Has anyone else left their job to rethink what they want to do? I am completely burned out at my job. I am seemingly busting my butt for no reason. I have no desire to stay with the company. My commute is keeping me gone 12 hours a day..I don't think I can take it much longer...I have lost all of my motivation for the future. I am an emotional mess...

I want to take some time off, but I am unsure how this would be viewed by employers. I just need to get out of this rut. I started working about a week after I graduated college with a temp firm, and I haven't stopped since. I have had very little time to contemplate exactly what I want to do. Any suggesstions? Would leavingh my job be advisable? I have been there a little over two years.

Hi,

I can rely to your situation even if mine is not entirely the same. I am currently doing a PhD. Right after my graduation I did an internship at a software development company and then jumped directly into the PhD. No (big) break since, a lot of stress and I also have a constant feeling of underachievment; after I found out about my ADD things became a bit more clear, since I knew at least what I was fighting with ... but it is not only that :

Because of this not so good situation which has been going on for a while (1.5 years), and from the fact that my working days are very long since I always try to make up for the time lost doing the day because of spacing off, procrastination, mental fatigue, etc., I end up having a lot of days when I feel a real mess. Almost crying at night - I feel misunderstood, exausted and I feel I am doing the things I do not like (which to a certain extent, it is very true - not time to give more details here).

Anyway, what I have noticed is (and I _will not_ let myself end up like this each day): there are some factors which influence a lot the 'emotional mess-up'. When tired, all ideas and worries amplify beyond control. Always doing the same things ends up in having this effect either. Are you able to balance a little?

Do you sleep enough ? Do you like what you are doing ? Do you also have time to do things which you really like? (For example I like reading, listening to music, meeting or talking a little with my friends - you might have your passions, your relationship, too - they help you think of something else and they complete you as a human being - we are not machines...). This alternance makes more appealing both work and free time. Are you able to laugh ? :) When I am able to do it, I certainly know I achieved some balance that day. After even some days when I get back to the usual rutine of working working working and nothing else, slam! I fall and end up being tired, full of doubts, etc. So I try to plan these free fun things in my day when I can.

My advice would be : balance and analyze, but not in a moment when you are at the point of collapsing, if your work and actual life makes you happy... Do you feel you can change something in order to be happy ? Does your company offer an alternative position which would fit you better ? After two years, you must know how things work in the company. Can you take a small break now, in order to analyze these things ? Is someone in the company willing to give you some advice (doesn't HR also do this ? I've seen companies where it did). I also thought of changing the 'job' (I dream of being self-employed :) ), and sometimes I would just want that the rythm of life to stop so that I can put my thoughts in order and analyze my options, then re-start. Well, it is not so realistic, so one needs to find the best way of moving forward, with a big dose of optimism.

So ... hope it helps a little. I do not know your exact situation, though. Anyway, don't give up, things can get better.

Cristian.

NEVER QUIT YOUR JOB, UNLESS YOUR QUITING FOR ANOTHER JOB.

Been there, had a great job, 5 plus years, was set for life, but the commute was too much, I left, went unemployed for 2 years, got a job paying half as much, 4 years later, I'm still not up to the level I was at before.

If your ready to suffer, and learn more about your self during hard times of not working, then do it, I learned alot about myself, I learned I had ADHD after I quit, but since you know, don't do it.

T-Bass

NEVER QUIT YOUR JOB, UNLESS YOUR QUITING FOR ANOTHER JOB.

Been there, had a great job, 5 plus years, was set for life, but the commute was too much, I left, went unemployed for 2 years, got a job paying half as much, 4 years later, I'm still not up to the level I was at before.

If your ready to suffer, and learn more about your self during hard times of not working, then do it, I learned alot about myself, I learned I had ADHD after I quit, but since you know, don't do it.

T-Bass
I don't think that I would be quitting just to find another job. I would work somewhere part time and take classes either for second bachelors degree or go back for my masters. If i couldn't find another job right away, I would retrain myself. I am a great student, and I would have no trouble switching careers.

The problem is I am so burned out right now that it's difficult for me to get motivated to interview for another job. I feel totally and completey trapped. I envy people at subway and people driving trucks..I almost cried on the way to work today..yes, it's that bad.

Pitt, you are sounding at the end of your rope, I think you really need at least some time off work. It is impossible to make a rational decision in your present state.

What is the worst that can happen if you walk in with a note from the Doctor for some time off due to stress. They could fire you but if you try that route first and give yourself a month, you'll have a better perspective of what you really want to do and some healing time to process it all.

If you keep going at your present rate, you will only dig a deeper hole to crawl out of. I let myself get their once, it took 2 years to get back to work. Now I don't let it get that far, even 2 weeks off can get things back on track.

Good luck!!

Pittguy, I have been reading your posts about how depressed you are and how your job is draining you for a couple months now. I hope you are seeing someone to help you with your depression. There is more than just hating your job going on here. If you need to quit the job to save yourself do it, but document everything.

If you are single and willing to live with roommates and put up with the deprivations of student life, going back to school may be your best choice. Just make sure to take some subjects you will love. You need some good things happening in your life.

