What jobs are there with SA?!

[painterly91]

Hi guys. I'm 26 and have struggled to hold down a job for most of my life since 16. I have never lasted in a job for more than 6 months due to anxiety. I'm currently in the process of claiming PIP/DLA as I just cannot work. The kind of job which has caused me so many panic attacks in the past have been working in retail, bar work etc face to face with the general public. Does anyone know of any jobs or types of job where I can work from home? I'm going back to college to get a diploma and would like to be able to have a part time job but sadly I cannot work where I live out in public its just so awful the people are so aggressive and selfish. Thanks in advance.

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[painterly91]

Thanks I'll definitely have a look for a quieter job like you suggested. That was really helpful.

I'm going to study web development and I can't wait to start. See with this kind of qualification I'd be able to work from home but that's not the reason I'm studying it. I want to work in a company with it once qualified. I know that from a friend its very little human interaction even in a company apparently!

[painterly91]

No only until September I guess it's not that long. Are you studying anything or work?

[painterly91]

That's helpful however it's much harder said than done. Mental illness is a difficult thing to tackle, and in this area where I live it's slave labour where they treat you like you don't matter for such a low wage. How does someone work on their confidence when they don't have any to begin with?

Originally Posted by mutedsoul

Cleaning, some warehouse jobs. But honestly you can do any job, if you work on your confidence and also come to terms with your anxiety and who you are as a person. I feel I am lucky in the sense that I have one colleague who is confident, very secure and doesn't mind listening to me. She has helped me feel a bit more confident in myself.

[painterly91]

Originally Posted by A lump of Excrement

Hi Painterly, I have first hand experience of working from home as a web developer and you can make a very nice living from it. If no human interaction, bar email, is preferred then this is a possibility (comes with a severe health warning). I started when I was at uni, learning how to build websites for a business idea I had. It was all unrelated to the the degree I was studying.

I was very ambitious and had lots of ideas but I learnt at lot about myself during this time. As soon as human interaction was involved I couldn't cope. I couldn't launch and promote my business ideas.

I had a breakdown at the end of uni and I came back home, declining a job offer and pursuing other opportunities I had. I decided to work from home as a freelance website design/developer/online marketing person (I had no idea at this point). All I knew is that I had unintentionally learned quite a lot about internet things whilst I had been trying to become the person I was never cut out to be. As someone trying to launch internet businesses with no money and without success, I had learned lots of coding and internet skills. So I had some skills that were now in demand.

Within a couple of years I had honed my skilled and classed myself as a self taught developer, with an increasing portfolio of work and lots of repeat customers and referrals.

It's all possible, and I'm still working the same now 8 years on. Financially it's been very profitable and I've been able to live a comfortable life.

In theory, you can have as little or as much human interaction as you want. At the beginning, I tried hard and meet up with customers and even had phone calls (it took a lot of my energy and I had to plan a lot for these interactions).

But the truth is, and it's even more obvious now, is that there are a huge amount of customers who are more than happy to do everything via the internet. Whether that's email, instant messaging, or the messaging system of a freelancer website, you can do it all through there.

And due to my SA, I encouraged the electronic communication and accepted work from customers who were happy with this.

I have customers I have worked with for over 5 years now, and have earned many thousands of pounds with. I have not seen or spoken to them once.

The health warning is that I'd never recommend this. It's a breeding ground for your SA and it will flourish and win. If you're like me and you do need people, friends and interaction but you're just very anxious and therefore avoid it - in the long run it does more harm than good. Isolation and depression will set in and your SA will get worse.

If you go down this route I'd encourage you to still try and do things out of your conform zone. Try and form real relationships with some customers and still try to meet up and/or speak on the phone X times a week/months.

Don't avoid everything. In the world we live in, it's possible. I'm living proof of it. But I don't think it's a good thing.

Good luck and if you want any advice on any aspect of your new venture feel free to ask or PM me.

Thank you so much for your response it's actually made my day! I'll have to follow you if that's okay incase I need to ask anything.

