I can never seem to hold a job for long at all. I've had 4 jobs in the past, and either quit or got fired due to my MDD and my anxiety. How do you guys manage a steady job with severe anxiety and MDD?

[Bluesday]

I've also had a hard time keeping jobs b/c of depression and anxiety. I've had 14 jobs and finally applied for social security disability. It was either that or just keep getting fired.

[Vossie42]

Originally Posted by Selina91

I can never seem to hold a job for long at all. I've had 4 jobs in the past, and either quit or got fired due to my MDD and my anxiety. How do you guys manage a steady job with severe anxiety and MDD?

It's really, really hard. For me, I really need to be in a good place with my meds, not have other major physical issues, and to have emotional support. When the going gets tough, my brother gets going whereas I shut down. So, I call him when I have job-related problems. My job performance is all over the place.

[gayleggg]

I managed for many years to hold down a job but it wasn't easy. Now I have retired on disability and am having trouble with so much alone time. I used to just go to work and push all the feelings away, but I had two breakdowns and was hospitalized. I'm not sure exactly how I managed to keep the job but I had a very understand boss who was sensitive to me and my needs.

[seesaw]

So, I went on disability for 18 months because I could no longer work with PTSD and MDD. But after 18 months of treatment, I did go back to work. While in treatment, I worked on developing healthy coping mechanisms for when the situations that triggered me came up. I think being in therapy or going to a support group or even just ordering a depression and anxiety workbook online, you have to do something to help you manage your illness while you are working.

I would say, if you're not stable, it's almost impossible to keep working while being unstable. So first you have to get yourself stabilized. Get on the right meds, work out a treatment plan with your provider.

Have a support system in place. Who can you lean on for help? I don't just mean like someone you can talk to, but who may be able to help you do other things in your life, like doing laundry or grocery shopping? Those little helpers mean a lot when you are struggling just to get through a work day.

Without knowing the specific issues you're having, it's hard to give any other specific advice. Can you discuss specific situations or problems that you are having with your disorder while you're at work?

Seesaw