Hi @MaryMahem
I went onto the DSP after our house was sold for the Property Settlement and I moved into a really lovely unit - but then the nastiness of the property settlement - the divorce process also and before that the separation and before that the death of my son.
That was too much - but I had reached a stage where I could not continue working full-time - and for a time - part time - and it took ages before I got onto the DSP - I guess having MI is a hard thing to prove and it was a bad time in my life
I did get back to work for a short time - I finished my honours degree and got my teaching certificate at TAFE and had a bunch of small jobs but I injured my spine and developed chronic pain and had to stop work again and this time it was easier to get back onto the pension - maybe because I was already on it or because and MRI pretty much proves the problem
But MI doesn't - obviously people who are trained can recognize the issues concerning being able to work and not being able to work - depression is a really tough thing but who can prove it?
So I guess there has to be a point where we know that we can no longer work without risking our health. When did I know that?
Wow - it's so long ago - but I think it might have been when I had a melt-down at Centrelink - I was unemployed at the time and had a few weeks left to finish my pass-degree and they wanted me to sign something to say I would work full time and for a few weeks I could not do that - finishing my pass-degree was something really important and - yes
That was the point for me - our health is vitally important - all the money in the world cannot help us if our health degerates too far
And there will always be financial stressors - regardless of income.
How long can you continue without having a melt-down? - worse - having a melt-down in public? We can't see the future but it will come regardless
How are you feeling about a regular but lower income? I forget who suggested Work Cover. Another teacher - that has to be stressful in this day and age when it seems everyone expects so much from teachers - and I taught CRE in the infant school (volunteer) and these children were little and I was good at it but wow
So much is left to the teacher - I am not surprised that teachers burn out
All the best Mary - this decision is one only you can make but finding that point in time is hard to figure out
How long can you go on with all the PTSD, anxiety and depression? I guess that is the question
All the best with it
Dec
