Does anyone still hold a normal job?

[[mr...]]

Trying to keep this thread positive and short..

Anyone still work their normal 9-5 jobs? Im thinking about just quiting, im getting no sleep, my job is in security but its getting hard with the symptoms and no sleep. My head was hurting so bad yesterday I had to call out, I feel so bad for calling out and its guilt tripping me but I could barely hold it together yesterday. My breathing felt off, and blurry vision ontop of headache / panic anxiety.

Would like to hear others experiences.

[[Ne...]]

I have always forced myself to go to work.  It's been very hard but I think worse than staying home alone.  It is a distraction.  It will be 9 years this June and I have been protracted ever since with short month long windows in between.  I was short term and from start to taper only 85 pills.  I suffer from more mental torture than the physical.  Every time I am in a setback it lasts longer than the windows, it is acute and is as if I am withdrawing from the med all over again.  I book conference rooms for educators and have been doing this since 2007 and only live a few minutes from work so it is not that stressful.  My last setback, I lost 3 weeks vacation because I just can't be alone.  This setback I am losing vacation, too.  When you can't feel joy or pleasure and have to force feed everyday along with severe weakness and intrusive thoughts, how could you possibly go on vacation!!  Oh well...

[[wi...]]

Wow, you’re amazing. I can’t imagine how you do it. 
glad work is close and not super stressful. 

Edited April 11 by [wi...]

[[Ne...]]

I really don't know how I have done this either...seriously!  I guess the short healings in between all my setbacks keep me going.  I will be 70 in May.  9 years ago I was hiking 5 miles everyday after work.  I push myself to walk a mile during break these days.  I use to walk around in empty conference rooms with the intense crying jags.  That's the only thing that has lifted.  As soon as work is over, I immediately go home and put my jammies on and lay down for the rest of the evening.  TV is my only friend.

[[Na...]]

I've worked the whole time - 9 years. I'm not a very good employee anymore if I'm being honest but I do the best I can.

I think that maybe working has been better than staying home because it's kept me from focusing on my problems quite as much. On the other hand it's added a fair amount of stress. Who knows what the net result of that is.

I certainly understand people that can't work dealing with this and I've thought of quitting many times. I will probably end up retiring several years early if things don't eventually improve.

[[wi...]]

I had a very physical job. Working was not possible. I lost my career because I couldn’t physically do the work.

[[Na...]]

Yeah, I could not handle a physically demanding job now.

[[Ca...]]

There's no chance I could have stayed with it. I was a designer in an Aerospace dept that requires a higher standard in quality than I could provide anymore. Couldn't handle that level of focus, comprehension. Took 5 yrs but I finally got disability until retirement. Wish I could have stayed with it. 

[[Ne...]]

15 hours ago, [[w...] said:

I had a very physical job. Working was not possible. I lost my career because I couldn’t physically do the work.

There's no way I could have done a physical job.  Just showering and getting here wipes me out.

[[wi...]]

1 hour ago, [[N...] said:

There's no way I could have done a physical job.  Just showering and getting here wipes me out.

yep, I know. Same.

[[st...]]

I havnt been able to work a real  job since a month before I jumped. I workers at Costco for 7 years. I tried to go back after a year off. Lol. I pasted a week. Not the best place for someone to work with an injured nervous system. I ended up quieting. It's a blessing in disguise because that was a toxic work environment.  10 months after quitting I started doing doorsash. I'm still doing it. Somedays I can't drive at all but I push myself because I have 800.00 a o month in bills to pay. I don't pay rent. I live rent free with my dad until I'm able to work again. I'm 27 months out. 

[[Ma...]]

Hi, when I started a new job parttime 4 hours a day in Jan 2020, 3 months later I jump from benzo. Luckily this new job wasn't very demanding. It's a State job cleaning offices, restrooms & maintaining the yard. My first 2 years of acute withdrawal was my hell (debilitating) & dealing with a Concussion in 2019, (double whammy). I had to be careful of any physical tasks & lifting at the same time trying to hide it from co-workers which was only 2 people. I had to take alot breaks & rests discreetly. My work environment is quite, empty & secluded so this is a plus. I moved into full-time 2 years ago til now. In the beginning it was rough again with my sensitive cns. I'm slowly getting better dealing with my protracted symptoms. There are many times where I get set backs at work & home. I'm very lucky & grateful to end up having a job like this. I definitely would not be able to hang on to any other jobs out there. Before 2020, I was a salesperson driving +20 miles daily, being in public interacting with store Managers, Supervisors, etc., very stressful, order products. I had to find another job at that time because me being on benzo for so long. I knew I was in trouble. I had to change my work career & get off this drug. I was stressing more just thinking what kind of job to get, that would not stress me out and not knowing what was coming to me getting off benzo. I didnt know anything about long term withdrawals was going to factor in my life. Even when my setbacks would always resurface again, quitting was never an option for me when there's financial bills & family to take care of. Hang in there. All  things will fall into place & it gets better. 👍

Edited April 13 by [Ma...]

[[Wa...]]

I was a licensed mental health therapist before this with a thriving career (they never educated us about benzos in school). I was able to work my first two years off somehow but when I had the antibiotic setback it became impossible. I developed akathesia and movement disorders and vocal tics. Can't hide that with clients and the stress of hearing and dealing with everyone's trauma while I was silently screaming was too much. that was three years ago now. I still keep my license active but who knows if I will ever go back. I just got a job working remotely doing research and client care but can only do about two hours per day. So sad.    

[[jo...]]

I was a teacher. I had to leave my job in 2020. It’s devastating. I’m on disability to get by