[CosmicRose]

I'd really appreciate hearing from those of you who suffer from anxiety disorders but have a job that you feel is a good fit for you?
I have an anxiety disorder and PTSD. I have not been able to find a job that would be a good match for me.
I've worked in retail on a cash register but quit because it was a huge trigger for my anxiety. I've worked on a school campus as a teacher's assistant which was a little less triggering but it still didn't feel like a good match.
Please tell me what you do for a living and if you feel comfortable with it?
Thank you

Have you tried to find an office job? A lot of office jobs offer a chance to be by yourself while you are working.

Best wishes

[anxteach]

I don't have any input, but I'm curious about the same question. I'd love to hear what people have to say if there are some who have found a good fit that works with anxiety disorders.

[Ozisl]

I don't know how helpful it is, but finding a way to make money working from home has been the only way I can cope. Fortunately, that also means that I have enough time to keep up to date with tech stuff and can pick up jobs that are low-stress and mostly leave me to my own schedule (and away from people).

[stages]

I do contract graphic design / content creation work for a medium-ish long-running local business. i think it's a good fit for me anxiety-wise, its only that its very unstructured which i find hard to thrive in, as well as I don't get enough work to live on. low-stress environment, i interact with just a handful of people, a lot of work i can do at home. its a health care center that gets referrals from hospitals, the company doesnt worry much about marketing to outside customers, so deadlines are rare and flexible.

i think most of the low stress comes from the small size of the company, but still established enough they're not desperate to make ends meet. local businesses probably fit that criteria better than most. maybe a non-front-end job in a retail chain whose locations are relatively close? my cousin worked at a nordstrom's in fulfillment service, basically when people order things online she goes and finds it in the store and packs it. it's pretty unstructured and she had a lot of spare time so she helped out in other departments, but never had to make a sale or interact with a high volume of customers

[Sinking Feeling]

Any job where there are no people or the least amount of people works for me. I work overnite shift and have very little contact with any one. I like to work by myself. I find people cause me stress, not the work.

[Living Dead Guy]

I have found I love welding. Its fast paced enough to dissociate and everyone leaves me alone.

[Bluesday]

Originally Posted by Ozisl

I don't know how helpful it is, but finding a way to make money working from home has been the only way I can cope. Fortunately, that also means that I have enough time to keep up to date with tech stuff and can pick up jobs that are low-stress and mostly leave me to my own schedule (and away from people).

What do you do? I can't seem to find any real work-from-home opportunities.

I work in high level publicity which is terrible for someone with anxiety as I'm never off work and constantly dealing with ppl - difficult ppl (many of them well known). I was most at peace when I worked in a library as a page/ cataloger. However, I make more money in my current field and tend to love the rush of excitement, it sort of distracts me from my thoughts. The library gave me lots of alone time with the downside of an idle mind and rumination would often set in. That said, I recommend library jobs or transcription jobs for folks with anxiety as you are left alone quite a lot and any attacks would be private where attacks in public relations or other fast paced fields mean stealing away to conference rooms or feigning control over everything in front of colleagues - in addition to successfully performing the duties of the role.

[pbutton]

I have an office job as an analyst. It's a good fit. All of my accounting jobs have been a good fit.

[CosmicRose]

Originally Posted by Sinking Feeling

Any job where there are no people or the least amount of people works for me. I work overnite shift and have very little contact with any one. I like to work by myself. I find people cause me stress, not the work.

What night shift job do you have? The only ones I can think of are warehouse stocking, or some kind of baking job.

[Raindropvampire]

I work at a gas station as the third shift manager. I found one that locks the doors at midnight and everything goes through the window. Needless to say it's not very busy and the less people I see the better. It's just me alone cleaning, doing paperwork, chatting here, straightening shelves etc... Very low stress for me.

[Sinking Feeling]

Originally Posted by CosmicRose

What night shift job do you have? The only ones I can think of are warehouse stocking, or some kind of baking job.

Tech support for me, but there is also all nite stockers, cleaners, call centers, security guards, and some factories.

[Lemon Curd]

I came from a high stress working environment.
I crashed.
I run & co-own a dog boarding facility on our property.
I hire others to deal with the customers.
*sighs*
I am blessed.
Working with dogs (animals), is very fulfilling & a good fit for me.
I am an expert dog walker. I can grab a few dogs & disappear on a nature walk for a while. For me, it's a little slice of heaven.
That's just me.
*big warm friendship hug*

[CosmicRose]

If only I weren't allergic to dogs
but how does one start a boarding facility on their property? Are there business liabilities that come along with that type of work? Do clients come to you often?

[Lemon Curd]

You can start by working at a dog boarding facility, become a dog walker.
Ya know, see if you like it.
See if ya need, more allergy medication.
Probably not for you, especially if you can't be around dogs, due to your allergies ~~ especially, if they're severe.
Heck, I'm allergic to almost everything.
I do see an allergist. Just another yearly doctor, I have to muster courage to see.
I personally find working with dogs (animals), is very healing for me.
That's just me.
I wish you the best hun. Hope you find a job that suits you soon.
*big warm friendship hug*

[janfow365123123]

Self employment I would think would be the best. If you are a hard worker, but can't deal with people well, it's probably not a bad idea. I did graphic design for a while, but with anxiety and depression, you really are at a disadvantage as you have to really take a lot of rejection to find clients who will consistently hire you.

For myself, I actually feel most comfortable around children and the disabled. For that reason, I've been looking seriously into doing respite work professionally from my home and on-site. I then get to negotiate hours, and if I have a sick day, I can budget for however many days I think I'll need. The performance issue will no longer be hanging over my head, but in my hands. I like that.

[Londongirl1984]

I work for a magazine/website doing online stuff, and I think the stress of the job has probably made my anxiety worse. Not really a great fit

[essequam]

Broadcasting has been great for me. While there are certain situations that can cause extreme stress, day to day it's the right balance of time alone in a studio and interacting with others.

[CosmicRose]

Originally Posted by essequam

Broadcasting has been great for me. While there are certain situations that can cause extreme stress, day to day it's the right balance of time alone in a studio and interacting with others.

how did you get into broadcasting?

[CrystalSteph]

My first job which is the same job I currently have started out working in an office doing data entry. At first, I was nervous especially because I was in a room with other people and my boss but we did most of our talking via online through messenger, it helped me a lot to loosen up. I know work from home still doing office work, which I believe is the perfect match because I can't imagine how much of a nervous wreck I'd be if I worked at a store as a cashier!

Although, eventually I would love to have a career outside of a computer screen and socialize with others.. one day.

I don't think this is going to help you much but I thought you might find it interesting
I worked as a musician while being treated for severe anxiety and depression. Live and onstage and all that. Crazy huh?

[Generic_username123]

I'm a data entry admin assistant. It's pretty boring but requires minimal social contact which is kind of good for someone shy like me.

I am a massage therapist, and find that the quiet time and the thinking that comes with working on people's musculature issues helps distract me from worries and makes me feel better. The compliments and people telling you how much they feel better also help

[radioactive1]

Essequam, I agree about broadcasting. I used to love the time I spent on the air. However, the money and job security were lousy. I work third shift in a type of call center now and am much happier.