I asked him this morning what he wants to do about this situation. He said he wants to quit this job and find a parttime job with lower stress. So, we talked about how to do that. He got the job through an employment agency, so we discussed how to gracefully quit the job without burning any bridges at the employment agency. I suggested he tell a lie. (Bad of me, maybe, but he shouldn't have to explain about his mental health problems.)

I suggested he call the employment agency and tell them he's caregiver to a family member who is ill and that he needs parttime employment so he can be more available to that family member. I told him to ask if they thought he should give two weeks notice. That way he'd look cooperative and helpful.

In the past when he's been overwhelmed at jobs, it leads to a breakdown of some sort, and he just stops showing up. Then when he wants to go back, of course, they won't take him.

So, I'm seeing this as a success and a growth experience. He's monitoring his internal state, noticing he's getting overwhelmed, assessing the resources available to him, and taking action that won't damage relationships he might want to call on in the future.

I hope it all works well for him.