Has anyone else felt their anxitety level was so high you just couldn't get yourself out to even look for a job? I have had this problem a little over a year now. I am licky my parents have put up with it this far and suprized they haven't kicked me out but they know things are hard for me right now. I want to get a job really. I just can't motivate myself to do something about it. I know I need to and everyone has tryed to motavate me. I know though that until I can learn to push myself what they say will not phase me. Why when I know I need to do this and as guilty and ashamed of myself for being like this have I not gone out and done it? :( Why am I being so darn Lazy or do I just have a high anxiety problem that doesn't necesarily mean I am lazy? I have no idea I am lost and confused cause I have never had this issue before. Any help would be greatly appricated.

LOL Lucky is what I meant to say

Bri,
When I was without a job I was the same way. I think it is an ADD trait. Are you on any meds or doing counseling? That will help some. I do things in spurts and if I can get started I can usually get a lot done. Maybe set a goal of just applying for one job and then maybe it will snowball.

How are you doing living at home? My parents would drive me crazy when I was your age. I lived at home for a summer when I was 26. It was a rough go for me.
Jim

I can relate to the job anxiety too. The whole process can be so overhwhelming.

You are not being lazy you are avioding a situation that brings about a negative reaction when you start to think about. There is a huge difference than being lazy. If you were lazy you would be look for support for this issue.

The peer coahing sections could be very helpful. You could start a thread to help you find a job and we can all support you each step of the way.

http://www.addforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=103


I agree that setting smaller goals may be helpful. Maybe even before you actually start apply you could sets some goal in relationship to just looking for a job or even deciding what type of job you want.

I was going to suggest making a "date" with someone to go out looking... like a shopping trip, but for a job.

i think that is said in a shorter way with the term "peer coaching."

I have a theory that for people who already have ADHD the two things that work are:

1) Do it with someone else
2) arrange for it rather than expecting to be able to "handle" it in real time, alone.

the first phone call, the first door entered, the first application fill in (really takes help sometimes just because of the tension and sense of futility) are the hardest. Once you start looking, stopping to TAKE an offered job may become a challenge... let that be if it is later. don't worry that one yet.

Yes, Jim I am on meds I take adderall xr and celexa for depression. I am not currently in therapy though. Money is very tight right now and I have no health insurance. Living at home can drive me nuts. Most the time they are great but I am to a point I need to get out so I can make my own misstakes and gain some responcibilty. I have no job though and no friends that live in town. they have all moved or something I live in a mlitary town so no one stays long though I have been here 13 years.
So I don't know about what you said Wheel cause I have no one to go with me. My parents are too busy with their own jods and get off work late. I am starting to get to know a couple of people on line that live togethr somewhere in my town just haven't met in person yet maybe one of them can help me. Thank you all for the advise. Its good to know I am not alone now if I could just get the parents to understand I am not being lazy!
Smaller goals thats an idea and something I have the hardest time with. Anyone got suggestions on how to go about that?

I can relate to the not many friends part except on line. I would suggest setting little easily accmoplishable goals to buil up your confidence. Myabe start by just circleing one job you would like in the want adds. Then just call to find out about it. Go step by step.
Jim

Yeah, I have more friends on line than I know what to do with. LOL! I counted the other day and have 153 in my list. How I keep up with that I have no clue. Sad part is I don't remember some of them and when I go to their profile little or no information is there. Darn memory!The only thing I know is that I have met them all trying to give advise about ADD at some point but maybe I only talked to them one time and now can't remember who they are. Good thing most are very understanding of that. LOL!

Start going to church, or an interest group or a class (one that continues like Tai Chi) with an eye to building a small friendship.

Just walk out the door and stop the FIRST place you pass and ask for a job .. then ask where they would suggest you go. Short of Hadies, go where ever they suggest.
At this point BAD ideas are better than none,
done things are better than undone.
IMHO

< smile? >

David

I know what this is like; I'm going through the same thing- thank you for posting this! I agree with simply calling and asking for details about the job without asking for an interview; that way you can get an idea of what to expect, and hopefully even get an idea of the environment through who you speak to. But I have yet to work myself up to that point this time, but I've done it in the past.

I've also done what I call a dash; go to a commercial part of town and go door to door asking if places are hiring, and if so get a applications and take them home to fill out where you are comfortable. I've also gotten people to humor me with practice interviews, which have really helped.

Good Luck!

Glad that this is helping others and not just me. ;) I was hoping I wasn't alone on this issue. Not that I want anyone to have to go though this but just makes me feel better that I am not alone. Hopefully it does the same for you! :D

Funny now that I am out of a job and dealing with no norms trying to control my life and criticizing the way I live my life and the way I act...I have no anxiety other than being broke all the time. That why I am studying A+ exam so maybe I can work form home fixing computer or try to learn computer programing anything I can think of to work for myself and not have to deal with the pressures of the outside dog eat dog world work force.

Dear Wheel,
I ended up making a new friend in town this weekend. So after a few days of getting to know her I asked her to go searching with me. It worked great! I applied at 4 places for now to see what happens. Hopefully I will have a job soon. If not I will contine to look. Only thing is she will be moving soon but at least I have a start on something now. Thanks so much for the advise it helped me more than you know! I haven't applied for a job in a little over 4 years now. I finally took a step towards my goal of just having a job. I needed to get my foot in the door again and soon. If I had waited to much longer it would have just gotten harder because I have not had much work experience do to being a studient in college for a while. I had no intention of working 2 of the 3 years its been since i have worked because of working towards my associates degree. Why I haven't gotten a job with my degree is a long story so I'll save all that to make this short. I am going to college again but I am at a point in my life where I need to be working reguardless if I am in school. Its time for me to take on more responcibility and quit letting the world pass me by. Its also time for me to get out of my parents house but I must take this one step at a time so I don't overwhelm myself. Again thank you!:D

I meant a little over 3 years now OPPS! I will learn to type someday I hope. LOL!

It took me awhile to look for a job. I've been working for my mom for two years, this led to having no money and still oweing my GF somewhere around 7 grand(lots of anxiety over that, grr). A year or so before that I must have applied to a dozen or so places and had not recieved a call from any of them.

Recently I been meaning to get a job to start making some money and have finally landed a job I would have loved to have. The truth is I do like the job, but I have a ton of anxiety over it because I don't think I'm good enough. It is a very demanding job and I worry a lot about letting my boss down. I work in a hobby shop that is actually the companies own shop. They put out 3 games that are a big deal. I am expected to be chearful all the time, to be the pinicle of the hobby. I am expected to know the rules for all three game systems(yeah right, with ADD? ha).

I am also payed to sit and paint models for the store, which is great and sucks so much because I can't sit still. I'm expected to have playable items in 3 months time, painted. I told him no problem...but I don't believe that. I want to stay there till I get out of college, I hope I can pull it off.

I also told my boss today about my nearly diagnosed ADD and Anxiety because later today I totally and for no reason fell into a funk. He called me on it and I didn't want him to think that was me. I don't think it was a mistake to tell him.

So yeah, I have job anxiety.

Ken