No Job & update

[Guest guest]

Everyone,

I just wanted to let you know how things turned about the part-time

job that I interviewed for. Looks like it was a no go this time.

I'll keep looking, God has the right position for me out there some

where. One that I can handle and even enjoy alittle I guess I will

have to be patient.

The problem I'm running into is that places say I'm " over qualified "

so they don't want to even take a chance with me because

they " think " I will leave them soon if I find a " better " job that

fits in with my Master's degree and training.

Although, this is not the case for me, nor is it even an option for

me for quite sometime. All I'm looking for is a 2-3 day, few a

hours each week kind of job that is not quite as stressful or

demanding.

In case your wondering, I got my MA Degree in Counseling in 1993. I

worked as a clinical therapist for approx 5 years under supervision

to acccumulate Licensure hours to become a Licensed Professional

Counselor.

I left the mental health field one year after my Mom died (in 1994

and then my Dad in 2002, both from cancer) because I found it to

difficult to counsel and provide therapy for clients when I was

going through my own difficults and grief.

Following my Mom's death, I developed anorexia and depression. This

was way back in 1995. Also the beginning of my psychiatrict drug

journey or better said, my nightmare.

In 1998 we adopted our first newborn baby boy and that was followed

by our adopted newborn baby girl in 1999. So I made the choice to

be a stay at home Mom and make a career out of raising my family,

instead of working on my LPC. I wasn't too drugged up at this time,

but it wasn't long after that my Psyciatrist started loading me down

with all these drugs because I was having anxiety attacks and

moments when I felt like I was going to lose my mind and started

self-injuring.

Unfortunately over the last 10 years my Psychiatrist kept adding to

my long list of psych meds eventually accumulating to over 38 pills

a day in 2005. I had attempted suicide once and was in and out of 3

psychiatric hospitals.

At the time, coming from my training in the mental health field I

had total confidence in Psychiatrists and psych. drugs as the answer

to mental health issues. Boy, do I believe and know different now.

These drugs, and I have been on almost every single one of them at

one time or another over the ten years I was drugged up, I was a

zombie, hibernated in my room, hid from my kids, and husband. It

was terrible.

However, thanks to this website and Kim and , I'm now down

to 4 pills a day, Geodon and Klonipin. Still have difficult days

with the withdrawals, but I have a life now. I'm back involved with

my kids and family little by little, and I would like to work just

alittle, in order to get myself out of the house and communicating

with others and joining in life again.

I don't want a job in the mental health field right now. Maybe down

the road a couple of years or so, but not right now. The problem

I'm coming accross is that those who come accross my applications

see that I have a Master's degree and some time spent in

the " professional " world with high pay (which is not true for one

under supervision) and they no longer see me as a canadate.

I don't know how to get over this barrier and let employers know

that I WANT a simple mininum wage paying job right now and I'd be

happy with that. I'm sure in time God will lead me to the right job

where I can have just a few hours a week. I couldn't do much more

anyway, due to the withdrawals that I'm still going through.

I still need to work on becoming more fully involved with my family

life and getting healthy physically and emotionally.

I have written a book about my journey over these past ten years.

The therapists had me dx with anorexia, depression,

Schziodal, and with MPD (I was sexually abused as preschooler), and

other emotional issues - depersonalization, derealizattion,

dissociation, I was hearing voices, having flashbacks and black outs

and a bunch more " junk " . The book is about how I have overcome

these mental and emotional challenges based on my own training and

therapy.

Now it has been 2 years since I finished the book and my whole

perspective has now changed and I need to rewrite and make changes.

I certainly see mental illness in a different light now and what it

takes to get better. This website has really helped me to see where

the real problem lies - in eating healthy and taking the right

supplements - and what it takes to get better and be free from

mental illness. The book focuses soley on my own personal journey

and recovery. I need to give myself some more time to heal and

recover before I tackle revising and finishing the book.

My true healing didn't come until I started coming off the drugs,

eating right and taking supplements. I am a different person today

than I was even one year ago. People in my life comment about all

the time and it is because of Kim and s training and

expertise in this area that have brought this healing in my life.

I don't know why I wrote all that. Almost 2 years ago my husband

was asking me to consider going on disability because Of how bad

things were with me and my husband had no hope that things would

improve. I wasn't really able to function. Multiple personalities

had " taken " over my life - actually I had no life.

