LD & Employment

Dear Susan Blain,
I am a stay at home mom struggling with the same issue. I have LD and have Graduated from college. More than likely you are just unhappy with your job. You may be suffering from Midlife Crisis. I am almost 30 and I am already having one. I never liked any of my jobs. You might be more of a creative person which those jobs are hard to get and very limited. I love to write and am trying to write several books. You can e-mail me at [email protected] There isn’t much support out here in nowheresville either. Do some free online career testing to see what you might like to. Unless you can’t stand up your not likely to get disability compansation.
Stormie

Susan,
I cant speack for any one eals but I can say I defenatly can realat. I have hade very simaler fealings.
I get tiersd of singel minded people that can even try to see things from a nothers purspecteve or that just cant get there mined to atemt an abstact thout. this leads to more frustrashon when some one eals is promoted overe you when the only thing they had on you is spelling or somthing like that.
The end resolt for me has been a lack of chaleng, felling as thow there wasent any confadens in my abilates and an alaround felling of hoplesnes. At that point I shut down and get bord.Thus I Quit.
If I have to serve one more glutenas, self richas weckend criston how is harassing me for working on sunday, Im going to (oops) drop the plate of greasy starch in there lap :]- Ok I wouldent but the thout is decodent, dont you thinck.
I can say I have dunne my best in times of crunch. I can do grate things with horses,art and righting createvly.Soooo how to aply these things to every day?
Well cracers I dont know.I do thinck that if we all were to get to gether and get a thinck tanck to gether we could figer it out.
as fare as disabilaty is conserned, I havent ever tryed but the storys I have heard frome people in are situashon that have tryed have been a little dismall.
I dont know,but for myself when I fill that way,its usaly just a case of the blues;Theyll pass.
tell me what you thinck .Im trying to get some of us to gether for some createve trubel shoutting. Storm you too please
thancks Toni

Susan

I can relate to you I am having the same problem as you are I have had jobs that were not
suited for me either I am now working for the state of new york and I am still unhappy
It has even lead to depression, I know I have a great job benefits and yada yada yade but its not
worth it if you are unhappy w.your job. do u work with a vocational counselor ? if not this may
be a good way to start another idea is a great book i am reading learning a living guide to planning
your career and finding a job for ppl with ld add and dyslexia my suggestion is to check it out
or purchase it from your local book store
feel free to email me
see above if you want to chat k
good ; luck and I will be praying for you

Michele

Thank you for your email. I am going to try to get on disability because of my depression. Lately, I’ve been going thru withdrawals from the Paxil that I was taking. I ran out as usual because of $. I have a appt at a mental health clinic with a Psychiatrist, but might have to reschedule because of $ too. I have gone thru a lot of abuse in the past too. Anyways, you probably don’t care about this, but for some reason I’m explaining this to someone that i don’t know at all.
I have a friend who did get on disability because of a mental disability, and she was rejected once and I guess the 2nd time - she got it. I have already tried to get it twice. I am going to give it a try once again. Anyways, thank you for the useful info. about career testing. Talk to you later.

Thank you for your email. I am going to try to get on disability because of my depression. Lately, I’ve been going thru withdrawals from the Paxil that I was taking. I ran out as usual because of $. I have a appt at a mental health clinic with a Psychiatrist, but might have to reschedule because of $ too. I have gone thru a lot of abuse in the past too. Anyways, you probably don’t care about this, but for some reason I’m explaining this to someone that i don’t know at all.
I have a friend who did get on disability because of a mental disability, and she was rejected once and I guess the 2nd time - she got it. I have already tried to get it twice. I am going to give it a try once again. Anyways, thank you for the useful info. about career testing. Talk to you later.

I think for some fear and embarassment and loss of dignity have a lot to do with it. Many years ago I opted to become a laborer/monkey carpenter/mason until a nick injury put an end to that. It was hard work and I would spend much of the day whelling concrete and hauling blocks that weighed almost as much as I do.
I was proud of the fact that this 5’8’ 150 pound guy could carry 65 pound bundles of shingles up a ladder with out much of a struggle. But even with a job like that my cognitive difficulties managed to rear their ugly heads and it became evident pretty soon to the boss that I would be more valuable doing the shite work. Actually it did alot for my self esteem knowing that I was fit and stronger than most men especially those foul pudgy lawyer types.

I found that bashing stuff with a hammer and seeing a house come together gave me a feeling of self worth and accomplishment. I also found that I prefered working with men that were men who would do what they say and say what they mean. Inspite of my “LD” I was rarely disrespected. I have also found that people who live in the real world are usually humble enough to be understanding.

AS many of you know I think most professionals are quite full of themselves and other excrement. As a man who can ride, rope, hammer, and paint I think a man with no callouses on their hands are pathetic wimps.

Wow did this get tangentle.

Job satisfaction and self esteem are connected. LD or not alot of people work crap jobs. Some jobs don’t seem that good on the surface but given some time and some good co workers. A lot of not so glamorous jobs can be alot more satisfying.

