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I crashed really hard once. I didn't enjoy my life at all before that, I worked 16 hours/day and it somehow wasn't enough. They just gave me more work to do. Th

I crashed really hard once. I didn't enjoy my life at all before that, I worked 16 hours/day and it somehow wasn't enough. They just gave me more work to do. The doctor put me on 60mg duloxetine and gave me one week sick leave. I couldn't even buy groceries because my mind was broken so I had no clue how to get back to work. I would get lost in the super market and start crying from the confusion and leave. I stayed home for 3-4 months doing absolutely nothing, and got back to work, working 50% but they just gave me more work until I worked 16 hours a day and I couldn't see any brightness in the future. Spent 3 weeks in a psych ward because I was going to end my life. I had a very sophisticated plan and the doctors said depressed people don't make such plans. Anyways, in there I fell in love with a broken girl and I suddenly had a future. She was very broken and it hurt me to see her hurt herself all the time. I worked for 1-2 months until I quit and went to the Peruvian Amazon for 4 months and tried traditional medicines. It really changed me, when I came back I got another job and everything was fine for about 8 months until they restructured the company and things got really stressful. I went to bed on friday and when I woke up it was tuesday. Another doctor put me on sick leave again and they prescribed me other pills, but instead I resigned and went back to Peru. I don't have money but at least I'm sane. For anyone who read this.. listen to your body and get help before you crash. Take vacations often, don't accept overtime. It's not worth it. You're gonna spend all the money you make on recovery. Change jobs if you have to. Find a therapist.

ziml77 3y ago
Yes! Don't neglect vacation time and be sure to take a proper vacation. None of this "I'll be gone but I'm still reachable" bullshit. Lie and say you won't have access to a computer if that's what it takes. And be sure the vacation is long enough. 2 weeks straight is probably the optimal balance between practicality and relaxability. Though in many cases you may be capped at 1 week straight, but that is still far better than no break at all.
- quechimba 3y ago
  I'd say 3 weeks or more if possible. Where do they cap it to 1 week? In Sweden the employer has to allow you 4 weeks of uninterrupted vacation during the summer months. Heh, one time I asked for vacation 6 months in advance. My girlfriend had planned everything, booked all the hotels etc. And one week before the vacation they said I couldn't go because everyone who wasn't fired had quit and I was the only developer they had. In the end they agreed that I could go if I brought my work laptop and had my phone on 24/7. This was about 2 weeks after I had been on my first stress related sick leave. I got a panic attack at work and ended up at the psychiatric emergency where they told me to stay home 2 weeks and that I needed antidepressants (to which my response was "I don't need any f*cking pills, I need more consultants!!" but they couldn't help me with that. I stayed home 1 week staring into the ceiling before going back to work. I was going on vacation soon anyways so I thought I could endure 1 week more. Had a hard time disconnecting during that vacation. One doctor recommended me a 4 month vacation and told me "go to India or Peru and do something completely different" and I quit my job and did just that. Should have done that earlier.
  - ziml77 3y ago
    (Sorry for the late response, I hadn't checked my replies all week) Companies in the US can put limits on consecutive vacation days. Both jobs I've had in the financial industry had a limit of 7 business days. While not impossible to go beyond that, it ends up needing approval that goes higher up than your manager. I'm sure some industries provide more flexibility on consecutive days off, but if they do it's likely because workers don't even have enough days to take much more than that off. According to Forbes[1] the average number of vacation days an employee in the US gets is 11. That average moves to 15 after working at the same place for 5 years. Even though 15 days is enough to take 3 weeks straight, it would be a terrible idea to use all vacation days in one shot. A year is a long time. You're certainly going to be needing another break before a full 12 months has elapsed. [1] https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/pto-statistics/ https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/pto-statistics/

ziml77 3y ago

Yes! Don't neglect vacation time and be sure to take a proper vacation. None of this "I'll be gone but I'm still reachable" bullshit. Lie and say you won't have access to a computer if that's what it takes. And be sure the vacation is long enough. 2 weeks straight is probably the optimal balance between practicality and relaxability. Though in many cases you may be capped at 1 week straight, but that is still far better than no break at all.

quechimba 3y ago
I'd say 3 weeks or more if possible. Where do they cap it to 1 week? In Sweden the employer has to allow you 4 weeks of uninterrupted vacation during the summer months. Heh, one time I asked for vacation 6 months in advance. My girlfriend had planned everything, booked all the hotels etc. And one week before the vacation they said I couldn't go because everyone who wasn't fired had quit and I was the only developer they had. In the end they agreed that I could go if I brought my work laptop and had my phone on 24/7. This was about 2 weeks after I had been on my first stress related sick leave. I got a panic attack at work and ended up at the psychiatric emergency where they told me to stay home 2 weeks and that I needed antidepressants (to which my response was "I don't need any f*cking pills, I need more consultants!!" but they couldn't help me with that. I stayed home 1 week staring into the ceiling before going back to work. I was going on vacation soon anyways so I thought I could endure 1 week more. Had a hard time disconnecting during that vacation. One doctor recommended me a 4 month vacation and told me "go to India or Peru and do something completely different" and I quit my job and did just that. Should have done that earlier.
- ziml77 3y ago
  (Sorry for the late response, I hadn't checked my replies all week) Companies in the US can put limits on consecutive vacation days. Both jobs I've had in the financial industry had a limit of 7 business days. While not impossible to go beyond that, it ends up needing approval that goes higher up than your manager. I'm sure some industries provide more flexibility on consecutive days off, but if they do it's likely because workers don't even have enough days to take much more than that off. According to Forbes[1] the average number of vacation days an employee in the US gets is 11. That average moves to 15 after working at the same place for 5 years. Even though 15 days is enough to take 3 weeks straight, it would be a terrible idea to use all vacation days in one shot. A year is a long time. You're certainly going to be needing another break before a full 12 months has elapsed. [1] https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/pto-statistics/ https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/pto-statistics/