It occurs to me I am not going to become 'hire-able'.

Well I am 25 and on SSI, due to mental health issues and having aspergers syndrome I have no job history except a couple sort of unofficially not really documented jobs I got fired from after a short time. I dropped out of college..so yeah its like even if I did get to a point I was more functional and was deemed 'able to work' the prospects of actually making it into a job seem pretty grim. Not that I for sure my mental health would improve enough for that anyways...but in a sense either way it sucks since either way I am stuck with low income I can barely scrape by on if that.

So where does that leave me, not that I ever really wanted success in the conventional sense but damn just sucks that the situation is not liable to improve even if my mental functioning improved.

Hellion, sorry to hear you are feeling down. I have seen you posting before.

There are limits what you can do on SSI. The possibility of being disabled and collecting disability from Social Security should be explored.

There are also clubs in different parts of the country that cater to those with challenges such as you mentioned and find part time jobs with employers and help maintain good rapport.

It is the holidays and you could get temporary holiday work at retailers like stocking shelves or wrapping packages.

I appreciate seeing your posts on PC.

I am currently on SSI so for the moment collecting disability is what I am doing, and I have medicaid. Also at this point i would not even say I really am functional even for laid back part time work...let alone stressful chaotic retail work during the holiday season I think I'd for sure have a mental breakdown provided I even was to get hired.

But yeah being on the SSI even if I got temporary part time work I'd have to report earnings, have them decrease my amount or kick me off and deem me as 'non-disabled'...which would be very bad when I am not able to handle the stress of working and am stuck as a mental wreck without even disability income to fall back on.

But yeah seems like as far as work goes the most I can hope for is some part time thing someday, which would not be much improvement income.

Maybe voluntary work? Say one afternoon or morning a week? You could look into something you feel passionate about like maybe working at an animal shelter or some ad-hoc office work for a mental health charity?
It won't improve your income at the moment but may improve your confidence and look good on your cv for future paid work.

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I don't think I could even commit to that, I even have a hard time keeping up on appointments and other important things, got food stamps cut because I think I forgot to fill out some form to continue them even. I mean I have thought of volunteering but don't even think I could realistically handle that currently...as much as I hate to admit it.

If I did volunteer I'd do so at an animal shelter most likely...As for a job, a record store or head shop would be nice but considering I doubt I could even keep up with a volunteer animal shelter job wouldn't want to get hired somewhere cool like that and make an *** of myself by being totally unreliable due to getting exhausted by stress and other issues but if I was in a place I felt functional enough to find a job and then report to SSI and graudually be cut off or see if I could keep receiving it if making below a certain amount(not quite sure how it works) those are the jobs I'd want most. Just feel so useless, but I gotta try not to get too focused on that...maybe just starting with finding some activities I'd enjoy that might have a positive effect on mental health but don't have any pressure or real obligation involved would be a good idea..instead of getting caught up worrying about what looks to be the bleak future ahead but that is very difficult.

Do try just doing something (or two) that you enjoy no matter what it is...(anything from a craft/hobby, online games, to physical activity...) It doesn't matter right now what others think, so tend to yourself----....(do you have a pet? a dog that needs walking isn't a bad idea if your would care for him/her)

What about event based volunteering? The sort of thing where you don't commit to a regular schedule but can just show up and do stuff -- like trail building or passing out water at a race. If you keep doing that stuff for the same organization, you'll build up a history with them.

Might be worth looking into, though not sure there is anything like that that concerns anything I am intrested in. And I don't really see much point in going and suffering through something just to say 'I volunteered'

Where does it say that the OP is going to concerts and stuff ?

Did I miss something ?

he mentioned it in a different post......................

Why would being disabled prevent me from ever being able to go to a concert? I love music its one of the few things in this life that brings me some amount of joy...so yeah if I am up for it and can afford it then I go to them there have been a few I've missed because of my mental health which sucks when that happens. Either way if I was not too disabled for work I would not be on SSI...since being disabled is a requirement.

