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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by slobbyhead on May 27, 2004, at 17:11:49
Does anyone have any ideas for jobs that work well for those that are chronically depressesd/bipolar and/or have anxiety? An ideal job, for me, would be one that has a very low level of interaction with others (no customers or clients, and minimal supervision) It doesn't have to pay a lot. I am thinking of jobs like night watchman, letter carrier, library book shelver, midnight gas station attendant, or work at home type jobs like selling things on ebay. Basically, jobs that would allow one to support oneself while trying to get better, but for someone who is not sick enough to qualify to get on SSI ( never been hospitalized)
What are some jobs that have worked out well for you guys when you just can't deal with a regular job?
Posted by ceesea on May 27, 2004, at 20:46:34
In reply to Subsistance-level jobs for chronically depressed ?, posted by slobbyhead on May 27, 2004, at 17:11:49
if you can cope with the physical demands, i used to work as a stable hand in a racing stable, mornings only (3:30-8:30am) and that is a job where you don't really socialise, don't have to think, just do your work and then go home.
There are ones with better hours later i worked at a dressage stud and that was 6:am to 1pm, same stuff though.
Posted by Racer on May 27, 2004, at 22:16:49
In reply to Re: Subsistance-level jobs for chronically depressed ?, posted by ceesea on May 27, 2004, at 20:46:34
Which track did you work at? Or, since that's a little intimidating to make public here, what area of the country are you in?
Posted by spoc on May 28, 2004, at 8:52:01
In reply to Subsistance-level jobs for chronically depressed ?, posted by slobbyhead on May 27, 2004, at 17:11:49
Hi slobbyhead,
I understand your thinking on this. I put together a similar plan for myself several years ago, and still get by with it. Just be careful about home-based jobs. For me, it has allowed there to be no limit to the extent that I can hide and isolate myself, and my problems and tendencies actually got worse... Because I wasn't working on anything or ever having to face and deal with situations I was uncomfortable with anymore. Now when I do have to, it is a huge deal to me and almost traumatic.
But I do think I am an extreme in that way, and that for many others, finding such a low-exposure job could indeed help, because you are making a regular income, keeping busy, doing something useful, and can feel good about that. And also key is whether you are doing other things to help yourself and/or are in therapy at the same time -- I haven't been, so what could I expect.
But the main thing I wanted to say is, if you start looking at home-based jobs, please please review very carefully any reliable sources you can on which types of jobs tend to be legitimate. There are many sites offering tips about what to watch out for, such as there being any kind of initial pay-out whatsoever, for materials or whatnot (as in for jobs constructing toys or other small objects, the classic envelope stuffing, even medical claims processing where you must purchase expensive software up-front).
I read that in many of these, not only may you pay up-front, but the way the companies avoid paying you is that they will find your work "unsatisfactory" when you send it in. "Too good to be true" claims regarding potential success and cushy schedules, and placement agencies whose fee will be extracted from *you* rather than the listing employer, are other things to be wary of.
I think you can find good tips and suggestions at telecommuting association sites; work-at-home mom sites (whether that describes you in any way or not!); reputable *career sites (Monster, Career Builder, Hotjobs); or in a good search engine search.
I have seen a lot of links in the AOL career center area too, to articles in reputable online magazines. I don't know if people outside of AOL can access those, but if not, try going right to a few of them, like Money or USA Today, and searching some work-at-home, hourly and telecommuting keywords. Maybe searching resources for home-bound disabled job seekers would turn up good leads too.
*Keep in mind that the job listing sites will often list some of the very types of jobs that their resources/articles warn *against.* They don't necessarily review submissions for legitimacy. So peruse the advice links thoroughly at these and other sites first!
Hopefully you are good at Internet searches and knowing how to assess whether a site is reliable (Dr. Bob has many links to advice on the latter available in one his "peripheral" areas at this site).
Sorry, that is all very basic stuff that you probably already knew! But I have seen many very good *specific* informational and field suggestion articles, and know that there is a lot of sound guidance available to you if you know how to look for it. Good luck! :- )
This is the end of the thread.
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