even get a 1st jab (despite having underlying health conditions not been allowed one yet) this may not happen.
-Ralph
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Post by The Doctor on Apr 27, 2021 8:59:36 GMT
42-year olds now allowed the vaccine. Went to book. Nearest centre is 20.9 miles away. Looks like Boris was lying (again) about no-one having to travel more than 10 miles. Thankfully, Jen has a car or I would be stuffed. I couldn't wait any longer. The stress has been (literally) crippling me of late. First dose this Saturday, second on 17th July, 7 days before I get married.
Thank fuck.
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 27, 2021 9:35:58 GMT
Hurrah!
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Post by The Doctor on May 2, 2021 9:02:35 GMT
Got first dose yesterday. AZ Vaccine side effects continue. Still got abdominal pain and a wee bit in the leg. Woke up with flu-type symptoms. Ugh. Roll on the next few days when these have passed! Being someone who has developed severe anxiety during covid-times, my head keeps going to 'blood clots', which I know is highly unlikely. Wish my head would just shut off for a few days. The anxiety has too much control today.
-Ralph
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Post by The Doctor on May 4, 2021 17:23:38 GMT
Latest OU essay came back with my worst score in 5 years, continuing my shit run of play on this module where I've went from previously being a decent student to a crap one. Now, I have to do the final assessment (which is worth 40% of the module score) and am genuinely very worried about failing the module and having pissed the last 5 years up a wall.
Can't take much more stress.
-Ralph
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Post by liz on May 4, 2021 18:36:17 GMT
You are right in your earlier post, unless you are intending a career as an academic then no-one is going to worry about degree levels, You are not a bad student, btw, you are continuing in the face of great stresses and pressures and that is a pretty good student in my books.
Things sound tough, can you ask for an extension for the EMA? (if that would help). Does your course tutor know the situation you are under?
I know you know this... but... in the worst case scenario it is possible to resit, and in the worst worst scenario (IFYSWIM) all the other modules you have passed still remain banked and can be added to, all is not lost, even if this module does not work out.
Hang in there... Liz
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Post by The Doctor on May 14, 2021 8:23:36 GMT
Well it is submitted now. Will find out on July 20th if I have passed the module and can progress to the last one.
-Ralph
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Post by The Doctor on May 25, 2021 9:15:50 GMT
Jen was (legally) at an outside baby shower (for a friend) small gathering last Saturday. Someone there has tested positive. Jen has phoned the helpline and been told she has to self-isolate. Can't see my parents now as planned (not seen since since mid-February 2020). Devastated. Now instead we have to spend another week inside waiting to see if we have a deadly disease. Absolutely terrifying. Can't take much more of this.
-Ralph
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Post by The Doctor on May 25, 2021 12:16:07 GMT
We're waiting for the lateral flow tests to show a result.
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 25, 2021 12:25:17 GMT
Jen was (legally) at an outside baby shower (for a friend) small gathering last Saturday. Someone there has tested positive. Jen has phoned the helpline and been told she has to self-isolate. Can't see my parents now as planned (not seen since since mid-February 2020). Devastated. Now instead we have to spend another week inside waiting to see if we have a deadly disease. Absolutely terrifying. Can't take much more of this. -Ralph The chances of you having it are minimal. It was outside, a major factor, Jen is double dosed with Vaccine and you are single dosed. Shouldn't be an issue but the rules make no distinction between the vacimnated and unvaccinated. I can understand the concern though, it'd rock me. I've had to hang onto plans quite loosely for a few years now thanks to the CMT but I can remember how it feels to get frustrated at not doing things I'd been looking forward to |
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Post by The Doctor on May 25, 2021 12:48:02 GMT
Clear. Thank fuck. Now we just have to stay inside for a week.
-Ralph
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on May 25, 2021 17:13:20 GMT
Now we just have to stay inside for a week. Argh. Martin |
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Post by The Doctor on May 26, 2021 18:07:31 GMT
No symptoms from Jen as yet though a few more days before we know for sure she's in the clear.
-Ralph
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