Just had a breakdown

[naturally anabolic]

after spending countless hours working, 66 hours a week i have finally lost it. I collapsed at work, and when i reawoke i couldn't stop crying.....now im to the point of almost suicidal, i don't know what to do, they want more out of me then i am able to give, they suggested i start working more then i already am, bump things up to 80 hours a week 7 days a week.

help

 

[starfish]

Hang in ther Nat...

 

[danielson]

do you think talking to someone like a councillor might help? does your company provide one, or can you get access to one?

but if its the workload that is harming your health then you might wanna re-think working for them...its not worth working yourself raw over

 

[WODIN]

You've got to be kidding.

 

[starfish]

You've got to be kidding.

just a tad uncool Wodin.. Not everything is a joke in this world..

 

[gymtime]

No job is worth that natty. You've got the money. Get out and find something else.

 

[smallmovesal]

natty you need to talk to someone...

 

[wyst]

Take a sick day, do what you gotta do, and then talk to someone, and then also talk to your hr department.

Wyst

 

[HappyScrappy]

I suppose it depends on what you do.
if you are an investment banker or management consultant, then that is pretty standard.
other than that, it sounds like my life for the rest of the month - but I'm hoping to bypass the nervous breakdown part - I had one of those earlier in my life.

good luck man.

if you need someone to talk to, there are plenty of other people on the board, don't bother me.
seriously. I'm busy.

 

[kronk]

Take a sick day, do what you gotta do, and then talk to someone, and then also talk to your hr department.

Wyst

I agree Natty, take FEW sick days and clear your head. Talk to your HR department and find out if the have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). they usually will have a toll free number to talk to someone.

Also, feel free to send me an email or PM and I will give you our home number, you can talk to us.

Hang in there bro, you are a solid guy and a friend!

 

[naturally anabolic]

i am head of technology (networking and webdesign) for an insurance based law firm.

 

[HighIntensity]

i am head of technology (networking and webdesign) for an insurance based law firm.

not to diminish things natty but damn your young, make some cash and are working, many americans can't even say they have a job.

hang in there, but I do envy you as far as where you are job wise

 

[kronk]

i am head of technology (networking and webdesign) for an insurance based law firm.

I feel for you bro, you are not alone in the stress you feel. I work in software and I see the guys that have your position. Most of them end up getting high so they can cope, becuase they always look like they are going to snap.

I have been in that boat, and I am kinda in it right now as well. It sucks dude! Take a breath, take some sick days, get a killer resume together, and then get a recrutier to find you a new home. Hang in there and feel free to call us anytime.

 

[naturally anabolic]

my skills are not a question i put alot of people who have been in the industry to shame, but it does seem to be a trend as far as the job market currently. I bust my ass, almost no time for anything else but work these days. I am giving it my all, its changed me from being laid back and relaxed to shallow, short talking and miserable. Take into consideration im only 20 years old.

there is only one other outside influence, i have been slightly down and out since my surgery and i think im finally clearing that from my system.

 

[starfish]

my skills are not a question i put alot of people who have been in the industry to shame, but it does seem to be a trend as far as the job market currently. I bust my ass, almost no time for anything else but work these days. I am giving it my all, its changed me from being laid back and relaxed to shallow, short talking and miserable. Take into consideration im only 20 years old.

there is only one other outside influence, i have been slightly down and out since my surgery and i think im finally clearing that from my system.

Your surgery and your job stress..... Gotta give yourself a break big guy

 

[gymtime]

my skills are not a question i put alot of people who have been in the industry to shame, but it does seem to be a trend as far as the job market currently. I bust my ass, almost no time for anything else but work these days. I am giving it my all, its changed me from being laid back and relaxed to shallow, short talking and miserable. Take into consideration im only 20 years old.

there is only one other outside influence, i have been slightly down and out since my surgery and i think im finally clearing that from my system.

Take some advice from an old man. Don't spend your 20s behind a desk bro. In the words of the infamous R.P. McMurphy, "You should be out bird-doggin' chicks and bangin' beaver."

A little course for my taste, but the sentiment holds true. No matter how much you think you have to work that much, you don't.