Jobs with fancy titles usually attract VR types.

I’ve been there..It seemed every time that I have been honest and admitted that I have an LD…wasn’t long after that- my hours were being cut- to the extent that looking for a new job was necessity,or was terminated. I know it seems impossible to happen in light of ADA…but I’ve even been fired due to my Learning Disabilities. I had been called into the office and was told that if my performance on the job didn’t improve vastly, I would be fired. I let it be known about my disability- and damn, if they didn’t use it to fire me! But, they used a different excuse- they said that I lacked the mental acuity to be capable of doing the job- then again, I also had another black mark against me- the harsh chemicals they used to clean the screens broke me out into hives…and after I was seen by their workman’s comp physician, they were told to order in protective gear that ACTUALLY fit me! What they were making me use was some left over men’s stuff that was miles too big for me. So..I got fired.

Another job- I was working airline catering..I really liked the job, and was doing well, as best I could tell- increased duties,bascially. Not just working food prep, getting the food ready or whatever…I was also a Loader Helper(Putting the food,and other items catering puts on a flight.), and Third Flight cook…and had just gotten medical insurance, too…I don’t think it was due to me NOT doing my job, rather it was due to another employee- guess she saw me as a threat to her job security….after a few heated verbal exchanges where I told her I wasn’t going to do HER job on top of mine, and that she wasn’t going to belittle and castigate me anymore on the job- I heard enough of it at home, Didn’t need to hear it on the job,thank you!- well, I’m NOT sure, but I think she was thicker than thieves with the General Manager- and lo and behold, guess who lost yet another job!
Yeah…me…
This problem with co workers, employers, ect…and my being Learning Disabled can really do a number- I feel so discouraged, and feel like wanting to give up. I’m just so sick and tired of getting a job, no more than get settled in, and know the ropes- then something happens, either my Disability makes me a good prime canidate to terminate, or me standing up for myself against other co workers- in situations where management doesn’t seem too inclined to get off their asses and DO something about the bullshit…It’s not that I’m asking for special favors or special treatment, for God’s sake! Just freakin’ asking for a fair shake- and a little accomodation for my disability! Just to be able to make a good wage, get ahead, and make something of myself- nothing more, nothing less! Hell, I don’t even think I’m employable anymore due to the the vast list of jobs I’ve had and lost- and it sure as hell didn’t help when Dad and my stepmother would stick their asses in my business- usually meant I got fired….the last time was the worse- I didn’t just get fired, I also got illegally evicted, and shunned by the Christian Community because I dared to prove just how capable I am despite my Disability! That really terrifies me! I’m 34 years old! I’m supposed to be able to find a job, work, and support myself- I just don’t want to end up a bum on the streets- and see my stepsisters, and those other idiots that Dad and his wife took to their hearts as family get everything- or try to continue doing what Dad and Jewel’s done to me over and over…I just don’t know how much more I can take of getting my @!#$ together only to have it raped from me again! I don’t think I could withstand that again- with out some pretty ugly @!#$ happening! Hell, I SHOULD be a wife and mother by now too! I just don’t understand people like my family and Goddess knows, my peers- Why the hell do they think that just because I’ve got a learning disability- it makes me incapable of handling my own affairs and make sound, intelligent, wise, practical decisions for myself? It’s not like I’m a nut case or an incompetent! ARGH!!!!!!! It’s just pissing me off- and I’m damned sick and tired of the @!#$! Damn sick and tired of people looking at me like I’m a freak of nature- or that my LD is something I’ll get over, or grow out of! Bullshit- it’s here, I’ve got it, I have to deal with it- and will have to do so till I die! What gives!? I’m just tired of being the one to get screwed over every time I start to see the trees for the forrest! What is it going to take for people to understand that I’m NOT going to slit my own damned throat and take that little bullshit Government hand out called Disability! That’s what it is- slitting your own throat when you take a government hand out! I have my pride and refuse to do it! I just can’t!
Nita

You might want to tell your employer that you are working for about the laws under ADA. They have a website that you can look at. I would get some of their info. and share it with your boss. That is if he or she would be open to seeing the info. that you share with him or her. Hang In There. I have decided not to try for disability. This one lawyer that I talked to mentioned to me twice about how I worked for 4 mos, as if I wouldn’t qualify for disability just because of that. I felt hurt, cause I had no choice in the matter but to work.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t have a disability. I think what makes me angry if the government thinks that he or she can tell a person whether or not they are disabled. I don’t think that’s right. It’s almost as if they don’t believe us, whenever we reach out for help. I had a friend who tried to encourage me to try for disability. Financially, I just can’t wait and wait to see whether or not I would qualify. I am recently divorced, and living barely on the alimony that my ex sends me to every mo, which I only get for a yr. I have no kids, so that’s good for me. Anyways, It probably for me to work then to rely on the government for a handout which probably won’t ever happen. I don’t get to retire from working till I’m 67 anyways. Well, Take Care