Sickness absence linked to stress has increased fivefold in Sweden in the last 14 years.
Yvette Forssmark was on sick leave almost a year ago.
– It has felt like I rode in a tumble dryer, she says.
Sickness absence linked to stress has increased fivefold in Sweden in the last 14 years. The welfare professions and women are overrepresented and sick leave costs billions in tax money every year, a new report shows.
Yvette Forssmark on Värmdö east of Stockholm is one of those affected. She works at the customer service unit at the municipality. She describes the time before sick leave as a never-ending race.
– I just ran on. I stopped taking breaks, shortened my lunches, spoke faster and worked to catch up. But it never ended. I kept thinking: “I get
then rest.
Nothing was fun
But in September of last year, it no longer worked. In connection with a car accident, a doctor stated that the injuries from the accident were minor, but that Yvette’s blood pressure was sky high. It led to an investigation, which led to sick leave for two months.
– I thought: “How nice. Now I get to sleep and recover. And then towards the end I probably have time to clean the store room or something like that.” But no. That storage room still isn’t cleaned.
The sick leave was extended and in December she started CBT treatment for stress and exhaustion. During the treatment, she had to map all waking time and categorize it as “fun, important or restorative”:
– I realized that I wasn’t doing anything that was fun or restorative. Only what was important.
“Not worth it”
Today, Yvette works part-time but still goes to a psychologist. She will have to struggle with the stress for the rest of her life.
– I wouldn’t wish anyone to be exhausted. It’s not funny. To constantly have this fear of health and to feel so bad. It is not worth it.
Is there anything that would have helped you not to be exhausted?
– I think that there is not much you can do about certain factors, life happens. But the workload – something can be done about it. I probably should have had someone slow me down sooner.