Pittguy, I have been reading your posts about how depressed you are and how your job is draining you for a couple months now. I hope you are seeing someone to help you with your depression. There is more than just hating your job going on here. If you need to quit the job to save yourself do it, but document everything.

If you are single and willing to live with roommates and put up with the deprivations of student life, going back to school may be your best choice. Just make sure to take some subjects you will love. You need some good things happening in your life.
There are some other issues outside the job. I have had a few deaths in the family, a bad breakup, and I have had to deal with my mother's illness. On Wednesday I learned that my best friend's mother may have liver cancer. When it rains it pours..but the job thing is another major stressor. I spend nearly 11 hours a day, including the commute, on a job I hate... The job isn't the best job in the world. We had one girl quit already due to stress, and another lady, who has been there much longer than me, is totally miserable all the time and treats her other workers poorly. I at least am able to put on a good face while I am there...

It's just the fact that I have no desire to handle claims. I took the job because it was a good company, not because I wanted this specific job. I thought I would be able to switch and go into another area. However, I have been unable to do so. I feel like I am in a rut. I am also too smart for the job, and I don't feel like I am living up to my potential. I interviewed last year for a sales job, and i was told they wouldn't give it to me because I am too smart and would get bored easily. She told me I should quit my current job, and go back to grad school which is something I am considering doing...

My dad already said I could move back in with him. I don't care if I work at a store or something like that until I get my batteries charged..I have nearly one year's salary in savings. I thinkI am going to go next week and tell my boss, and ask for a letter of recommendation from him so I can move on. Things aren't going to get any better. It would be better if I did that than if I just stopped showing up.

Pitt, I would suggest doing some reading...that always helps me in hard times. I would give you some advice on what to read, but don't think it would be appropriate on this forum.. I also believe we are not supposed to talk about "politcal" subjects...why, I have no idea.

One other thing guys...ladies:) is my job is not very ADD friendly. It entails alot of repetitive tasks and attention to detail. I can't take doing the same thing over and over again. When it comes to solving problems and figuring things out, I would consider myself to be gifted. But I am organizationally disabled. I am not good with paperwork at all. They are also starting to automate alot of functions which is driving me nuts. I can't take feeling like a robot day in and day out.


And another thing my boss did that angered me is that he had a note on my desk on Wednesday morning when I came back basically giving me a written warning to clean up my desk and some items in my inventory. . He knew that my grandfather had passed away, and I was at a funeral the day before.
I thought that was a dumb move on his part. He could have gone about it in a better way.

I do hope something breaks for you soon -- besides you. You job does sound all wrong for someone with ADD. Human beings can only stand so much stress. My thoughts are with you Pittguy. Also I am sorry to hear of all the personal losses you have suffered recently.

I don't know why we aren't supposed to talk about politics. IMO, "the personal is the politcal." People with disabilities have as legitimate a reason to bond and to support each other politically, as well as personally, as does any other group.

People with serious ADHD/ADD often suffer the discrimation of having true symptoms relegated to laziness, sloppiness, etc. We need to make people understand that what we are dealing with is as frustrating in its way as someone having to get around in a wheelchair. We need accomodations too. We need understanding too.

I quit a job at a university five years ago after a year of being very dis-heartened/paranoid/crying in the stockroom on a daily basis. It seemed to be the perfect job after 15 years as a waiter/barman. Working by myself & arranging my own time/work routine/paperwork (first time) etc.....it was a nightmare, I had only been diagnosed a year before and the implications & problems had been masked by previous jobs. Within 3 months of quitting, I landed a job in a bookshop, so sometimes the biggest factor for change is quitting a place and then you can focus on forward steps without the feeling of being stuck.

Pitt,

Sounds like you've had a really rough time latley....do you think taking two weeks off to look for another job/career path might help? I went through a depressing time a while back, AND didn't have a full-time job, and I know that not having the routine of a job made things harder, not easier....AND even though I so wanted to set up something of my own, being sad just made it harder.....So do take that into consideration if you do choose to quit your job.

Maybe you can take your 2 weeks of vacation, and set up some structure for yourself that would ensure you don't get stuck in a rut once you actually quit.

best of luck! >Hugs<

Pitt...may I offer an alternative? Or at least tell you what I did?

My job was making me feel the way it sounds yours is making you feel:

...my job is not very ADD friendly. It entails alot of repetitive tasks and attention to detail. I can't take doing the same thing over and over again. When it comes to solving problems and figuring things out, I would consider myself to be gifted. But I am organizationally disabled. I am not good with paperwork at all.

I went to the Pdoc, because I couldn't understand why someone who could do more complicated stuff couldn't seem to do the repetitive tasks with attention to detail. I found I had ADD. I told my boss. She couldn't understand how an adult blah, blah, blah.....and it took her an additional 2 months to implement a system I had recommended 4 months before, which I guess I 'intuitively' knew would help me.

Anyway, I tried and tried and tried and the harder I tried the worse I got....too often too distracted to accomplish anything.

