Posted by Racer on February 28, 2004, at 14:03:50
In reply to Re: Do you guys work?, posted by B2chica on February 28, 2004, at 13:12:12
Not right now. Before this current episode, I was self-employed, so when the depression hit, everything else got dropped. Kinda hard to hit client sites reliably when you're hospitalized, or going through med reactions. That's one of the major downsides to self-employment, no one to keep the ball rolling while you're out of the office or the mind.
In the past, during major depressive episodes, my employment status has varied. The first major episode as an adult hit when I got, in effect, "outsourced" because of computerization. They could hire a data entry clerk to do the work of five of us accountants, so four of us got to be unemployed. That was during the early 90s recession, so no job waiting for me, which led to unemployment stresses, which led to depression, which led to difficulties finding alternatives in my job hunting methods. Once the meds stabilized me, I could think a little more imaginatively, and got involved with a non-profit organization hoping it would lead to a job. It didn't, but it gave me a stepping stone back into responsibilities involved in working full time, which made making the adjustment so much easier when I got a job. Also, it led me to start making a career change, into non-profit administration.
For me, I've learned over the years that I need certain things to be successful in a working environment. I need a support network within the structure of the job. I need flexible structure: enough structure to help me stay focussed, but not so much that I get overwhelmed by being forced inside a box that just doesn't fit. I need a high level of autonomy, but I also need direction and deadlines. The non-profits I've been involved in have provided for most of those needs, and I plan to continue my focus in that direction when I finally get stabilized and some physical problems sorted out.
For anyone who is not now working, but wants to start working again soon, I highly recommend that you look into volunteering in your community, within your own interest areas. It provides obvious benefits to your community, because volunteers are always too few for most agencies that rely on them, and it provides enormous benefits for people like us. As a volunteer, you are responsible for showing up. Beyond that, it's all icing. Once you show up where you say you'll be, when you say you'll be there, you've fulfilled your commitment. It's great if you can actually do something beyond that, but once you've shown up, most of the pressure is off. Compare that to a real job! (And please don't tell me that you disagree with me. I'm simplifying it, of course, and those of us who've worked in Volunteer Development get frustrated as all get out when a volunteer shows up incapacitated, but if they show up at all, that's still the bottom line on a pretty basic level.) Obviously, a lot of mood disorders lead to things like overstating what you're able to do, getting overambitious and taking on projects you can't complete, but if you can find a good fit in a volunteer position, it can help you gain confidence for a "real" job, while providing a benefit to your community.
OK, 'nuf sed.
poster:Racer
thread:318293
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20040219/msgs/318536.html