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“I Just Needed a Break — But First, I Had to Admit I Was Breaking.”by Someone Who Learned the Hard Way : Mental Health Medical Interventions and Help

“I Just Needed a Break — But First, I Had to Admit I Was Breaking.”
by Someone Who Learned the Hard Way

So, here’s the deal.

I used to think “mental health days” were just something people said when they wanted to stay home and watch Netflix in sweatpants. I didn’t get it — until I couldn’t get out of bed one Tuesday morning because the thought of seeing my coworkers made me want to disappear.

I worked in an office where sarcasm was the default language, and everyone had mastered the art of the backhanded compliment. It was like being in a group chat where no one liked you, but you couldn’t leave because you needed the paycheck. At first, I thought I was being overly sensitive. “It’s just banter,” I told myself. “Don’t take it personally.” But here’s the thing — if you hear someone laugh every time you speak, eventually, you stop speaking. It drains your mental health to an extent you lose your confidence.

The tipping point came during a team meeting. I suggested an idea I had been working on for weeks. Silence. Then snickering. Then someone (let’s call him Chad, because of course his name is Chad) said, “Wow, that’s… creative,” with a smirk that made my stomach drop. Nobody said anything. Not even my boss. I felt like I was shrinking in real time.

After the meeting, I went to the bathroom, sat in a stall, and cried quietly into my scarf.

That night, I didn’t sleep. The next morning, I stared at the bathroom mirror, toothbrush in hand, and just… froze. My chest felt heavy. My thoughts were loud. Everything felt wrong.

That’s when I realized: this wasn’t normal stress. This was burnout. Anxiety. Maybe depression. I didn’t know the name yet — but I knew I needed help.

So I called my doctor and said one of the hardest things I’ve ever said:

“I haven’t been feeling like myself. I’m exhausted, overwhelmed, and I think it’s affecting my ability to work.”

She didn’t rush me. She listened. I added:

“I’ve been having trouble sleeping and concentrating. I’m anxious all the time, and going into work is making it worse.”

She asked a few questions, and then gently said:

“It sounds like you’re dealing with anxiety and burnout. You need time off.”

And then came the sentence that made me feel like I could finally breathe again:

“I can write you a note for medical leave — mental health is a valid reason.”

She also recommended a therapist and let me know that this happens more often than people admit.

Other phrases I’ve since learned people use when talking to doctors for mental health-related sick notes:

• “I feel emotionally drained and mentally exhausted all the time.”
• “Work is triggering my anxiety, and I don’t think I’m coping well anymore.”
• “I’m not sleeping, and my mood is all over the place.”
• “I feel numb and disconnected — like I’m going through the motions.”
• “I’m struggling to get through the day without breaking down.”
• “I need a break before things get worse.”

I took that note and didn’t look back. For two weeks, I logged off from everything. No emails. No Slack. No pretending to be okay. I saw the therapist. I slept. I journaled. I reminded myself who I was outside of work.

And yeah — it helped. A lot.

I’m not saying I came back perfectly healed or that the toxic coworkers magically changed. But now, I have boundaries. I have words for what I was feeling. And I have the confidence to say, “I’m not okay, and I need support,” if it ever happens again.

If you’re reading this and you feel like you’re running on empty: please don’t wait until you crash.

Your mental health matters. You’re allowed to take a step back. And you’re definitely allowed to ask for help.

Trust me — the world can wait. Your healing can’t.