Holding down a job with Depression

[Miss_Rosie]

Hey everyone,

this is my first post with Beyond Blue and I'm a bit nervous! I wanted to seek out some support for an issue I've been facing for quite a while now.

I got my first job at the beginning of 2016, in a cafe. The job was fine, but eventually I became so depressed, anxious and stressed that I would call in sick regularly, lie about why I couldn't come to work, and even get to the point where I would pretend I was going to work, to fool my family. I ended up quitting via email one Saturday morning when I had a panic attack and didn't want to ever go back. NOTHING to do with the workplace - everything to do with me, and not being able to cope.

Fast forward to now, September 2017. I've been at my current retail job for 11 months, and the same thing is happening. Today I called in sick with "gastro" but really I just could not pass the mental barrier to get to work. All I think about is quitting, and I know I'm frustrating my employers. But I really need to money to pay my rent and petrol. I'm beginning to worry that I will be fired. I honestly just don't think I can handle working at the moment.

Has anyone else experienced this? What do I do? I care about my company and I'm not a lazy person, I'm just genuinely so broken in my head that I'm finding it virtually impossible to pull myself together and be "normal". Will this ever get better? Should I quit before I'm fired?

for reference, I'm a 19 year old female living out of home. Thank you 🙂

[white knight]

Hi Miss Rosie, welcome

Believe, it, my mini fox terrier has the name Miss Rosie!!

Yes Ive had lack of endurance in jobs...until I began my own business. Thats why I always recommend that 3 part time jobs is better than one full time job. Often we cant focus on our work a full 8 hours. We get tired of routine and intolerant of bosses.

As soon as you feel this way start looking for another job because you, if like me, will burn out quickly, leave then have no money.

Finally, dont expect your friends and family to understand. Google the following thread

Topic: they just wont understand why?- beyondblue

[james1]

Hello Miss Rosie,

Sorry to hear you're struggling and that's leading you to have to struggle with your work.

I'm 25 and I also have done my fair share of mental health days.

My main suggestion is to ask whether you feel like it could be a self-perpetuating cycle. What often happens is we feel like we can't go to work, and so we stay home. Staying home makes us more afraid of going in again, and also makes it easier next time to take a day off again. Thus what started off as a single day, becomes more of a habit. Often, we could've gone - we simply chose not to and then let that become our standard.

I'm not saying don't take days off - it's more a matter of seeing how it can easily become a habit if we're not careful.

The other one is it might be a good idea to have a chat to your doctor. Have you spoken to your GP at all? Even speaking about it to people can often help give us the confidence to go into work and build a routine around that.

Working in retail and hospitality can be super draining. It's good to have someone to talk to, so you can spend your "time off" doing things you actually enjoy and relaxing.

James