# Self certification for depression



## Shirl (Jul 8, 2010)

My friend has been very depressed for months. She has finally been to see her doctor and has been referred for counseling but that will not be for a few months. Now she is planning to stay off work for as long as she needs to. 
She has to self certificate for this week but doesn't want to use the words 'depression' or 'stress'.

Does anyone have any alternatives that she can use? She isn't too worried about what her doctor may put on future sick notes, she's just worried about writing those words herself.

Thanks

ps. this really is for a friend and not me, I don't have a job.


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## Tacita (Jul 8, 2010)

how about chronic fatigue? I know it's not the same but


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## cesare (Jul 8, 2010)

Why is she worried about writing those words?


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## ChocolateTeapot (Jul 8, 2010)

6 years back during a lengthy period of depression, my GP took to writing strange stuff like "malady" and "general malaise" on my lines.


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## Shirl (Jul 8, 2010)

cesare said:


> Why is she worried about writing those words?



I don't know. I feel that she wants her doctor to be the one who puts it into writing.


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## Shirl (Jul 8, 2010)

Tacita said:


> how about chronic fatigue? I know it's not the same but



My doctor once put that on a certificate for me  

I've already suggested it to my friend but she didn't like it.


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## cesare (Jul 8, 2010)

Shirl said:


> I don't know. I feel that she wants her doctor to be the one who puts it into writing.



She can only self certify for up to 7 consecutive days, and then the GP fit notes take over. If the GP is likely to put depression/stress/anxiety or similar, it's probably best for her to put the same otherwise her employer might think that she was falsifying the self certification form. If you could get to the bottom of why she's finding it hard to write the words, you might be able to help persuade her to put down something that's at least accurate enough for her employer not to cut up rough.


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## Shirl (Jul 8, 2010)

ChocolateTeapot said:


> 6 years back during a lengthy period of depression, my GP took to writing strange stuff like "malady" and "general malaise" on my lines.



I'll suggest 'general malaise'.  

I think it's a great phrase but she might not.


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## Shirl (Jul 8, 2010)

cesare said:


> She can only self certify for up to 7 consecutive days, and then the GP fit notes take over. If the GP is likely to put depression/stress/anxiety or similar, it's probably best for her to put the same otherwise her employer might think that she was falsifying the self certification form. If you could get to the bottom of why she's finding it hard to write the words, you might be able to help persuade her to put down something that's at least accurate enough for her employer not to cut up rough.



She is happy for her GP to put depression/ stress/anxiety or whatever. She just feels that it's not something she wants to write herself. I think it's more about not wanting to pronounce her own diagnosis.


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## cesare (Jul 8, 2010)

Shirl said:


> She is happy for her GP to put depression/ stress/anxiety or whatever. She just feels that it's not something she wants to write herself. I think it's more about not wanting to pronounce her own diagnosis.



She could just preface the description with "suspected"?


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## miss minnie (Jul 8, 2010)

I'd use "exhaustion and stress-related illness"


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## Shirl (Jul 8, 2010)

miss minnie said:


> I'd use "exhaustion and stress-related illness"



Thanks minnie, I have just phoned her with your suggestion. She felt that exhaustion was too dramatic even though she is permanently exhausted but she's going to go with 'stress-related illness'

cheers and thanks everyone.


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## argenteum (Jul 9, 2010)

ChocolateTeapot said:


> 6 years back during a lengthy period of depression, my GP took to writing strange stuff like "malady" and "general malaise" on my lines.



Was your GP a Victorian time-traveller or something?


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## Fuchs66 (Jul 9, 2010)

ChocolateTeapot said:


> 6 years back during a lengthy period of depression, my GP took to writing strange stuff like "malady" and "general malaise" on my lines.



Isn't that GP code for malingerer?


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## sam/phallocrat (Jul 9, 2010)

I think my GP put 'general anxiety' last time I was off with being fucking unhappy


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## 1%er (Jul 9, 2010)

Shirl said:


> My friend has been very depressed for months. She has finally *been to see her doctor and has been referred for counseling* but that will not be for a few months. Now she is planning to stay off work for as long as she needs to.
> She has to self certificate for this week but doesn't want to use the words 'depression' or 'stress'.
> 
> Does anyone have any alternatives that she can use? She isn't too worried about what her doctor may put on future sick notes, she's just worried about writing those words herself.
> ...


If the Doctor has referred her for counselling because of depression,then s/he has diagnosed her, so she can put on the certificate "diagnosed by Doctor as suffering from depression", his follow up certificates will confirm this.


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