I need a job.. that I can keep..

[Panda]

Jobs for someone who is mostly nonverbal with social phobia (I will have panic attacks, my whole body shakes, I start getting very hot and start to faint when talking to people I do not know and/or was not expecting to speak to), depression, adhd, ptsd and ocd?

I was homebound for a long time and I still sort of am.. I really don't go anywhere unless absolutely necessary (the grocery store and almost always that is with my boyfriend and I just hide behind him/follow him around).

I really need money. I need something that I can do without getting too overwhelmed or having panic attacks or burnout. If I start feeling okay (doesn't happen often.. once every couple of years I'll think I'm good enough to go out and do real human things), I tend to push myself and I get a job and I'm excited to have money and be out of the house and at first it's okay.. I push through the panic attacks and meltdowns and stuff but then a month or two goes by and I just shut down. Everything stops working and I can't leave the house. I stop talking and barely communicate with my boyfriend (he is all that I have besides my three children.

I have no family, no friends.. the only other person I speak to or see on a regular basis is my ex-husband purely because the children live with him and I go to his house daily to be with the kids while he goes to work; I go with my boyfriend to see his family one to three times a year and that's really the only time I see or speak to others.. even then I usually spend that time hiding behind him and not speaking unless spoken to). I also have time restrictions, as I have to take care of my kids during the days. They will be starting school this year and I'll have free time to work but not normal hours so I think it will be very difficult to find something in those hours (I will have to go to my ex-husbands house at 4:30 am and drop the kids off at school around 8.. meaning I'd only be available after 8:30 am and then I have to pick the youngest up at 2 pm. So only a few working hours there. Then I would be available again after my ex-husband gets home around 5 pm. I'm free on the weekends too!

I never finished high school, I couldn't remember things no matter how hard I tried. I felt so stupid. I'm really not good at math and cashiering is difficult for me because of this. I'm really not comfortable handling money. Due to my ocd and extremely low self confidence I have a lot of trouble with money. If I go somewhere alone (rar, I really only like to go to sonic because it is easier for me) and have to pay with cash then I will sit there and use my phones calculator and go over the price and tax over and over again just to be sure I indeed do have enough and I'm not crazy or wrong or whatever. I will count and recount until I am absolutely sure. This happens at least 3x until I'm confident enough to actually order.

I absolutely refuse to go to other places because I don't know their prices and feel I wouldn't have enough time to count and everything through a drive through.

Anyways.. I'm getting off subject.. any ideas? Suggestions? Ways to make it easier on myself going out and being around other humans?

 

[Mr Allen]

Most jobs involve some level of social interaction, usually in a face to face setting.

Although if you have a half decent telephone manner, you could try for call centre work... Oh hang on, you said you're non verbal right?

I don't think working is for you then to be honest.

Unless it's some crap Autism specific position in a Warehouse or some other position where social interaction is very limited.

 

[Panda]

Most jobs involve some level of social interaction, usually in a face to face setting.

Although if you have a half decent telephone manner, you could try for call centre work... Oh hang on, you said you're non verbal right?

I don't think working is for you then to be honest.

Unless it's some crap Autism specific position in a Warehouse or some other position where social interaction is very limited.

I am mostly nonverbal. It depends on my stress levels and pain levels (I have a few health issues as well and I'm almost always in pain somehow). Somedays, I can do pretty well. As long as I don't have to small talk or anything beyond the routine stuff (such as being a cashier you typically do not have to make deviation from the usual "did you find everything okay?" "Have a nice day" stuff.. usually.. when it does differ from that I get very overwhelmed and don't know what to do and tend to seek out others that work there for assistance which employers don't really like). Scripted. I can do scripted speech okay. A lot of the time just doing things as stated above sends me into panic attacks and such though. If I am just with my children, I tend to verbally communicate quite well. I am also comfortable enough with my ex-husband and boyfriend to verbally speak to them quite a bit. Although if I am stressed, in a meltdown, shut down, etc then I revert to using technology to speak.

 

[Observant]

Do you have a GED? If not I highly recommend that you study and acquire one. Education really does give you more freedom. See if your state has any programs for reduced tuition for community colleges and get a certificate or an Associates Degree in Information Technology.

I recommend learning about the digital workplace by reading an A+ certification book. Jobs are becoming more tech-oriented and it's more important than ever to prepare for that. If you cannot afford tools such as Microsoft Office, get OpenOffice, the free alternative and teach yourself data entry.

