Depression or anxiety, are people not understanding or am I being selfish

[BJ]

Hi everyone,

Bear with I'm not quite sure what I'm doing.  I was diagnosed with a depressive illness end of last year, and it looks like I have had it most of my life, at least since primary school, (I'm 27 now).  Since I was diagnosed I have made huge improvement, however I feel like I still have a way to go yet.  One thing I have done is I have joined my local rural fire brigade and loving it, the problem is my boss/s have told me on no uncertain terms that if my commitment to the fire brigade interferes with my work they would have ask me to stop participating in it.  Feel like I need to do this for me, not just for my community, or am I just being selfish and that I should give it up and find something else.

Thanks for listening,

BJ

[The_Real_David_Charles]

Dear BJ,

Part time commitments seem to spawn overly full time demands.   It's possible that most hobbies or interests would get a similar lack of understanding, i.e. the gala community concert with it's 4,800 rehearsals that, if you miss just one, will jeopardise the artistic community of Lower Penrith and set critiques tongues wagging for the next century.

Maybe there's been a history of rural firefighters coming and going so the boss has just drawn a line generally, not just with you.    It's kind of interesting that your boss is setting parameters at your hobby/community level but your "work boss" (i.e. paid) doesn't have that same anal thinking.  Guess you're more comfortable doing both.   And if the help at the rural fire brigade wasn't valid then maybe you wouldn't be able to protect your real work.

Plus some bosses just like to tell you that they're the boss.

Adios, David.

[geoff]

dear BJ, this is very commendable as I know that they are always looking for volunteers, and you should be congratulated.

I have a friend who is also a fire brigade volunteer and it's OK because they have said exactly the same to him.

If this has helped you to slowly beat your depression to a certain extent, then don't give it away, so your accommodating two problems here, depression as well as helping the fire brigade, both are very important, but the former in this case is the one to beat.

Good on you. Geoff.