I hope I'm using "malaise" properly. I'm new to these forums and am glad I found them, if for nothing else than having an opportunity to express myself among people who seem to understand what I have been struggling with. Short of it: I am 42 and have been dealing with depression and anxiety since an adolescent. But, I am posting on vocations board, so let me get to it.
I hold a BA in psychology and MSW in clinical social work. Hind-sight being what it is, I realize that in all that studying I was trying to escape my own problems and difficulties...Helping others allowed me to deflect the focus from me onto them. I've actually become quite good at helping others and terrible at helping myself. And the problem now is I 've just run myself ragged helping others and have ignored my own needs for so very long I just have no more energy left to help others. And yet, this is my only marketable skill. I had been working a social work job for the past 3 months, but became literally unable to go into the office. I have scheduled a job interview next week for yet another social work job...I interview well and if I'm offered the position, I'll probably take it and eventually I suspect the same pattern will again emerge...it starts with me becoming over-tired, then anxious, then unable to focus on getting tasks completed, then feeling guilty and sad and overwhelmed, then absenteeism...then finally giving the job up.
Interesting, sounds like me almost (though I interview poorly!). 'Occupational malaise' used to feature on my sickness certificates I remember.
Healthcare is a difficult one as the workload can be unpredictable and it can be difficult to draw the line or say no to people, hence risk of burnout partic. for perfectionists (or so i've been told repeatedly...). I'd usually work 12-18 months, burnout, then travel/holiday somewhere a few months or have to take sick leave later on, recharge and start again. Rinse & repeat.
Part-time can work, I did this for a while, though not practical for many with the income side. I know some people who combine with another P/T job e.g. in Admin. I'm doing the retraining route (BA in IT) which is maybe overkill.
Colleagues, drs, therapists etc may be useful to get opinions on this for what to do, though my experience is that employment professionals have more useful advice. Life Coaches are supposed to be good (I can't afford), Careers Advisors /Counselors have helped me recently but thats for a change in direction.
Thanks for your response and support, polar one. It can be a drag, wading one's way through depression while still trying to hold done a job. I think I never realized how unfair I have been to myself before finding this site and reading about other people's experiences.
Anyway, I'm not at all certain what I will do...thanks for the well-wishes. And best to you.
Hey Guys! I started a new post on work and depression or it is already. Please read under dylansnana. I have the same troubles as everyone else does. My work history is terrible. Good luck and take care!
What is your passion ....music, plants, animals, computers...what ever it is that's what you should do....Retrain while you are still young enough or just find a doorway into that field...
That's right. We all have marketable skills that we didn't go to school to learn. Hobbies, volunteer work, etc. Also, marketable skills don't have to be learned on the job. It doesn't matter where you learned it; if you have the skill, you have the skill. If you're writing a resume, be creative. You don't have to stick to just the usual categories. Make up category names that enable you to highlight skills you want to emphasize. And put what you want the potential employer to see as near to the beginning of the resume as possible, preferably just after your job objective.
I used to teach life skills in the prison system. The above was among the things I expounded on . . . until I burned out. I quit the job after 19 years. Fortunately, I have other marketable skills; I used to work construction, and I was able to go into business for myself.
I was diagnosed with clinical depression in 2000. I am confident it started in high school, so I suffered undiagnosed for 30 years. My income has dropped considerably because I have not worked a full 40 hours since mid-January. But I haven't regretted quitting that job for even a moment. My depression is still a challenge, but I think it is stabilizing under a new combination treatment (new for me).
I'm just trying to say that surely there is something else you're qualified to do that doesn't result in repeated burnout. Good luck finding a new direction.
Vocational Malaise
Posted - 06/06/2007 : 10:11:22
