[LaDauphine]

I've always had a hard time getting and keeping a job. My anxiety, depression, OCD and inability to cope with high levels of stress (in comparison to a "normal" person, anyway) have crippled me in this area. I also used to work in the sex industry so I got a little too used to doing as I pleased, making my own rules, etc.
Recently, I've realized that I'm not just cut out for full time or stressful work. Surprisingly, it's been a huge load off my mind accepting the fact that I'll be making minimum wage forever! I'm kind of at peace with it.

I work in the Food Service industry at a small office cafe. Not glamourous, but I do feel proud of myself for lasting!

What do you do?

[Skeezyks]

Well, LaDauphine, I'm old. So I'm "retired" now, except that I haven't been employed for probably 15 years. So I just sort-of aged into retirement. My working years were pretty-much one mess-up after another. At the time, I blamed everybody else for the most part. But, looking back, I guess allot of it was my own fault. I thought I could change the world, while what I should have been doing was to be kissing *****... to get ahead...

I'm glad to read that you have found an employment situation where you feel comfortable. Ultimately being able to feel proud of what you do is what is important.

[coldwut]

I've worked in a fast food place plus retail before. Right now I'm working under some work study but I don't have to deal with costumers, which is nice.

It's cool that you found something that you are okay with doing.

[Tiedomi]

I'm incredibly lucky to make good money and have insurance so I can be off work for extended times to deal with my illness. I really feel for many ppl on these forums as this seems to be an area of extreme stress.

[Cat_Lover_58]

I am a low paid retail employee. I qualify for Medicaid benefits but the weekly pay stinks. I can barely meet the bills I have now. It's tough out there.

I certainly feel proud of my accomplishments. I've been at this place almost 3.5 years! Best of luck to you. Cat

[specialneedsmom]

Not everyone wants a stressful career. Some people can't tolerate stress as well as others.

I work from home doing transcription. I work at my own pace. I don't have to deal with co-workers or worry about whether or not they like my personality. I don't have to drive to and from work every day, dealing with heavy traffic.

Its low stress and although I'm not getting rich, the money is good.

[ArtemisSoifa]

I use to work at a fast food place that has a big M on top of it

I've been fired though

[jtesta33]

Originally Posted by LaDauphine

I've always had a hard time getting and keeping a job. My anxiety, depression, OCD and inability to cope with high levels of stress (in comparison to a "normal" person, anyway) have crippled me in this area. I also used to work in the sex industry so I got a little too used to doing as I pleased, making my own rules, etc.
Recently, I've realized that I'm not just cut out for full time or stressful work. Surprisingly, it's been a huge load off my mind accepting the fact that I'll be making minimum wage forever! I'm kind of at peace with it.

I work in the Food Service industry at a small office cafe. Not glamourous, but I do feel proud of myself for lasting!

What do you do?

A few weeks ago, I was making a six-figure salary, but then I was fired for a fight I was in while on business travel - absolutely triggered by mania. (Still, I have to own this, as mental illness is not an excuse for bad behavior).

I'm convinced that I'll never hold a regular job again, and am very scared right now. Bipolar has taken everything from me, or more realistically, I've taken everything from myself.

My driving record is lousy, based on the manic purchase of a BMW about a year ago. I've gotten multiple tickets and I backed into an Audi, all just in the last year. I can't even get a job delivering pizza. Hell, even that would be something.

I'm so desperate right now, but I have made promises to the people I love (and who love me) that I won't do anything drastic. I have to stay alive, no matter what. People need me in this life.

[darthdukes]

Currently, nothing. Though I'm thinking of taking up babysitting or something low key to at least make ends meet. My husband is struggling so hard to support the both of us and I want to help but it's just so hard to find a job that doesn't cause agonizing anxiety for me.

[MightyJesse]

I'm a retired stripper, so I feel you on the "doing whatever." Once I discovered how *good* that work was for me (and how good I was at it) I gave myself until age 30 to play on that playground. But I have a powerful fear of addiction, and wicked insomnia, so I also worked full time in IT.

When I was 29, I gave up the dancing gig and just maintained a full time job as a sys admin. I am seriously under compensated when it comes to my pay check, but I have awesome health insurance and a lot of personal time off that is really flexible about how I use it.

If I ever lose this job, I'm not sure I can get another one. My mind has been slipping a bit over time. I think I'll become a bar tender if I ever lose my gig here. Self employment and night shift work have always been my props. They allow me to do what I'm capable of, when I'm capable of it. Sometimes I can't read. Sometimes I can design a new network and port my users seamlessly into file-server nirvana. I need an environment where I'm not closely supervised in order to pull off what has been a 20 year long cover-up of whatever it is that I have.

I have an appointment in January with a pdoc to try to get a handle on and perhaps a name for this thing (things?) that I've been working around for so long.

MJ