Well it's strange because when I was younger I desperately wanted friends and I didn't accept the fact that I was just a loner. Now I'm older I'm actually very comfortable with being alone and I don't find that I need people or want their time. I have a partner who is like me as well.

I'm never away from the computer at times (gaming and learning code) but I don't see this as a bad thing especially in this day and age. I'm very glad you responded to my post. Great minds think alike!

[painterly91]

Originally Posted by healingsoul

^Are you really a loner or is it just the most comfortable option for you?

Sorry I had to challenge that thought.

I'm definitely a loner plus it's comfortable to be like this too. I don't miss spending time with people, I just don't I'm much happier on my own. No it's fine I appreciate your honesty.

[Tom Morello]

Admin jobs, they're not without social challenges or well paid but it has worked pretty well for me, it's helped me learn social skills which I never had before but at the same time it isn't nearly as intense as retail. You could do it part time whilst learning something else on the side.

[painterly91]

https://graziadaily.co.uk/life/opini...iness-is-good/

[painterly91]

Okay that link I posted is about being an introvert nothing to do with SA.

Originally Posted by healingsoul

If you say so. In a way I feel to overcome SA you have to be mentally ready to overcome it.

[painterly91]

Some facts: famous introverts are Christopher Nolan, Einstein, amongst many others.

[Peter A]

Can you not deliver newspapers with leaflets and free samples?

[I Love My Cats]

I actually did really well at being a support worker. At the time, I worked with adults with learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities. I felt the adults accepted me for who I was, more easily that the general public usually do. The work also challenged me - I had to do things and ask for things in public or else the person I was with would be disadvantaged. I was also keen to challenge myself, seeing those I support so motivated to overcome their difficulties, I wanted to do the same. That was probably my most settled period of employment. It's also a line of work where you don't necessarily need experience - just the right values and be keen to learn

[Ruth95]

Hey, I've had the same problem. I've only working in bars, retail and coffee shops, but I'm struggling. I've realised I can't handle it and something needs to be done. I've been teaching myself graphic design, and will be going back to college to study it. Its the perfect job for me, I'm doing something I enjoy without dealing with loads and loads of people! I will have to deal with people, but I want to train myself to get into a professional zone, if you get what I mean, so as long as I understand what I'm doing I'll be okay.

[Spectrelight]

Driving jobs are fairly easy for the most part, being on agency I just go to work, get told what I***8217;m doing that day and that***8217;s about it.

[José Raúl Capablanca]

i work as a courier for ubereats, there is very little human interaction. i just pootle about on my bike listening to music . I start and finish when i want , and when i’m having a bad day i don’t go in . cycling around Bath is tough because it’s chuffing hilly but after doing it for 8 months i can crack a walnut between my thighs

[Buffy]

I'm still struggling with this. Applying for jobs is fine until I get the phonecall.

I've definitely regressed. Answering those calls to arrange an interview or discuss the job or whatever is such a scary prospect

I've only really ever had retail jobs, and once I'm in them, I can function quite normally. But getting to that interview point is so scary. I just wish I could forward with every job application a note that says I have social anxiety, I'm fine, I just might stutter a little over the phone and in the interview.

[Buffy]

Originally Posted by painterly91

That's helpful however it's much harder said than done. Mental illness is a difficult thing to tackle, and in this area where I live it's slave labour where they treat you like you don't matter for such a low wage. How does someone work on their confidence when they don't have any to begin with?

This is how I feel. All retail workers are treated just like a pair of hands, a body, and nothing else. So that doesn't give me much confidence.

And when you're applying for jobs and trying to sell yourself, it's difficult knowing you have to back up everything you just said in an application form in person during an interview

[Chocobear Paws]

I just do Cash Crate from home, my husband is the big earner with a real job, I'm the lazy bum.

It's just surveys. Giving your opinions on TV adverts and new foods, stuff like that, but it works, it's not a scam. It's not just an American thing, they send monthly cheques everywhere in the world. Once you receive and cash 3 cheques they put your earnings in your PayPal.

I make about 300/400 a month, which I spend on very important things like lipstick and Starbucks.