But yeah a concert consists of getting there around the time it starts, standing there listening to music and maybe dance around some...a job consists of going to work on a consistent basis and all kinds of stressors that aren't involved in going to a concert here and there.

But hey at least you can work right? provides a much nicer income than SSI.

Yeah...and unless I would get something that helps me out of the 'volunteering' then I would see no point in doing it, unless I have some reason I really want to do it regardless of personal benefit or not.

Also think what you want I am not here to prove anything to you...I already spent plenty of time trying to run away and deny the fact that my mental conditions, really do significantly interfere with my ability to function due to people such as yourself essentially telling me I'm just not 'trying hard enough' so of course I did not want to accept I might have severe enough mental problems to be considered disabled.....why so people can accuse me of just being lazy, not actually being 'that' disabled and being a burden to society? But turns out my concerns of stigma where over-ruled by necessity of needing to do something to help myself and that thing was proper diagnoses and SSI. If you don't think I am disabled good for you, has no bearing on the reality of my situation though.

As can be seen here the concerns about stigma where certainly not unfounded, but just something I will have to do my best to cope with as I don't have the option to work currently. Might never be in a position to hold a job...stigma certainly does not help the problems I have and its not likely to go away apparently.

Yeah, there's no point in doing it just so you can say you volunteered. One benefit of volunteering for me is getting to know new people. I've gotten most of my jobs through people I know.

It's really hard to find a good volunteer opportunity, even harder than finding a job, maybe.

I actually signed up to volunteer at an animal shelter and was supposed to show up for orientation, but I had quite a lot of other stress...tried to call ahead of time to let them know I would have to wait till they next where taking volunteers but forgot the day of the orientation so did not call till after missing a day of that...and never heard back.

Of course now I am on the SSI and don't have the stress of going through the appeals process...but nonetheless I feel pretty crappy that I couldn't have called them before the orientation then maybe they would have been willing to set me up for the next orientation but...pretty sure their not calling me after I aplogized and asked about signing up for the next oppurtunity was a clear sign they don't want me as a volunteer I already screwed it up. Sort of messes with my morale for attempting other opportunities admittedly...worried of making an embarrassment of myself or being a big disappointment they wish they had never accepted as a volunteer.

I always wonder what exactly jobs want from people? Why isn't it good enough to just be able to do the work well? Why do they need certain people?

The whole system is messed up if you ask me.

People on the autism spectrum are often discriminated against. Just having Asperger's alone puts him at a huge disadvantage.

I would not have to tell the employer...about that or any of the other diagnoses, but then they'd still wonder why I come off unusual and have trouble functioning to a normal level and handling basic life stress. I still fail to see how being able to go enjoy live music at a concert every so often implies I have no disability and can function well enough for a job like they suggested.

Also to clarify I am female, but not sure I always come off as one over the internet...so not to worried about it.

What kind of mental health issue do you have to have to get on disability?

There is always self employment.

There are plenty of people with Asperger's in the workforce. They've always been in the workforce. Some fields are more accepting of their defining traits than other fields.

It varies, in my case a combination of PTSD, Major Depression, Generalized Anxiety and Autism spectrum disorder and traits of other disorders but no formal diagnoses of anything else. But its more based on severity than the number of diagnoses or at least is suppsosed to be.

If I had a skill that was profitable...cool idea but where on earth would I even begin with that, or keep up with the demands of it that would be required to make a living off of it.

There are plenty that don't also have the other conditions I have on top of it as well, also different levels of severity. I don't have any of the stereotypical skills people with autism supposedly have like great computer or math skills, I suck at math can use a computer and know none of the terminology about them and have no unusual special talent of any kind to 'market'...

I was replying to BBB2, not to you. I am not a believer in the notion that all people with Asperger's are geniuses. The people I know in the workforce with autism are all over the place with regard to intelligence and skills. In my opinion, the workplace has become like the old Wild West, just about anything goes. Whoever has the biggest audacity wrests control.

Ah you did not quote them so I wasn't sure.