REHABILITATION FEATURE
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My long-term goal was to return to work, which for me was
not just about earning a wage, but also self-esteem, social
interactions and having a meaningful role in the community
(RCOT 2018).
However, I recognised the need to first regain the most basic
independent living skills. Therefore, I set myself small, achievable
daily goals around self-care and leisure – sometimes as simple
as having a shower or going for a walk – and I tried to positively
acknowledge these achievements, given how unwell I was
feeling.
Slowly I established a new daily routine and focused my goal
setting around activities that gave me a sense of meaning and
purpose and were linked to my interests and values.
I recognised the importance of adopting healthy behaviours
and maintaining social interactions, and utilised my leisure centre
and library memberships to attend physical activity classes (with
the mainly over 70s) and sit in company to (try) to read a book.
On the most difficult days, of which there were many, use of
these self-management skills was pivotal in providing a sense of
maintaining a connection to the outside world, from which my
illness made me feel so isolated.
I attempted to utilise a range of skills, coping strategies
and techniques to manage my ongoing symptoms, including
mindfulness, anxiety management and positive use of time,
and found the Reading well for mental health reading list (The
Reading Agency 2020), accessed via my local library, an
invaluable resource.
I also tried to grade my exposure to and practise coping
strategies in situations that I previously managed independently,
but which had become anxiety provoking, including going to the
hairdressers or out for a coffee, to help increase my feeling of
self-efficacy, during a time when life felt out of my control.
Initially, I felt unsafe spending time alone, and being alone at
home during the day continued to trigger my anxiety following
discharge from the CRHT. Therefore, I attempted to challenge
myself to spend set periods of time at home alone, balanced
with spending time in physical and social environments that felt
safer, including the park and the library.
In short, all my efforts to support myself and self-manage
my condition were drawn from my professional knowledge and
understanding of occupational therapy.
As my sickness absence from work continued, the more
daunting the prospect of returning to my professional role
became. My eventual return to work after five months coincided
with the start of psychological therapy and was facilitated with
support through work from the MHSOP allied health profession
occupational therapy lead and team leader.
I had a phased return and have a wellbeing plan in place,
which considers the potential impact of my mental health
condition on my ability to manage my work role, including
reasonable adjustments to my role and responsibilities.
Since returning to work, my mental health recovery has
accelerated significantly, and this has led me to reflect on the
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