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Career

R4012Contributor26 Sept 2016, 12:33 am AEST

Career

Anyone struggling to return to their career/profession? Anyone successful returned & if so what were your strategies? I am a social worker. Have worked in the welfare sector in various settings for over 20 years. I have always worked full time except the last 3 years I have not. I have had the biggest breakdown of my life. Officially diagnosed with bipolar type II rapid cycling. Have spent most of that 3 yrs in bed with chronic depression to the point I've lost muscles I use to have. I've had a suicide attempt - taken by ambulance to emergency. Learnt this illness could take my life. I've religious taken medication in this 3 yr period however was medication resistant for some time. Exceeded the max dose for some medications. I am improving significantly from where I was. This illness has hijacked my life unexpectedly. However I am slowly learning how to rise from the ashes. I have a: bachelor of social science Masters in social work Post grad qualification in gestalt psychotherapy I want to be well & return to social work practice. I have a lot to offer with my lived experience. Interested to hear how others are goin with career & what area you work in.

8 replies

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In response to: Career

SaharaSenior Contributor26 Sept 2016, 7:41 am AEST

Re: Career

Hi @R4012,

it sounds to me like you have a lot to offer because of your life experiences. Would you consider working as a social worker for people with mental illness? I guess you already have to some extent, as MI issues are so prevelent.... I'm thinking that a lot of your former clients would have had MI?

I worked in a helping profession for 25 years.... I never liked it much; I realised that the only reason I chose this career was because my parents wanted me to. I got by financially by only ever working part time or casually, since the pay was so good, I didn't need to work full-time to earn a living. Plus, I'm just a very frugal person! There was heaps of demand for people in my former profession - I was always knocking back work.

It's so sad now to think that at 18 years of age I was already quite chronically depressed and couldn't even chose a career for myself. I had no idea what to do and my parents were very pushy and domineering. I was depressed all the way through my studies but I amazingly kept passing all my exams, I suppose because I am smart and could always tell from the questions exactly what the examiner wanted to hear. I still have this talent to this day. I am a talented test-passer.

I was depressed, on and off, right throughout my 20's and I was also stuck in an emotionally abusive relationship, so I just worked as little as possible. I never liked work and found it to be a crushing burden.

I went back to uni to study a different profession in my late twenties. I loved it and excelled at my studies. I graduated in the top 2% of my class. Sadly, there were no jobs available to graduates and there contines to be very, very little demand and it's shrinking all the time. Even getting getting a job mildly related to my new profession has proved almost impossible.

I retired from the original 'helping profession' around 18 months ago. My husband and I have set up our own very small business which so far has been promising. I still really don't like working very much and find it tiring. Is that normal? Should human beings love working? My parents always insisted that work was like the Meaning of Life or something!

@R4012, it sounds like you loved your job and liked working. There is no reason why you cannot go back full-time. Are you still on leave from your job or did you resign?

In response to: Career

KurraSenior Contributor26 Sept 2016, 9:46 am AEST

Re: Career

Sometimes @R4012 there comes a time when you've just got to bite the bullet and take the plunge. Apply for available positions without being too fussy and if you can try to negotiate a graduated return to work. 3 days for 2 weeks, 4 days for two weeks and then full-time.

In the meantime hone up on changes in Sociology that have occurred in the last three years so that your knowledge is current. Also see if you can do some volunteering in the meantime to help ease yourself back in to the work force. You should be able to find volunteer work where your knowledge of sociology will be useful in how you co the work.
Good Luck on the hunt. I reckon you can climb back to where you were before.....
👍🎶

In response to: Career

jem80Senior Contributor26 Sept 2016, 9:51 pm AEST

Re: Career

@R4012

It's good to see that you are improving. Mental illness can take it's toll both physically and mentally. Sometimes when we rush ahead, we can trip up and give too much of ourselves. Try to find the right balance, it is ok to take things slow and not rush.

It takes time to recover and don't rush into work. Take it slow. For example maybe go part time instead of full time to ease the pressure. Would you consider a role in mental health?

I have done volunteer work in regards to the previous profession that I held before been diagnosed with a mental illness. I wasn't willing to do gruelling 15 hour days like I use to. I was in a profession that was deadline driven, so long hours occurred frequently. I have found a compromise. I went back to TAFE several years ago and studied a different course and now work in the field. I only work as a casual and the hours are more suited to me.

In response to: Career

FindawayCasual Contributor26 Sept 2016, 10:07 pm AEST

Re: Career

R4012, bipolar type 2 is often used as code for BPD, borderline personality disorder. BPD is not usually well treated with medication. Recently huge advances have been made with BPD treatment, primarily based on family therapy. The process is about emotional evaluation, requiring a good support team, ideally people you live with, or at least a consistent few people you can rely on to help you balance your emotional reactions to life events. I would be asking the diagnosing psychiatrist if BPD is the proper term for your diagnosis, & if it is, i would recommend seeking highly specialized & up to date interventions.

