[brackenbeard]

I found this on The Center For Reintegration website under which it listed 5 myths about people with mental illness- especially pertaining to the workplace.

Myth #4: People with psychotic disabilities cannot tolerate stress on the job.
The Facts: The response to job-related stress, and precisely which factors will be perceived as stressful, vary among individuals with psychiatric disabilities just as they do among people without such disabilities. For all workers -- with or without psychiatric disabilities -- productivity is optimized when there is a close match between the employee's needs and his or her working conditions.

[faerie_moon_x]

I function okay at work but when I'm stressed it spirals down pretty fast. I do agree that if I had some sort of relief from stress it would improve. I also agree if I felt comfortable saying, "I'm very stressed out right now, I need a break," that it might help.

I do not feel safe sharing those things at work. Not any more.

[Ash0198]

I shared my illness with my boss and I ended up having less hours by the week...and eventually I was forced to quit because I wasnt getting enough hours...and I still haven't found a bloody job yet....
But I can't tolerate a lot of stress....well even a little...but that's just me. I had to drop out of uni because of it...but I have plans for the future so not all is lost!

[costello]

Originally Posted by brackenbeard

I found this on The Center For Reintegration website under which it listed 5 myths about people with mental illness- especially pertaining to the workplace.

Myth #4: People with psychotic disabilities cannot tolerate stress on the job.
The Facts: The response to job-related stress, and precisely which factors will be perceived as stressful, vary among individuals with psychiatric disabilities just as they do among people without such disabilities. For all workers -- with or without psychiatric disabilities -- productivity is optimized when there is a close match between the employee's needs and his or her working conditions.

I find the statement to be circular. Or at least the 'facts' don't negate the 'myth.'

They say it's a myth that people with psych dx's can't tolerate stress on the job. That implies that they can tolerate stress. But the facts state that not everyone finds the same things to be stressful - which implies that if the person with a psych dx can find a job they don't find stressful - even if others might find it to be stressful - they'd be successful. That just leaves you back at finding a non-stressful job.

I don't know about others with psych dx's, but my son finds things to be stressful which wouldn't stress most other people. And when he gets stressed, he's ... I don't know how to describe it ... his rational mind shuts down. I guess all of us have our rational mind shut down when we're stressed. It's just that things stress him to that point that most others wouldn't find stressful. It makes it hard to function in daily life when the tiniest thing stresses you to that level. And then add on top of that he gets really paranoid...

Personally I think avoiding stress totally is the wrong answer. I encourage my son to expose himself to small amounts of stress - with support from me or others. I think it helps him to develop coping skills, self-awareness, and more resilience. It's impossible to avoid all stress. It's far better IMO to invite it into your world in small controllable doses and learn to deal with it.

Ideally a job would include support from an understanding employer who would help the employee be successful by letting him work around the disability. I don't know how to find that job for a person with a psych dx.

[Trippin2.0]

I can understand what they mean...

The job I was originally employed to do stressed me out wayyy too much. 3 months and I was a mental and emotional mess and needed to quit. Experiencing psychotic symptoms which usually only happens under extreme duress.

Now I have a different function with stressful deadlines but it doesn't make me the least bit ill.

And it wasn't even the job itself, it wasn't too hard or too fast-paced, I enjoy hard and fast-paced. It was the working conditions, everything was logged and recorded, even toilet breaks. I felt like I was on Big Brother and was anxious ALL THE TIME!!!

So for me the amount of stress I can handle in the work place definitly is job specific

[costello]

Originally Posted by Trippin2.0

It was the working conditions, everything was logged and recorded, even toilet breaks.

I would hate that too. The big discussion (at least in my state) is drug testing people who are receiving food stamps or unemployment. People in favor always argue that they have to agree to random drug testing on their jobs, so why shouldn't welfare recipients. Well, I don't have to be drug tested for my job, and I see no reason that most jobs would require random drug testing. If people would refuse this kind of treatment from employers, the employers would stop bullying them.

[faerie_moon_x]

I agree there are a lot of factors to finding success. I agree with Costello, I get stressed by things that normal people find not-stressful. And once I get stressed I can spiral out of functioning really fast. If I had a supportive and nurturing environment I would feel safer when this happens.

In the world of jobs and business that doesn't happen. The majority of companies only care about the bottom line. If you can't function at the level they require, they will find a way to get rid of you. I feel I've had that pressure on me for the past 4 years here, although it's been better recently. I am supposed to stay at a stable level of functioning and I just can't, and I know it will come about that something bad will happen and then that's it.

But, at the same time, I struggle with finding something else. I feel paralyzed.

[Trippin2.0]

Originally Posted by costello

they have to agree to random drug testing on their jobs

The American companies here in SA subject us to it too.
At my previous job, I ALWAYS got selected during RANDOM testing time My hypomanias at work apparantly presented as a drug addiction!

On one occasion I was in not such a good mood and threw a *****fit when my name was called out for "random" testing yet again. I didn't go though, my supervisor knew my dx and he persuaded them to "randomly" select someone else.

I work for another American company now (ADT) and drug testing is also part of their SOP's...

Been here nearly a year, and haven't heard of anyone actually being tested yet though, I think it's merely a formality, should they suspect drug abuse.

I can't speak for Americans, but disputing the testing here would just decrease the already tiny job market here for the common folk, so we give them our urine on demand

[faerie_moon_x]

I had to take a drug test to get my job. And supposedly we have "random" testing, but it's been five years and I have never heard of anyone getting tested. I assume they will randomly test a clinic if they think something's going on with someone, and we're just all aware of it just in case.

Originally Posted by costello

I find the statement to be circular. Or at least the 'facts' don't negate the 'myth.'

They say it's a myth that people with psych dx's can't tolerate stress on the job. That implies that they can tolerate stress. But the facts state that not everyone finds the same things to be stressful - which implies that if the person with a psych dx can find a job they don't find stressful - even if others might find it to be stressful - they'd be successful. That just leaves you back at finding a non-stressful job.

I agree. That was my reading of it as well.

Stress definitely makes my symptoms worse, and I've started to wonder if I'm more susceptible to stress because I'm struggling part-time on a course most people manage full-time and have part-time jobs/voluntary positions as well. I really worry about having to get a job when my course is over

*Willow*

[Ash0198]

I have to do the same thing for my course!...i have to find employment and find work placement plus do my course part-time.
I don't think they do drug testing in the work place here in australia....