All of this may seem hard, but broken down it and addressed one-by-one it will become easier and it will take some time (think in terms of years). If you need help and support we're here for you.

 

[Panda]

Do you have a GED? If not I highly recommend that you study and acquire one. Education really does give you more freedom. See if your state has any programs for reduced tuition for community colleges and get a certificate or an Associates Degree in Information Technology.

I recommend learning about the digital workplace by reading an A+ certification book. Jobs are becoming more tech-oriented and it's more important than ever to prepare for that. If you cannot afford tools such as Microsoft Office, get OpenOffice, the free alternative and teach yourself data entry.

All of this may seem hard, but broken down it and addressed one-by-one it will become easier and it will take some time (think in terms of years). If you need help and support we're here for you.

I don't have a GED. I actually went back to school and tried to get my GED. I can't pass the tests. I have tried over and over again but I just can't remember the stuff. I signed up for online classes to help me practice and I failed everything. Before my parents passed away (when I was 20) they paid for me to go to a tech school to get my GED and I didn't do well. At all. Math is impossible.. anything besides basic addition and subtraction (even then I heavily rely on a calculator unless I have pen and paper and a lot of time to work it out). I have absolutely no money to go back to school. My boyfriend is barely able to pay the bills and feed us, why I desperately need income of some kind. A lot of weeks we are worried about what we will be eating or if we will be able to pay rent and still eat. I don't have a computer so I wouldn't be able to get Microsoft office or anything of that nature. I am pretty proficient in typing and using a computer though. I have thought about data entry before and thought it may be a good fit. It's just a matter of being able to get a computer, programs needed, learning how to do it, and actually getting started with it. I feel so hopeless and my depression is getting worse. I don't know what to do.

 

[Observant]

I saw this searching for Adult Education opportunities in your state:
https://bestgedclasses.org/online-classes/

Acquiring a computer is important. I would get something like this: https://www.aliexpress.com/store/pr...ml?spm=2114.12010108.1000023.2.763a1bc9e9NCW1
I'm hoping it'll come with an OS on it, but if not you might need to make a USB live image of a Linux Operating System that is compatible with ARM architecture. Orange Pi is China's answer to the Raspberry Pi.

I'm going to assume you have a TV with and HDMI connector, so you'll need this to connect your HDMI to your mini USB port on your Orange Pi: https://www.arrow.com/en/products/320210001/seeed-technology-limited

You'll have to buy a separate power cord, and from what I'm able to ascertain this has a high chance of working: https://www.arrow.com/en/products/gst18u05-p1j/mean-well-enterprises

Your mouse and keyboard: https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics...id=1530645673&sr=8-5&keywords=amazon+keyboard

All this will be $52.86 without taking into account shipping and taxes. Once you get up and running it'll be easier to look for employment and such.

 

[Bolletje]

I recently had a short project in a small library, going through the collection to see which books needed replacing -either due to old age, damage or theft- and then ordered the new books, updated the catalog and replaced everything. Good thing about this job was I could work early in the morning if I wanted to, it’s usually very quiet then.
I did get upset a few times over stolen and damaged books because I just don’t understand why people disrespect property. Other than that it was rather nice. I got to work at my own pace and decide my own plan to go about things.

 

[tducey]

It's to bad you mentioned non verbal because talking to a career counselor might be in your best interests to find out the best job for you. Good luck to you.

 

[Gracey]

I understand some of what you’re going through,
To date I don’t have a solution.
I haven’t quite worked out what it is I need to do.

Currently I’m building my confidence getting out and staying out of my home (that safest of places) and responding to (not purposely interacting with) people.

Have to start somewhere right?

 

[Phanelope]

I also struggle with work (currently employed on a casual basis). I struggle with social interaction, remembering instructions, making decisions quickly and leaving a task unfinished.
I think novelist would be perfect for me, but my OCPD, perfectionist procrastination and changing focus make it hard for me to complete a novel (although I’ve started many). I think something working from home on a computer would be perfect, but I would probably need more training to actually make money and don’t have the time or money to re-train

 

[Phanelope]

The happiest time in my life was after my daughter was born and I had no expectations to work or even to leave the house. Now she’s 5 and everyone expects me to get me butt into gear. So overwhelming.