“I can’t afford to stop working, but I’m not coping with it either.”
Work can become a difficult place to be when your mental health is suffering, especially if you rely on your wages to pay the mortgage, rent or household bills. Perhaps you dread meetings, struggle to concentrate or spend your evenings worrying about what might happen the next day. You may recognise that work is affecting you while also feeling that taking time off would bring a whole new set of problems.
It can be tempting to see this as a choice between putting up with everything and leaving your job. For many people, neither option feels straightforward. You may enjoy parts of your work, care about the people you work with or simply need the security of a regular income. There may be practical support worth exploring. This could mean speaking with a manager you trust, seeking advice about your rights, discussing adjustments at work or talking to your GP. Not every workplace responds well, and sometimes the causes of stress are outside your control, so one conversation may not fix things.
Counselling can give you somewhere to talk about how the situation is affecting you, including the fear, frustration and uncertainty involved in deciding what comes next. You don’t need to arrive with a plan to resign or a promise to cope better.
If work is taking up more of your life than the hours you’re paid for, it may be worth thinking about what support you need while you work out your options.