I used to have a great work ethic, instilled by my parents at a young age. I had a job at age 15, and worked various jobs until I was diagnosed with sz at age 25. Used to go to college and work 40 hours a week.
Anyways, nowadays, I can barely work a 10/hr a week part time job. I helped my dad with a small project today and I’m exhausted. Maybe I’m just really out of shape? Or maybe it’s the illness. How about you? How’s your work ethic?
My work ethic has always been suspect. I was better at heavy work like hauling hay than I ever was at fast food, but now they have those godawful 1,300 lb bales, so that is gone. I’m lousy at fast food. When I was on Haldol there were a lot of jobs I just couldn’t keep up with. When I was in the army I didn’t have a lot of patience with detail. In Germany they told us, “Pay attention to detail. Details will get you killed.” But I saw people get so involved in detail that they forgot major things. I think it is more important to prioritize the workload. There was this British battalion in South Africa during the Zulu wars that forgot to make available these little crowbars for opening crates of ammunition, and as a result they got wiped out to the last man, in spite of the fact that they had plenty of firepower to hold off the enemy. They were probably practicing their saluting and shining their brass all the way down as they bit the dust.
I’m done working in restaurants/fast food. No chance in hell I can keep up with it. I worked as a pizza delivery driver for years, and enjoyed it and made decent money. But that was prior to getting diagnosed.
Since getting diagnosed, I tried going back to work at a pizza shop. It was awful, I lasted 2 weeks. Just couldn’t keep up.
Yes, I’ve delivered pizza too. It is the only fast food job that I can hack. Most fast food jobs are mentally and emotionally grueling.
My work ethic \is not questionable. There’s no question I no longer have one.
Mine used to be great too. Not so much anymore. I did lots of yard work from an early age. I used to go and do yard work after school or on weekends at the house next door to these really popular stoners who I had bought acid and pot from on occasion. Mowing lawns and weeding wasn’t very cool but I worked at several houses anyways. I think I made $2.00 an hour while I could hear all the stoners next door laughing and partying.
Anyways, I got my first real job at age 17 as a dishwasher and worked hard and soon got promoted to cook which was the job all the other dishwashers coveted. I quit after a couple months but I just kept getting other jobs. I was always working from 17-19 until I got sick.
I couldn’t work for the next 3 1/2 years but I was in a vocational program. There were 15 people in the program and I didn’t feel special but the counselors kept giving me little jobs with more and more responsibilities and soon they got me another real job out in the community. I worked there four years though I was heavily sedated from my medication. I worked there while moving around a lot and being addicted to crack. And then I got kicked out off my housing while working there. I eventually got fired but I got new jobs.
Some of them I worked hard. I usually found jobs on my own through the classified ads.I’ve been working pretty steadily ever since.
BUT, my work ethic isn’t what it used to be. I’ve been at my janitor job ten years now but I am slow and don’t put out much effort. I do a good enough, passable job so they don’t complain about my work but I don’t try to do better than anyone else and I don’t work hard. I’m tired and wish I could retire. I don’t know what other job would take me at this point. I’m 60 and I may have my degree soon but I only have experience in entry level unskilled, mostly labor jobs.
But at least I can say I’ve worked almost steadily since I was 23, almost 37 years and I’ve had paranoid schizophrenia the whole time to boot.
Yep same here. I used tk be hard working and work a lot now I can do maybe 20 hrs if I’m lucky. Morelike 15 comfortably. And I can’t work as fast or stay on task as well
I used to be a stellar worker until depression dug its talons deep into my brain. I can manage helping my dad clean cabins for two hours here and there but as far as having the brain power to work in a demanding role it is a big nope.
Every art needs to be practised, to read, write,paint,construct,play,care,love,cook,repair, clean etc., sometimes we need creative rests otherwise we fatique or chronically fatique. I think you are worn out. Resting doesn’t cost anything and is the most economically efficient form to live. Don’t blame the lazy cause they haven’t done anything.
I worked since I was 12 but it was for the wrong reason. I wanted to be the man in the family.
I can’t cope with stress. That inhibits me of working hard. For now I just volunteer.
My work ethic is good but I can’t keep a job longer than a few months
After being out of work for quite a few years I think my work ethic has suffered, but what bothers me more is my ability to deal with backstabbers at work. I did some volunteering last year and stopped because I could see one of the volunteers backstabbing the boss and couldn’t stand it. I think that kind of thing is common but I cannot stand it.
Yea, I can relate @Tulane:
Started working at 15 years old, have held jobs since then.
Will say I wasn’t the hardest of workers at times, but I earned my paycheck every week.
…Nowadays, it’s a struggle to work a 5-6 hour shift.
I’ve had to cut back my hours from around 32ish to 18ish a week.
Much better for my health, but my pocket’s really hating it at the moment.
I believe I do have some negative symptoms, which coupled with work anxiety make for difficulties in showing up.
My job requires heavy socializing-- clients and coworkers alike.
It’s rough most days, but I just keep pushing myself to do it.
Oh, and it doesn’t help that one of the managers blasts the music. It’s shiit music, btw.
Ideally, I’d be working in a quieter setting doing research and writing reports.
Hang in there @Tulane 
Also, I wanna add that it’s not your work ethic-- the sense of responsibility is still intact.
I believe it’s more of the ability to work efficiently, which in turn makes us feel as though the drive isn’t there anymore.
You’ve still got it in you, just some hurdles in the way.
Since this was mentioned I would like to say that a good manager is a valuable thing and will help you work efficiently as well as in a productive environment. Maybe in the future keep that in mind when applying.
Not having a work ethic has made my life a great deal more comfortable.
I don’t think your work ethic is questionable, as I understand you, you really would like to work, but can’t do it as much as you would like to (if you lacked work ethics you wouldn’t care about working and you would try to avoid it)
I have it like that. My work ethic is good, but I simply can’t work anymore, i get easily stressed, i’m exhausted and can’t handle all the social interaction on a job.
it’s great you still try.
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