In response to: Career

utopiaSenior Contributor26 Sept 2016, 10:13 pm AEST

Re: Career

@R4012. Well done for getting this far with your MI & now feeling ready to re enter the workforce.
If you want to stay in Social Work, then do that. You could work for Disability Job Providers, or Centrelink, or locate a job specifically in the Mental Health area.
Your professional and personal experience would make you a great support for others going through similar issues.
Part time might be the way to go. It takes a while to get back into working after a few years off & more importantly, you don't want to overdo things.
I'm not of a professional background. I'm Administration and Clerical, but most of my work has been in the Health care sector. I'll be looking at re entering the workforce shortly after two years off due to a workplace incident. I still love the health / caring field, but have decided not to work for a health carennetwork again (I don't feel supported). So I'm thinking of maybe working in a family run or small mobility aids shop. Still doing Admin, but maybe also some sales.
I'm still weighing up my choices as I do love helping people, but protecting my mental health is most important & I don't want to work in an environment of yelling, etc.
I wish you all the best with your choices

In response to: Career

R4012Contributor26 Sept 2016, 11:20 pm AEST

Re: Career

Thank you everyone for your supportive messages. I thought it easier to reply in one message. Please excuse me if I miss something & reply a bit scattered.

Professionally I am aware of BPD & have discussed this diagnosis with my psychiatrist who is adamant my diagnosis is BP type II. I agree it is good to check diagnosis out. Fortunately I've managed to stabilise on medication. It has taken a while to get to this point & I am still fragile ha I G good days and bad.

Professionally I love being a social worker. It is a professional that fits well with my life values. I have working in a variety of settings over a number of years. Service coordinator of a disability support service, circle of support coordinator in the disability sector, youth work in a group home for girls as well as at a community youth centre. I've worked in the drug am alchol sector running groups & as a counsellor for a detox & rehab. I've worked at workcover qld (& hated it) - it paid very well but was soul destroying. Front line child protection ( really tough work ) I don't want to do crisis driven work anymore.

My favourite sector that I've worked in is mental health. I've worked community mental health as well as the sole social worker on an inpatient locked psychiatric ward. I am not working in this area due to a break down in my own mental health.

I recently came out publicaly that I have bipolar. I shared it with my boss at the hospital I was working at. Her response was touching. She said get well, don't worry about work here, when you are ready let me know & I will put you back on the locum register. You are a solid social work practitioner & having a lived experience is highly valued. I was humbled.

I don't want to work somewhere that I can't be open about my MI. I will not hide it anymore. How can I have a problem with stigma & keep my illness a secret.

I mask symptoms well. So much so that friends have said "are you sure".

I am wanting to work part time. I would like to do some voluntary work in the MI sector however I've found this a bit tricky to find.

I am going to set up my own social work private practice as a counsellor. I enjoy one on one therapy. Am clear on my practice framework. I have a rogerian client centred approach influenced by pears gestalt therapy.

Dr Kay Jamison in the USA, who wrote an un quiet mind about her bipolar experience is a great inspiration to me. She is a psychologist, teaches medical students & works as a counsellor in a mood disorder clinic. Has safe guards in place, regular supervision to ensure she is fit to practice. Which I would do the same.

So I have plans. I do not ever want to work full time again.!my goal is to build my resilience to be able to embark on this next chapter.

I like the question are we meant to want to work? Is that normal? Such a good question. My answer is no I don't want to work. However I know work gives me ourpose, connects me to my community & allows me to give back which is deeply satisfying,

I have got a lot out of reading your stories. I appreciate you all sharing.

I hope all are having a good start to the week
🙂

In response to: Re: Career

NikNikSenior Contributor27 Sept 2016, 7:37 am AEST

Re: Career

Hi @R4012

Everyone has provded some great feedback. I just wanted to add that each Friday we have Career Chat run by Ostara. Each week we look at a different area of employment and the workplace.

We are having a break this Friday, but Friday 7 Oct we are looking at standing out to an employer.

Take care 🙂

In response to: Re: Career

SaharaSenior Contributor27 Sept 2016, 8:30 am AEST

Re: Career

Hi @R4012,

thanks for telling us so much about yourself. Your career to date sounds amazing!

I think it's wonderful that you know what you want to do - to set up as a counsellor and work one on one with clients. I think you will find that you will have plenty of referrals from people you have met professionally, along the way.

I would like to say that the best counsellor I ever had was a trained social worker and not a psychologist. She worked 'intuitively' and was extremely down-to-earth and personable. She talked a lot of sense into me! I will always remember her.

It's good if you can work part-time and only take on as many clients as you need. That would be ideal, I think.

It's funny that you write "No, I don't want to work". Can I ask you why not?

I thought every single human being was chomping at the bit to work and that I was the only one who disliked work intensely! I just find working to be a massive, heavy burden on my shoulders and I cannot stop looking at my watch. fantasizing about walking out the door, knocking off, freedom, peace and quiet.

Where I currently live, there seem to be a lot of people who pride themselves on working 365 days a year, without drawing breath. I cannot relate to them and I secretly believe they must be insane. Why was I the one who got put on meds????? They obviously need to be medicated more than I do!

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