Job advise

[Rotax]

Hi, I’ve never posted in a forum before. I’m 41 and I’ve lived with anxiety and depression since I was a child. It’s been so long I can’t remember a time where I felt truely happy. The weight of this has brought me to this site. I’m hoping someone may be able to point me in the direction of some kind of career advise agency in Sydney for people with anxiety and depression . I need to try and limit triggers as much as possible and the types of jobs I’ve had have always been in high pressure fields and working for companies with zero understanding. I’ve hit my breaking point and need to change but don’t know where to begin. I flick though job pages but it’s hard to find jobs that can potentially help elevate the stress and pay the bills and this ads to the anxiety levels. I’ve lived with this for so long I’m at my wits end and have started to loose all hope. There have been apparent opportunities arise from time to time but they always seem to disappear and it’s taught me to never raise my hopes about anything.

[Sophie_M]

Hey Rotax,

Wishing you a warm welcome to the forums. We understand that it takes a lot of strength to reach out for support, and we are so glad that you decided to join us here tonight and share your journey with us. We're really sorry to hear about your previous experiences in jobs with companies that have little understanding of your needs. We can hear that you're feeling really stressed and anxious in finding a new job, but please know that you've come to a safe space, free of judgement, and our community is here to support you through this difficult time. If you feel up to it, we'd really encourage you to reach out to our Beyond Blue Support Service, which is available 24/7 by phone on 1300 22 4636 or on Webchat 3pm-12am AEST on our website: www.beyondblue.org.au/getsupport. One of our friendly counsellors will be able to talk through these feelings and experiences with you and can help point you in the right direction for supports in your area to help you through this difficult time.

Our friends at Lifeline (13 11 14) and the Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467) are also there for you 24/7 if ever things are feeling like too much to cope with. The kind counsellors are always there for you, as often as you need to talk things through during overwhelming moments.

You are not alone in this, and we hope that you keep us updated on how you're going whenever you feel ready.

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi Rotax,

Welcome welcome and I'm glad that you're here. I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling. It's the worst time of year for a job hunt and it's made 10 times harder when you're living with mental health issues!

In your post you talked about high pressure fields, have you thought about environments that you might like or can see yourself fitting well in? Sometimes this can be a place to start - thinking about you first, and then working on what jobs are out there. Particularly of course because a lot of jobs aren't advertised, so starting with where you're at now can help widen the circle a little bit.

While we can't make personal recommendations, one thing that you could try is a Disability Employment Service. I've been with multiple - and while they're not always helpful, they do often have lovely people with different sorts of tools and strategies to help you find work. You also don't have to be on Centrelink to be with them, but if you find an agency that focuses on mental health it can absolutely be worth a try.

https://www.jobaccess.gov.au/find-a-provider

I also found a mental health line that's NSW specific: 1800 011 511. While I don't live in Sydney and haven't tried it, I'm thinking they might be able to direct you to some services. Even having someone to chat to when you feel like it's not worth it can help sometimes.

I hope this is helpful

rt

[Rotax]

Thanks, that is helpful information . I guess my main issue is knowing what I want to do. Anxiety has a good way of making you only see the worst in situations which makes it hard to take a leap of faith, and trying to find a career in a field involving a interest or hobby means starting at the bottom, the anxiety kicks in again then with the thoughts of how I’m going to pay the bills. It’s a viscous circle.

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi Rotax,

You're very welcome. Oh I hear you loud and clear there - I like the way you said 'makes you see the worst in situations', like maybe some terrible glasses that we are so used to wearing.

Have you ever been able to think about interests or hobbies without thinking about any plans or details? So by that I mean, I actually really like photography, and I can picture myself taking lots of photos and lots of different places. I also really like the field of mental health, and I can picture myself being in that space too. So if I can take a moment to just take in that picture - I can ignore the nitty gritty about the work that I'd need to do or the stories of if I'm good enough/not good enough for it.

I encourage you to give it a try- just to see if you can put aside all the stories but see if you can see what spikes your interest.

Also if you're up for a book recommendation, let me know- but otherwise I'll stop talking and rambling for now 🙂

rt