Does your ability to earn a living, affect your mental health?

Posted by surreal name @sofaramnotdead, Sep 8, 2022

I'm in my 60's, and I have enough money to "get by," but that's about it. If I wanted to spend the rest of my life in a retirement home, the nicest ones are the most expensive, and I think I would be likely to run out of money before I died.

And I have been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, which seems to make any job difficult for me, but that's because I picked out jobs that I was just not suited for, and ignored the ones that emphasized my pluses that I have going for me.

I find that today's jobs are geared toward computing, and unfortunately when I went to college, computing wasn't seen as a job of the future. At least not by me it wasn't. So I got a degree that is in a field that I don't think I would enjoy working in.

So now I see where the jobs are, and I'm not trained for them. I didn't move to Rochester to just sit around writing questions to Mayo doctors, and wait until death chooses me. LOL.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Mental Health Support Group.

You might check transcribeme.com where you work from home transcribing movies or radio shows.

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@sofaramnotdead

I've applied for a lot of work-from-home jobs, and they were all scams. All 100% of them.
I'm not saying that they all are, just the ones that I applied to.

I considered working at overnights at Target, but I don't think I could stand on my feet for 4 hours straight. My main talent is that I can type fast and accurately. I have a very good sense of humor.

In other words, I'm good at laughing at jokes while I type fast. I haven't seen many job openings for that. 😀

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Hmm, fast typing? How about checking into doing transcription for attorneys or medical - you will need to make contact through law firms, or medical transcription services in your area.
Not inline ads.
Sue

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@auntieoakley

You might be surprised in todays new world, a lot of people are working from home online. The lady who lives across the street from me works from home. She loves it because there is much less distraction from co-workers. Many companies now have people working remotely. It is important to be honest about being self motivated and if you are not, this might not be a good fit, but I have found a more independent work suits me very well.
What kinds of work have you enjoyed, and how can you relate that to new kinds of work? Right now everyone needs help, have you considered any jobs?

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Working remotely has many advantages for you. Just performing a specific task(s) that are also satisfying is a win-win. And with the availability of the numerous remote positions with vocational assistance if needed you should find yourself something. Good luck and don’t stop your SSD benefits or consider cutting them in half once you start until you’re certain.

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Hello Auntie Oakley. Boy, I hear every letter of every word you said. I'm 68. I went to University in one state, only needed 15 to get my Specialized Degree, was excited. Then move to different state to find they didn't know what that degree was & all I could use parts of it for was to be an English teacher. Years of wasted life, didn't want to be an English teacher. Dream crushed. Met a retired military person who created a company, but I became a laborer. Laborer work harder, use up their bodies til they're broken down. They keep our world going. Thankfully he gave me a position as the Director of his company. I earned it from the ground up. But I was ill along the way. Went from healthy, strong, to more hospital stays. He didn't give up on me though. I have a strong mind. I enjoy challenges, dumping the box, thinking beyond a reg person. He gave me ways to use my intellect as my body slowly gave up & I lost more of the athletic things I enjoyed. Now I'm on SS, a small pension & having to accept I need a stranger to come help me with things I can no longer do. It is humbling. But my mind is still hungry to learn, to participate in ANYTHING that will give me a purpose. Without purpose, we loose Hope. That's my new job. Every day, make a purpose of Hope. Every day, every minute. I don't always find things, those are my hardest very long days $ nites. I also had to stop with the 'used to' talk. I 'used to' be able to... It doesn't help. Letting go is beyond hard. But the faster I do, the less the memories hurt over Time. It's easy for some to tell me, "All you have to do is..." They aren't us. They don't know. They're able to do what I 'used to'. I never would have imagined one day I'd be like this. Struggling to survive. But I am in many ways. I can't change that. I have many things to be proud of as I'm sure you do as well. Hold onto to them. I suggest your new daily, moment to moment challenge is to take that brilliant & Life wise mind & heart of yours to begin creating your Hope List. & if you end up needing a helper at home like I do, I know it's depressing at times, but I'm trying to see it as a friend is coming to visit, she does things too difficult for me, but that frees me up to write, to volunteer with the VETS, etc. It also made a way I can keep all my SS instead of half from paying premiums. I'm on the food card, Section 8, Medicare, Medicaid. I watch every penny. My apt isn't fancy, but it's home. My service dog is my closest friend. That retired 1st Sergeant still owns his company & gives me things I can use my assent of my problem solving brain for. He gives me purpose when I get stuck. & we all get stuck. I'm here should you need an heart, a hand in the storm, an ear. I struggle every day. I hear, know what you're saying & what you're not. Sometimes, we have to be our own purpose, our own Hope. & sometimes others have to be. Giving up is okay. Doesn't mean you're a quitter. It's just a time to have a seat. When our bodies aren't able, no shame in accepting help. It's just humbling. It gets easier if we let go & let someone else do the lifting. It gives us time to look at our assets. List yours. It's a long list I'm sure you'll discover. List every tiny thing you can still do. Even if it's listening to VETS or others. We all need listeners. There are places that need a person like you. You have much to offer. Take that education you have, add your heart, your Life experiences, put yourself in others shoes, & help them learn to let go, but to create their own daily purpose & Hope list. Be that reached out hand to someone else in their storm. Make that your new job. Someone is wanting for your hand.

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I believe the last two comment might have been meant for @sofaramnotdead Thank you for posting such inspirational information. I am blessed enough to continue to take care of my husband and other members of my family and continue to work from home.

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For me, it’s more that my mental illness affects my ability to work. That’s why I receive SSDI. When in a good place, I do work part time. I just ended a host position that I held for 3.5 years.

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Do you like to drive are you hampered by your illness in that area there are a lot of delivery jobs available

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