ESA Medical-Anxiety & Depression

rogerblack

All assessors are trained in a limited way on mental health as it applies to the criteria they are supposed to assess for.

Unfortunately, you are not examined by a panel of specialists on your disabilities.
Saying (as the initial letter did) that they had no training isn't right - but that doesn't of course mean the training they get is adequate.

In principle, this wouldn't even be a significant problem, if they would then arrange a proper examination by someone with a clue, after they realise they are out of their depth.

themull1

I know that a lot of people are genuinely sick who go to these medicals to try and stay on benefits, but there must be loads of people who initially went on the sick and just got used to being off without the need to go back to work, the assessors are just trying to get the non sick off the sick and back in the workplace, which is a good thing.

FBaby

I really fail to understand how anyone experiencing such level of anxiety at the prospect of a benefit assessment can get on with any life. Sorry. There are bound to be many other stressful factors that they have to face in life surely? how can any one go on for years with such level of anxiety doing nothing to get help and get better? There no quick remedy no miracles the only cure will involve facing ones fears but surely that's better than living a life where they freak out musty because they haveto attend one appointment unless they have selective anxiety. Before I get criticized I know what anxiety is, very much so, but I've refused to let it rule my life.

Muttleythefrog

FBaby wrote: »

I really fail to understand how anyone experiencing such level of anxiety at the prospect of a benefit assessment can get on with any life. Sorry. There are bound to be many other stressful factors that they have to face in life surely? how can any one go on for years with such level of anxiety doing nothing to get help and get better? There no quick remedy no miracles the only cure will involve facing ones fears but surely that's better than living a life where they freak out musty because they haveto attend one appointment unless they have selective anxiety. Before I get criticized I know what anxiety is, very much so, but I've refused to let it rule my life.

I didn't seek help for 20 years (in part because I wouldn't let MI rule my life). Seeking help doesn't always seem sensible or possible. Anxiety will often be accompanied with other issues such as depression. But medicals like these can be a particular problem.. a lot can depend on how it goes and there is sufficient information out there to know they often go badly wrong. What is of course often a problem for the claimaint is that even when things go well they're probably only months away from another. People with anxiety often use avoidance to cope.. avoiding what causes anxiety.. not much choice with these medicals if they are going to cause you such.

But anxiety.. it manifests person to person in differing quantities to different circumstances (hence you've got a range of anxiety disorders defined)... selective isn't the word I'd use...but situational. I suffer extreme anxiety when my garden gate gets left open.. so much so I will confront people if they leave it in that state... yet for my ATOS medical my anxiety was probably very low (to that typical of my day) because I got complex feelings of pleasurable loss of control... my main concern in that medical was probably that I didn't lose my train ticket... a perfectly irrational fear given what was at stake and the fact I had enough money on me to travel half way across the planet... plus a cheque book and a debit card of course.

rogerblack

On the 'anxiety' - it's more than that.
The process of applying for a disability benefit unfortunately makes you admit that you are disabled.
It is a very negative and harrowing experience to sit down faced with a form, starting out with a question that you think at first 'of course I can do that'.
But then you think how often you can't.
And the consequences when you do.
And so, you then have to put in a fuller example, to justify to a stranger that no, in fact you can't.
This is especially fun if you have to approach others to confirm that this is in fact true.
It can make it really quite hard to go on with life with a positive attitude.

(Yay, I've now developed depression, another box to tick)