Every time I try to work, I realized I’m still far from normal. It’s makes me depressed.
I used to work pre-schizo, I don’t remember work is something this hard.
Please give me some advice.
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Just try to find work that fits in with your capabilities. I know what you mean. A few years ago i could work full time without much fuss. However, since my last psychotic episode, i haven’t bounced back as much as i would like. It is harder to work full time, and really my goal is to find something part-time. You may need to reassess yourself and make similar concessions if necessary. Please don’t beat yourself up over it. A lot of us are in the same boat.
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severe mental illness (smi) comes with a distinct drop in cardiorespiratory fitness and vo2 max regardless of the condition. You may have noticed pre-crisis your fitness was normal but suddenly it’s much harder to move, sit still, maintain posture or persevere.
The only advice I have is to try to do some fitness to counteract these effects. Try to learn about overvalued ideas, intrusive thoughts and ocd so as not to clog your power source, which is the mind, with unnecessary intrusive thoughts, worries, fears, feelings and urges so your mental force is saved and available for your legitimate work, perception and awareness.
Remember it is thought->feeling->behavior. If your thoughts are clouded or compromised so will feelings and next the ability to control, resist, execute and switch movements/actions/behaviors.
Post illness I’ve only been able to work jobs like housekeeping and customer service, but I think I’m getting better. The only advice I can give you is to work with your strengths and find a good employer to work for. Find something you are interested in and hone it. Feeling confident in what you do will help. Linkedin is free if you have a library card I think? You can take courses in softskills, business writing, programming, etc.
All the best.
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Keep trying. Look for work that sparks your interest, not just another job. Part time, low stress, these are job qualities that have kept me employed. Best of luck.
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Well sure, becoming schizophrenic is a game changer. It will affect you in some way. But it may be that you just haven’t found the right job yet.
I got diagnosed in 1980 and didn’t work again for three years. My first job post-diagnosis I lasted four years as a maintanence person. That was despite fatigue from my meds, psychosis and even being an addict for the last year and a half there. I didn’t particularly like the job but it was a good fit at the time.
And that’s my point. I’ve had more than a dozen jobs since 1982. A lot of them I didn’t like or do well at. But at a few of them I excelled. And the thing is you can’t predict how a job will work out, you just have to try it and hope for the. best. You may find a job tomorrow where your co-workers are cool, the work isn’t abnormally hard and your boss likes you. That’s how being employed works.
I mean out of all the jobs I’ve had I got fired from half of them. That doesn’t mean that I can’t go right back out a week or a month later and get a new one and do great at it and last three or four years. Because that’s how employment works. I would say to persevere and maybe aim just a little lower in your expectations of the jobs you go for. You can still get a good job but you may never be a lawyer or a doctor.
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Whenever I get I job I can’t handle it. I’m just too depressed and stressed out to handle a job. So 77nick77 is fortunate, so good job 77nick77!
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