I work production doing rotating 12 hour shifts for almost 7 years now. The past 3 years my mental health has been noticably declining, so I've started on anxiety meds for most of that time.
Over the past year I've been getting worse though. Snapping and yelling at people I work with, irritability, lack of patience, feelings of sadness and self harm. That's not me.
6 months ago I went to my doctor who set me up with a therapist, I had 2 sessions with her, says I'm not a candidate for extended therapy, I just require more sleep. (I sleep maybe 4 hours if I'm lucky during the day when I'm on night shifts)
Doctor gives me some mild sedatives, they taste like crap and only give me another 2 hours MAYBE. No change in mood, since I'm still exhausted and now have a shitty taste in my mouth all the time.
Doctor decides to put me on days for a month, work accommodates no problem. After this month, I notice a significant improvement in my mood and emotional impulse control. I feel like I'm a person again, and much more relaxed, like I was before.
Follow up with the doctor, he gives me a note requesting the company move me to a permanent day based role. The personnel at work go on to explain there are no day positions open, and I'd have to either go back on shift in the near future, or attempt a disability claim with my insurance and be put off work until a “position becomes available” (no guarantee there)
So my options are either go back to being miserable, or sit at home bored, for who knows how long. I'm not a fan of either option, and I definitely can't afford to quit.
Screw me, I guess.