Went to work one morning and looked at my desk and did not have any idea what to do. Next. Ever. It was like my mind had gone blank; I knew what to do with individual items, but had no idea where to start. It was scary...I went to my doc and he gave me a leave of absense. It took me a week to process what had happened, and where I was....and that no matter what I did, I could not make this job work, nor would I ever enjoy it, or would it engage me.

By mutual agreement, I left (I was not fired, nor did I quit, but I am receiving unemployment benefits). I'll be taking this time to figure out what to do next. After two months, I still have had no flash of insight, but I am working on it.

Good luck, Pittguy!

Well I reached a similar point a couple years back. Here's a little about my situation, maybe something may help you.

I had a good job after undergrad in advertising, was definitely moving up the ladder. Earned a good promotion within two years, and probably was the youngest person in the company in that role. Started having difficulty with the job, became restless. At the time, was confusing my personaility preferences with ADHD symptoms, so I couldn't figure out why I could do specific functions of a very outgoing job, but struggle with other duties which were extremely similar. In retrospect, it was also a case of a round peg in a square hole; it just wasnt the right fit for me. I probably went on with that less than ideal position for about a year being unhappy; including a horrible commute as well. Then, my father suddenly died from a heart attack.

That incident became a catalyst for me to review my life, and I made the decision that I wasnt happy where I was, and needed to make the necessary changes to my life to be happy. I also trusted the judgement of my friends, and asked for their opinions as to what I should do. Luckily I had a supportive family, and decided to go back to grad school to work in university administration.

I was very involved in student activities while in college. In retrospect, being involved in activities programming was perfect for me because there was always something going on, and it kept me busy doing many tasks at the same time. Perfect brain candy for my ADHD.

Within the spam of about a month and a half, I went from being employed full time, to being a full time grad student. As soon as I entered the room for my first orientation session for classes, I knew I made the correct choice. Its been about three and a half years since I began grad school, and I am still very happy with the decision I made. I enjoy my current job, but realize I probably wont be in this role forever. Luckily, there is a lot of mobility in this field, as well as a respectful attitude towards movement from positions.

Learning about my ADHD has made a lot of my behaviors during work a lot more understandable. I feel the need to pace or constantly be moving. I will regularly get up to wander around the office areas every 15 min or so, just to say hi, get water/coffee, go to the bathroom. It also explained why I was so easily attracted to smoking and taking smoke breaks. I've tried quitting in the past, but always succombed. I've been doing better with my effort to quit more recenty by providing a mentally stimulating activity in the place of smoking when I get a craving. I'll take out my scetchpad, and do some intensive artwork for 15 min...and just let myself get hyperfocused for a little bit. It seems to cut the edge of my impulsive desire to smoke, and I also feel a lot more focused after a little draw break, and I can usually attend to my duties much better after rewarding myself with a little brain candy.

I'm starting to ramble a little, gotta get back to work. I hope some of that makes sense or can help you.

Hey all.

I just noticed this thread started in February of 2005.

So what's going on now???

Hey all.

I just noticed this thread started in February of 2005.

So what's going on now???Haha, I guess none of us paid attention to that detail.....but Pitt, are you still with us? How are you?

I started a very similar thread recently, "insubordination". Didnt see this one was here. You all have some great advice here too and as always, I appreciate it! Two weeks off is a good idea. A friend of mine once took a medical leave and spent the time job hunting. Its just too bad that there are so many miserable "bosses" out there that need to make their (ADD)workers suffer all the more for being unlucky enough to find themselves under them, as in my situation. I have to laugh in my situation as I am a social worker as is my superviser. She was not only stupid enough to mention my ADD in my review (EEOC anyone???) but she even got the initials wrong. She shows her sensitivity with smart a-- remarks about my symptoms. Degrades me for it at any opportunity. And this is the sort of person that put over a unit of Socil workers. Should tell me something about my employer, huh?

Good luck to you all. Its a dog eat dog world! We need to be there for each other.;)

Thanks for everyone responding. I have been looking for another job.
I am having a difficult time. I have gotten interviews but no luck yet.
I am not sure if I am doing anything wrong...:( I hope my job burnout isn't coming through when I interview.

I just have lost all my motivation and my goals. I feel so stuck!:( I want to go to grad school next fall, but I am having trouble with the application and finding recommenders. My boss won't do it for me because there are legal reasons.
It is too late for me to start volunteering, and I cant start volunteering just to get a recommendation. That will show right through. Business schools don't want recs from professors...

So I am just kind of drifting along. I was considering moving away but don't know where to. I want to start over in a vibrant city. I currently live in Pittsburgh..not a horrible city but definitely not alot of opportunity here...

Has anyone else left their job to rethink what they want to do?

Don't do it! You'll never get back out there and might end up like me, living a life of complacency on a shoestring (relatively, speaking)

And try explaining your leave of absense to a prospective boss....It's career suicide! Especially if you're in a career that values the Normal ones and shames anyone who has a DISABILITY :eek: (which are many of the stable income jobs....but don't mind me, I'm bitter......)