Holding Down A Job With HFA

[Ibbi]

Hi my name is Ívan ,and I have a terrible time holding down a job because of four things. The first thing is social anxiety ,I just find it difficult to be around people because it's so emotionally draining for me ,the second thing is OCD. I don't claim to have a very severe OCD ,but it's severe enough that it affects me on daily bases. I have a fear of germs ,and I have rituals that I have to do which affects me in work.

The third is sensory issues ,I find it difficult to work an environmental that has a lot noise ,and a lot small noises ,and the fourth is GAD.

It's not that I'm lazy because I'm not lazy at all because I had worked very hard in the jobs that I had in the past ,but it's just these issues that make it difficult for me to hold down a job. What do I do?

 

[Tom]

You have to have something positive to work with when thinking of suggestions. You are all negatives.

 

[Suzanne]

When I lived in my birth country, I had a small job each morning, where I cleaned a bank. In truth, I did not really enjoy it, but felt good that I had that little job.

At weekends, I did change overs and absolutely loved the job. I was on my own cleaning and although I suffered social phobia, I managed to cope.

I also have worked in shop doing professional ironing and again, very scary, but I managed it.

Since moving to another country ie France, all that has stopped and my social phobia is so bad now, that I hyperventilate just seeing one person walk past my home.

I wonder if you could work at home?

 

[Ibbi]

You have to have something positive to work with when thinking of suggestions. You are all negatives.

Tom ,If I could get a job where I don't have to deal with people ,b

When I lived in my birth country, I had a small job each morning, where I cleaned a bank. In truth, I did not really enjoy it, but felt good that I had that little job.

At weekends, I did change overs and absolutely loved the job. I was on my own cleaning and although I suffered social phobia, I managed to cope.

I also have worked in shop doing professional ironing and again, very scary, but I managed it.

Since moving to another country ie France, all that has stopped and my social phobia is so bad now, that I hyperventilate just seeing one person walk past my home.

I wonder if you could work at home?

Suzanne I have considered it as an option ,but the problem is that ,I don't know how to go about it. I see a lot of these work at home advertisements ,and I know most of them are scams.

 

[AloneNotLonely]

If your OCD affects your work or "outside life" then you need to get into therapy. You need to be able to suppress it outside the home.

Your best bet is nighttime janitor, night guard, etc. If I could do it all over I would've done that. Save money to retire early and enjoy the rest of your life in solitude.

 

[Crossbreed]

What do I do?

If you are in the USA, you can apply for SSI. If you ever do become employable, you can go back to work, but there is no point in starving while you try to sort that out.

My dyssociality makes me unemployable in the current marketplace. I am physically able to work. Since I have worked [paid into Social Security] in the past, I got full-fledged SSDI, instead of SSI.

BTW, hello & welcome.

 

[Major Tom]

Hi and welcome. I don't have OCD, nor know what GAD is, but I have a plethora of other problems and can manage a part time English teaching job. It's not easy but I struggle through it. Sometimes I even enjoy it.

 

[Crossbreed]

I liked working, too.

 

[tree]

I don't have OCD, not know what GAD is....

GAD = Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/generalized-anxiety-disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder - Symptoms and causes

 

[Tom]

Tom ,If I could get a job where I don't have to deal with people ,b

I don't believe in giving up easily. I think one needs to try to work in the opposite direction. Not away from people, inward. But learning to work with people in their environments, gradually, if possible.

 

[BraidedPony]

I worked at different jobs, saved my money, and retired early. The jobs I enjoyed were the ones where I could be left alone to work on projects. However, I also liked working in little convenience stores. I worked alone and interactions with customers were brief and superficial.
I have GAD too and agoraphobia. My germ thing only becomes a problem when I’m stressed. Clorox is my friend!

 

[Ibbi]

If you are in the USA, you can apply for SSI. If you ever do become employable, you can go back to work, but there is no point in starving while you try to sort that out.

My dyssociality makes me unemployable in the current marketplace. I am physically able to work. Since I have worked [paid into Social Security] in the past, I got full-fledged SSDI, instead of SSI.

BTW, hello & welcome.

I'm trying to get off it actually ,and I'm European for the record ,not American

 

[Ibbi]

If your OCD affects your work or "outside life" then you need to get into therapy. You need to be able to suppress it outside the home.

Your best bet is nighttime janitor, night guard, etc. If I could do it all over I would've done that. Save money to retire early and enjoy the rest of your life in solitude.

It effect both in,outside ,and both in my home life. I talked to my psychiatrist ,and he did mention medication ,I wanted to try out without medication before I'm on medication ,because I don't know about the side effects on depresson medication(which is used for OCD).

 

[Ibbi]

I liked working, too.

I actually love working ,that's why I'm trying to get back to the work force ,but it's harder than it needs to be for me.