 

[Temple]

NA - everyone is going to tell you that it's not worth it and it's NOT. As for the more hours thing - JUST SAY NO!!! My husband works 80+ hours a week because he chooses to and he has periods of melt down, when it happens he takes some time, plays his ass off and goes back to it. He chooses to do it and in many ways thrives on it but it doesn't sound like tha is what is going on with you. If it is what you want then you need to get some coping strategies. It certainly is not worth getting yourself into the shape that you are in.

 

[SofaGeorge]

Nat YOU are more important than your JOB.

It's time to grab a couple sessions with a counselor/therapist. It sounds like you have been pushing it way to long for a while and your body is starting to respond to the stress.

 

[tripleV]

if we were to scroll back in chat to december ish.. youd see me posting the same sorta things....i had job stress, was completely unhappy, going thru a divorce, off a cycle...etc etc...right....well i left my job as i knew it was making me sick, i saw a doctor and i went on sick leave....now im happy i made that choice cause im happy, i wouldve kept getting lower had i not made some tough decisiions to get out....

first stop, see a doctor, take some time off work and see if you can take some time off til u r better ......then if u want to go back, if not, u are so skilled and smart, u can get whatever u want.....


pls u r a great guy who i enjjoy chatting with....take care of urself for u and others....

 

[gymnpoppa]

nat, don't let the corporate world eat your life up. Step away, and take some breaths. Jobs are disposable, you are not.

Pm me bro, if you want to chat.

 

[WODIN]

Yeah DOT!

Plus...I think your just exhausted, because if you had a breakdown, you would be a blubbering idiot and not able to type.

I did the public accounting thing for E & W for 2 years, wasn't what I wanted by a long shot so I left. I put in DOT hours and it sucked major horse turds.

 

[WODIN]

He he...Young something...

Because Ernst and Winny became Ernst and Young.

I think it's now the big 4 since AA is in the toilet.

 

[Raina]

Great post DOT. Natty, hoping you sort things out and feel better.

 

[musclebrains]

Take some advice from an old man. Don't spend your 20s behind a desk bro. In the words of the infamous R.P. McMurphy, "You should be out bird-doggin' chicks and bangin' beaver."

Word.


Though I respect people who put their noses to the grindstone in their 20s and never move them, that doesn't suit everyone's character. I see clients frequently in their 20s who hate what they do for a living. (Mainly, I see lawyers in this situation but, weirdly, I have one who does exactly what Natty does.) They often know what they'd rather be doing instead but, like people who've invested in a bad relationship, they can't bring themselves to bail because of the time and money invested in their education and career.

That doesn't seem to be Natty's case, though. I don't get the impression he dislikes his work but that he's overworked. While DOT may be right in citing the recession, it's also true that many companies will exploit an employee who doesn't know how to say no. I've frequently had the case of a client telling me he'd be fired if he insisted that his work be more equitably distributed. But I've yet to see one fired for asking and I've seen several get relief.

 

[Lao Tzu]

after spending countless hours working, 66 hours a week i have finally lost it. I collapsed at work, and when i reawoke i couldn't stop crying.....now im to the point of almost suicidal, i don't know what to do, they want more out of me then i am able to give, they suggested i start working more then i already am, bump things up to 80 hours a week 7 days a week.

help

Is that what you want? if the prestige & money are important enough then you should probably try some sort of counsueling for stress management. if not, then try to find a slower paced job. I'm sure thats easier said than done but i don't know what else you can do.

The same thing thats happening to you happened to a pharmacy near where my dad works. The managers combined 4 stores into 1, but didn't hire extra help. Even though pharmacists make about $32 an hour, they were being worked 80+ hours a week so all the pharmacists quit. Hopefully some of them found places that only required 40 hours a week.

 

[Hengst]

nat -something similar happend to me once.......working 16 hour days, 6 days a week. one morning i couldn't leave my apartment to go to work. was all dressed and ready to go, but I could not turn the door knob to get out. Seriously, I physically could not turn it. could grab it, hold it but couldn't turn it. Was the weirdest phenomenon i had ever experienced.

I took this as a MAJOR sign that i should not be going to that job and I never went back, except to turn in my keys and have my exit interview. (I was a department head of a major hotel in DC, and was only 24 at the time)

Listen to your body and mind and remember that only you can change that situation. You have choices.

 

[b fold the truth]

I can offer prayer and an ear to listen...

B True