I posted a while ago about quitting a job due to symptoms. Now I have a new job, and the decline in cognitive functioning that ive experienced since the onset of schizophrenia is causing me not to do well. I’m terrified that I will be let go from this job because I cant keep up. Theres so many skills that I need but lost due to the illness such as communication skills, strong memory, and ability to focus for a long time. Has anybody overcome the challenges that schizophrenia poses even when hallucinations have been controlled by meds? Anybody working for a while in a steady job? Id love if people could share their experiences and any advice
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Also I cant help but think whats the point in fighting a losing battle? My mind has deteriorated so much yet I keep trying and that only stresses and depresses me…I’m going into work after a horrible day yesterday with no reason to think today will b better. I’m tired of hoping and trying. I was diagnosed 6 yrs ago and my cognitive deficits haven’t improved if anything theyve gotten worse. Maybe I just cant work as hard as that is for me to accept as I’m young
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As long as you remain motivated to work, you should be able to find a job that suits your current abilities…
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People still die despite they keep fit.
But that’s not the reason to lose hope. I cannot prolong my life span but I can live a quality life.
I know it would be difficult to wrestle against schizophrenia.
Thats just it for me though my quality of life has greatly decreased im not in control of my life anymore sometimes I just wish it was all over Im functioning especially bad today and its just all hard to take. I just wish there were better meds that targeted all the symptoms of sz not just some
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I work a pretty cognitively difficult job. I only work part time so I have time to recoup over the weekend and I take a lot of short breaks during my work day to keep refreshed. I break my work down into workable tasks rather than one big chunk of work. In the morning I write down things I can do for the day, things that need to be done etc and then I slowly work through them numbering and writing down what I’m doing as I do it so if I lose focus I have something to refer to.
I ask for help from my team on big tasks I’m unfamiliar with and refer some work off to other specialist teams at work. I only do what I can manage and I find by taking this approach, I can acutallly manage quite a bit.
Work is really important for recovery, you’ll find if you keep at your job and keep fighting the battle, you’ll improve. It takes time but it does happen.
Keep at it, you;re not a hopeless case and it’s not a losing battle. Work gives you something to wake up and get ready for in the morning, keeps you grounded in reality, gives you money which equals freedom.
I’m also very open and honest with my team leader and superiors about my schizophrenia. If I’m having a bad day with symptoms I can work on mundane tasks just to distract myself.
Stay at it. I really urge you to stay at it and look up the ‘health benefits of work’ on the internet for some motivation to stay on track for a positive recovery.
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I think I’m not in the same boat, but I’d just like to say two things:
- Not a lost batte
- Remember that you can sometimes find a place that will understand you. It’s a good habit to keep your nose open for new people and jobs
The worst thing about work is the fractured, random, chaotic problems that get thrown at you. And the best thing is the sense of achievement from overcoming and taming such a problem. If you are consistently thrown chaos and you see no way out of it it is easy to become stressed out and unmotivated. If you are never thrown anything to test you it is easy to become bored and again unmotivated. I had a few jobs that wobbled between these two scenarios until I found one that I have stuck at for nearly twenty years because it is a good balance. When I’m scared of a problem I tell myself to get right in there and just have a look. It is often not as scary when you look into it a little.
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