UK: Guardian article: ‘Wearying and depressing’: ill young people tell why work is not an option

Three unemployed people explain how they feel targeted by the Tories over their inability to join the workforce

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Others have been forced out of work after an injury. Jordan, 27, was in the early months of a history PhD in Leicester in January 2022 when she suffered a minor head injury after she fainted and hit her head on a tiled kitchen floor.

She has been living with myalgic encephalomyelitis – chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) – since, though she only received an official diagnosis this month from a chronic fatigue specialist, after a change of GP, a rejected referral, and a long wait. “The stress and slowness of dealing with the healthcare system on top of an illness has at times felt impossible and worsened my symptoms and mental health,” she says.

After stints of paid leave and an attempt at part-time study, Jordan, who is financially supported by her partner, a software engineer, has been on unpaid leave from her PhD since February. After a referral by her GP, she has been undergoing energy management treatment with an occupational therapist, which she says has been a huge help. She plans to return to her PhD part-time with disability accommodations in February, when her leave of absence expires.

https://www.theguardian.com/society...l-young-people-tell-why-work-is-not-an-option