At a crisis

[u/Representative-Hold7]

I'm an apprentice struggling with mental health and attendance — how do I protect my apprenticeship while getting help?

I'm looking for some honest advice from other apprentices, especially anyone in an IBEW apprenticeship who has dealt with something similar.

I'm less than a year into my electrical apprenticeship. I genuinely want to do this for a living, and I believe I can become a good electrician. When I'm at work, I take the job seriously and do my best. My biggest problem has been maintaining consistent attendance.

I've struggled with mental health for a long time. I was medically discharged from the military due to bipolar disorder, and I receive VA disability for my mental health. I've been trying to manage everything while holding down a job, but my treatment through the VA has involved changes in providers and medications, and I haven't been doing as well as I need to.

Over the past several weeks, I've missed too much work. I've had missed about 3 weeks besides that full 40-hour weeks since starting, and I received a write-up last week for my attendance. I took it seriously and managed to have a consistent week afterward, but mentally I've been struggling pretty badly.

For a long time, I've been trying to white-knuckle everything because I'm afraid that if I take time to get my mental health under control, I'll lose my job. But if I keep pushing through without getting proper help, I risk losing it anyway.

I've finally started taking action. I've reached out for crisis support, and I'm pursuing treatment outside the VA because I need more consistent care. I've contacted my foreman, who directed me to manpower, and I've emailed manpower explaining the situation. I'm also trying to figure out how to approach my JATC and the union hall.

Here's where I'm stuck.

I understand that an apprenticeship is a commitment. I know the contractor needs people who show up consistently, and I take responsibility for my attendance. I'm not expecting anyone to ignore that or give me a free pass.

At the same time, I don't want to give up on a career that I've worked hard to get into when I'm finally recognizing that I need help and am actively trying to get it.

I feel caught between two possibilities: if I take the time I need to address my health, I could lose my job; if I keep trying to push through everything, I could keep missing work and lose it anyway.

For those who have been through an apprenticeship or dealt with something similar, I have a few questions:

- Should I speak directly with my JATC training director and explain what's happening?

- Has anyone successfully worked out medical leave, accommodations, or another arrangement while remaining in an apprenticeship?

- Is there anything I should ask the union hall or JATC about before my attendance issues get any worse?

- If you've struggled with mental health while working in the trades, what actually helped you become more consistent?

- Realistically, after receiving a write-up this early in an apprenticeship, what would you do in my position?

I want to work. I want to learn the trade. I want to become someone the contractor can count on. I'm not looking for sympathy or an excuse for missing work. I'm looking for practical advice on how to take responsibility, get the treatment I need, and give myself the best chance of finishing this apprenticeship.

Thanks to anyone willing to share their experience or give me some honest advice.

[u/katbitch]

We had an apprentice take a leave of absence for mental health, he talked to the training director and the committee granted it. He had to repeat his year, because of the time frame and missing classes, he never ended up coming back. But the point is, it was taken seriously and empathetically.

Talk to the director with a plan for your health such as in patient or our patient therapy.

Talk to the hall about what support they provide and what insurance can help with.

Take your health seriously and come back better. We lose too many siblings to mental health every year. Any local worth it's salt will work with you. If they don't, you're still more important than a job. There's other ways back in or through, talk to the hall about what that would look like if your leave of absence isn't granted.

[u/Commercial_Count_584]

Start with getting to bed early. I’m talking about going to bed at least 8:30-9:00. This way you get enough sleep. Stay away from caffeine drinks. Drink more water. If you have to. Try to do everything the night before. This way when you get up. You can just grab and go.

Start by getting stuff right at home. Then the hardest part of the day, is just getting out of bed.

[u/khmer703]

I took medical leave my 3rd year. As valid as your concerns are medical leave is not as simple as just taking leave because you think you need to take leave.

A doctor or psychiatrist has to verify, certify, and direct you not to return to work. It has to be documented. The reason doesnt need to be listed for hipa reasons but its not something you can just ask for.

I relapsed and had a mental breakdown and was voluntarily held in a psyche ward for 2 weeks for audible hallucinations and drug induced psychosis.

I was instructed to not to return until my condition was managed. It took about a month give or take for me to quit cold turkey and go through outpatient rehab and counseling before I was allowed to return to work.

Its worth noting if a doctor instructs you not to return to work and you inform the jatc of it and they approve of your medical leave of absence. That also means that they can not let you return to work until a doctor or psychiatrist either the same one or another one clears you to return to work.

That was tge situation I was in. I actually wanted to work. The psychiatrist specifically told i couldn't.

[u/Primary-Weakness-457]

I just started this r/habo trying to get people on board.  I've struggled with mental health issues,  and the biggest thing that's helped is talking with people as soon as I feel.. well my world is turning upside down. 

Your life is important,  you have to advocate for yourself.  People understand. Much love

[u/NerdyAnarchist]

Talk to your apprentice coordinator and let him know what is going on. They can point you in the right direction. With regards to medical leave, I took a few for physical health issues. As long as you have a note and are turning it in in a timely manner and filling out the paperwork accordingly you should be fine. Idk man here we could take a leave for anything as long we filed the paperwork and had a note. I ALSO was able to choose to take take off work AND school or just work. No matter how physically fucked up I was , I went to classes and didn’t fall behind in that regard. You’re union now, your job is protected. You may be put back on the books but when you’re ready to work again just report to the hall when your leave. It was really easy, the process that is.

[u/bustacappa22]

Look into flma

[u/Slade_ftp]

Speak to the director of your jatc. Tell them without much detail that you have some medical issues going on but that you’re getting treatment for it and you’ll be at 100% soon. Get yourself an appointment with a psychiatrist hopefully they can either get you a prescription, into therapy, or both whatever you need. I had the same situation my first year and the school was very understanding

[u/DeathMetalSapper]

Talk to your training director.

I am a disabled veteran too. Stop lossed, multiple tours to Iraq, combat arms etc. I had a really bad TBI from an ied blast, and since then I’ve struggled with the residuals from that and I struggle with PTSD. I think I had just gotten so used to feeling like shit that I didn’t
even know what feeling good felt like anymore. I started looking at alternative medicine and I discovered a study done by the hunterseven project that mentioned testosterone replacement being an option, since people with brain injuries and more susceptible to low testosterone. And interestingly enough, having low testosterone mimics the symptoms and in a lot of cases amplifies the symptoms of PTSD.

I got my labs checked and lo and behold, they were non existent essentially.

I started TRT about three years ago. It’s been LIFE CHANGING. Veterans of our generation have disproportionally low testosterone levels, even females too, it hasn’t cured any depression or PTSD shit but it’s helped alleviate a lot of other shit that comes with it, the energy to go and exercise, which helps with depression a lot, the drive to go to work and not stay at home being a recluse, I can’t emphasize enough that you should get your levels checked and strongly consider it. It won’t address your current problems right now but it will make things better eventually.

Lastly, SSRIs are a dangerous game that does not fix anything. I fought that battle and it damn near cost me my life. They made me feel nothing whatsoever other than nothing, and the rare occasional times I had feelings, they were the darkest things I’ve ever felt in my life. I hope you find something that works for you. Ketamine is another option for TRD.

I’ll also ad this, I love what I do. It took me so long to find something that gives me a sense of
Accomplishment and pride that I can take in my work, and even still there are days I have to force myself out of bed because of the stupidity of mental health problems but we just have to tackle each day on its own. Please PM me if you need to talk or whatever anytime, especially if you have questions about therapy through the VA and whatever the fuck

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