Due to the encouragement of my father-in-law, who most would

consider a health fanatic and was anti-drug, the way we all should

care for ourselves, I began to attempt coming off a whole host of

medications.

Not to long after this God lead me to this website to help me learn

how to take care of my body and come off these psychiatric drugs in

a safe and healthy way that can bring me recovery.

Kim, I hope it was okay to share what I did and didn't share too

much. Please forgive me if I did something wrong.

So many changes have taken place over these past 8 months or so that

it really is a miracle. I want to encourage others out there that

they will get better and to just hang in there and do what

and you say and life will get better in time.

Thank you both, Kim and . I owe you so much.

Hugs

[Guest guest]

Oh, , thanks so much for sharing this!! May I put it in the

Files?

You made me cry (in a good way, lol). You are writing in a very

different voice from the one you started with here--you have done the

hard work and you are SO MUCH BETTER! It's an absolute privilege to

be here and see this.

I'm sorry the job didn't happen; it must not have been the right one

for you.

Next time, leave your Master's degree off your application. If they

want to know about gaps in your employment history, say you were

caring for family members. They'll never know.

Thanks again. Pat yourself on the back a few times, okay?

Hugs,

Kim

co-moderator

[Guest guest]

Hi , There is a part-time job out there for you. It might also be okay to leave your master's off the app for now. My long journey back into the work world began with retail. I worked about 5 hours per day in a consignment boutique for $5 cash under the table. Then I worked 4 days per week at a GNC selling vitamins. I loved that job. Then I worked part-time in cosmetics at a department store, and then full time as an Estee Lauder counter manager. Finally I was ready to go back to office work. But even then it was a difficult transition. It has taken 5 years in this office to finally feel comfortable. If I could live on less money, I would have stuck with retail. There are a lot of good things about it. Best wishes,

Yahoo! Photos Got holiday prints? See all the ways to get quality prints in your hands ASAP.

[Guest guest]

Hi , Thanks for sharing this. Your attitude is remarkable and inspirational. Our "stories" are similar in nature, though you're further along than I. (I used to work in the mental health field also, but did end up on Disability due to the hundreds of drugs. And I never got that book written - but maybe one day.) What struck the most resounding chord in me is when you speak about being disconnected from your children. This is something I've struggled with constantly since my descent into the hell of psychiatry, and continue to work on to this day. Guilt about "not being there" for my children often gets in my way, but that does me, and them, no good. I, too, am trying slowly but deliberately to re-engage with them. The days that I am able to are just glorious and give me hope for the future even when I backslide and have some days that I'm less "connected".

Hearing you talk about your own struggles helps a lot, for I've been feeling badly about not being "in the moment" with them during the past week. I wish you luck - I know the right job for you will come along when it's time. To see you looking to re-engage in the world and thinking about the future is just wonderful. Best wishes to you, DLgive4good wrote: These drugs, and I have been on almost every single one of them at one time or another over the ten years I was drugged up, I was a zombie, hibernated in my room, hid from my kids, and husband. It was terrible.However, thanks to this website and Kim and , I'm now down to 4 pills a day, Geodon and Klonipin. Still have difficult days with the withdrawals, but I have a

life now. I'm back involved with my kids and family little by little, and I would like to work just alittle, in order to get myself out of the house and communicating with others and joining in life again........I still need to work on becoming more fully involved with my family life and getting healthy physically and emotionally.

Yahoo! Photos Got holiday prints? See all the ways to get quality prints in your hands ASAP.

[Guest guest]

i graduated from a pretty prestigous college and i am a paper boy

now. i got fired from being a scanner about a year and a half ago

because of the drugs. your not alone.

jason

>

> Everyone,

>

> I just wanted to let you know how things turned about the part-

time

> job that I interviewed for. Looks like it was a no go this time.

> I'll keep looking, God has the right position for me out there

some

> where. One that I can handle and even enjoy alittle I guess I

will

> have to be patient.

[Guest guest]

k_denise1111 wrote: <Oh, , thanks so much for sharing this!! May I put it in the Files?> ***If you think it would be helpful for others, sure you can put in the files.

[Guest guest]

, I would sure love to read your book someday when you have

written it how you want. Your journey has been amazing, you are so

different from the lady you were when you first found us. It is just

great.

Love ya

x