Any examples where despite your difficulties with illness, you still managed to destroy your tasks in the face of insurmountable odds?
I’ll share first. I was at work for about two months as a cart pusher. Then one a-hole at my job (who was possibly sore because I’d called in sick and he had to push carts for me), cuts the cord on the electronic cart.
I was going to quit that day, but since they were completely overwhelmed, I suddenly felt an obligation to help them. I stayed on for the next three months it took to fix that damned thing. Then in a month or two I left, having had enough of all their headgames.
Not the best story, but it felt good to stick it out while times were rough. I wish I could keep that going indefinitely.
I worked nursing at a facility that’s extremely busy. 30 patients per shift. I stayed longer than I imagined until the sz made it impossible to function effectively. I went back to nuclear medicine and was too screwed up to do that. I’ve been on ssdi for 2 months now and I hate it. Just maintaing right now trying to not rock the boat so I can make it through each day.
Been at my job going on three years now. It’s been a grind and there have been at least a handful of times I felt like quitting. Stress from the job, insensitive co workers, and my illness all contributed to these low moments. But everyday I am grateful I work and am a contributing member of the community. Summer is the toughest season since I work outdoors much of the time. Just got to get through this next month, month and a half then I’ll be cool as a
I work as a volunteer at a local nursing home near me. My job is to go around saying hello to the residents and engaging them in conversations. I really love my job and I have been told that me and the others like me, are “worth our weight in gold”. That was so nice to hear.
I’ve been teaching part-time at a community college for the past 8 years. I work a side job in addition to this, as the college pay is not enough for me to live on. I’ve gone through several side jobs over the past eight years, with my new one to start as soon as I get my criminal background check done and the results are transmitted to my new employer.
In 1998 i started working in a home where there were two sisters and a brother who all had intellectual disabilities and were also deaf. We lived on the second floor of the massive house. When they wanted to move into town we decided against us moving there as well. We had already. Bought a home. We left in 2002. I took off til 2006. There i managed several group homes for people with intellectual and physical disabities. I did that til 2011. I loved my work but it has a very burnout rate. By this time i was having severe mental health issues. Paranoia. Visual and auditory hallucinations. I was put on disability. I decided to volunteer to see if u could do it but I shook for days after. So my work days are done but I’m okay with that.
Recent story… I had been having fun driving a bulk fuel delivery truck. Ideal job: You get to drive a huge ass vehicle and work alone 95% of the day. LOVED IT. Then I discovered that I was almost fainting when I had to pull a hose out to a tank to fill. Turns out my lousy heart had gotten lousier on me with age and I was no longer physically up to doing that job.
A friend who worked in the local insurance agency got me an interview. I was hired on and have been kicking booty and chewing bubblegum ever since. Never thought I’d be good at sales (I am!). Or that I could handle being yelled by people without yelling back (I can do that, too!). I’m regarded as such a reliable hire that I’m now responsible for training new staff! I didn’t think I’d like it or be able to do it, but it was the only good job available and I figure it’s better to try and fail than never try.
I have a creative and mentally stimulating job. I am greatful I have a job although there is a lot of stress and not the ideal place for someone hypersensitive. But probably there is no ideal place. Some days you want to quit, but, for the most part you keep on going because that’s what gives meaning to your life. You can get lost in your work, find a reason to fight each day with negative thoughts, live as if you are like the rest and forget about any kind of resentment toward your destiny. Just don’t give up.
I started my current job as an intern, but quickly became so valuable and hardworking that I was quickly put in charge of my own department! I now manage a team!
I was an RN. Loved it. Then my 1st psychotic break happened while I was on shift. Haven’t worked as a nurse since.
Now I work for my husband in his insurance agency. If I am having a rough day, I can take as many breaks as I need to - with sime exceptions.
Even though I sometimes need the flexibility and supervision, I still find pride in my work. I mostly handle the office, website and FB posts. I answer the phones and help customers.
I even got my Life license, making me an official Agent. (Hoping to get licensed in property/casualty and health as well).
That’s fantastic. That’s a very difficult license to earn where I live. The P&C one I have is much simpler. Good on ya! Best of luck on your plans to upgrade.
I teach introductory biology, lecture and lab. It’s just part-time, though, with no hope of going full-time. That’s cool with me, though, not sure I’d want to be a full-time professor, not sure I have what it takes, anyway.
I wonder how much of it is politics. I wanted to be a community college teacher, but I heard the pay is low unless tenure track/full time. I would need a masters in math. So far I only have some college.
I don’t think it’s politics. Community colleges just prefer to hire mostly adjuncts (part-timers) who they don’t have to give benefits. Full-time positions are very hard to come by; when an adjunct gets hired to be full-time, they typically hang onto their position until retirement.
After my first psychotic break as soon as I started to feel stable and better I decided to work as a cashier. The pay wasn’t great but it was something and allowed me to work on my speech and get better at talking again. I eventually quit my medication cold turkey, lost about 30lbs and was feeling great. I worked for almost 10 months but the owner was a complete idiot and an @$$h0le so I eventually left.
I was stable for about 4 months I believe and relapsed again. Flipped and totaled my car in the process. Eventually got help and as soon I stabilized I looked for a job as a cashier again to help me get back to my senses and eventually I was working through a very severe depression but I hung in there until I started working for my father as a cashier. Got back to stability, fluidity in thought, speech got better and it’s continued to get better.
I’m proud of myself because throughout this entire process I kept working and didn’t ask my parents for anything except that I had a place to stay and cooked food. I eventually started getting a lot better and have been helping my parents financially and with groceries. It was a tough process to get to where I am battling life circumstances and depression and instability but I’m glad I hung in there.
