A moment of your time, can anyone help?
By letsee77
@letsee77 (224)
United States
August 18, 2009 12:35pm CST
I'm wondering what do people with really bad anxiety, social anxiety, agoraphobia and the like, do to bring in an income? I have a family member that has really bad social anxiety, it effects his life of course in a negative way. He only seems to get worse all the time. I also think this is because he's never had it treated for years just letting it get worse.
I know he can't afford to get treatment and has no insurace so he can't pay for any type of prescriptions. We've look for free care but can't find anything. We think maybe if he gets help and treatment he can begin to start living and not keeping himself away from the world in his fear. For right now I'm just wondering what is out there for people like this to do for work so they can bring in an income?
I don't think it should be social security or disability. I've seen product assembly jobs, and envelope stuffing but that cost money and he can't afford to spend money on something that might be a scam.
So do you know someone that has anxiety, or agoraphobia anything like that, and what do they do to bring in an income?
1 person likes this
6 responses
@pinklemonade (486)
•
20 Aug 09
It depends where you are living. I live in England and here if you are unable to work due to mental health reasons (it has to be really severe though, like harming yourself and others) then you can get a living allowance from the government. At the moment I live off my student finance but when I finish university I will be living off my disabled living allowance and incapacity benefit I get from having M.E. Basically, if there is no way he can have a job then there will be some help somewhere for him. But there is a difference between the people who just don't like going to work and the people who physically can't go there. If I didn't have the support of anyone else I would find businesses I could run myself from home, like over Ebay or something else.
1 person likes this
@pinklemonade (486)
•
20 Aug 09
I can totally sympathise as I get that way too. I'm not sure what you meant by going on something like "that" but going on benefits isn't a choice I made myself. I have no other option. But yeah, I am not sure what since I don't like in the US but I know there will be something. Because I mean if I am in this position now, what will happen to me when I move there?! I wish you the best of luck for finding that money.
@letsee77 (224)
• United States
20 Aug 09
I didn't mean any offense to you at all and I guess I could have worded that better then I did. I just meant he would probably feel as if it were charity, and he may feel he's not deserving of getting something when he could possilbly make money if he had his anxiety under control, but like you said if there is no other option then it's good to have that type of help available to you. Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope your day is going well, all the best to you. :)
@letsee77 (224)
• United States
20 Aug 09
He's worked before jobs where he has been alone and has no problem with working. He just can't be around people, like going to the mall to shop is out as he almost panics. If one of us takes him to the grocery store for something he needs, we have to go in with him and through the check out with him, or he'll continue hiding in isles that are empty until he sees the check out line is empty. If someone gets behind him in line by chance he'll let them go and go back to the isles almost acting as if he forgot something.
We live in the United State, I've done some looking around. I'm not sure he would want to get on something like that, I don't know how he would feel. He wants to do something, I just need to find out a way to get him medical coverage as the costs are so much and he's not making an income to pay those kinds of charges.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
20 Aug 09
I think it depends how severe the social anxiety is. Is he able to leave the house? Or does he have to find job that he can do from his home? I have a friend who is unable to work with other people because of her social anxiety, but she is able to handle a job where she works alone. She has chosen to deliver newspapers. She works at night, and most of the time she doesn't meet any other people while she is working. She has also worked a cleaning assistent, and she was able to work alone when she had that job, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to keep the job.
1 person likes this
@letsee77 (224)
• United States
20 Aug 09
Yes he does go out, usually late afternoon, or night. He don't like walking near the street because of the traffic. If someone honks at him or yells out the window it bothers him alot. He can handle going out later when the sun has gone down and the streets are less occupied. We have a 24 hour wal-mart that he'll some times go to 4 a.m. or so. He's worked third shift jobs at night before as a janitor, this he worked with a few other guys but he never had to see them as the building was so large and they all had their own areas. He was alright working a job like this but he had to quit as he moved much to far away. He can't work with other people, he was put on a register once and that didn't work out so well. He needs a job where he can work alone and does not have to interact with others.
@bmuchler (441)
• United States
20 Aug 09
I would try to find something to earn an income from the internet. Your family member can find support groups online if they can't go to one in person. I wouldn't go with anything you have to pay for. Those are usually scams. I'm sorry I can't be of more help.
I take wellbutrin, celexa, and I go to counseling. Keeping a journal has helped too.
1 person likes this
@letsee77 (224)
• United States
20 Aug 09
We'll I think he's willing to get help he's just concerned about the cost. He don't work and really has no income so can't pay medical bills or prescription fees. He has no insurance to help with this either, I even tried looking for a program with the state that offered free/low cost health care help. So that he can get treatment and get on medication if he needs it to better himself. I just can't seem to find anything and no one I've asked around where I live knows either.
Thanks for your reply. :)
@ellaprice76 (196)
• United States
22 Aug 09
I had an employee once with anxiety something I couldn't understand. When it started she had to leave the office and stand outside for a while one time her husband had to pick her up because she couldn't drive home.
My mom would tell him to eat a lot of celery, avoid cheese and make sure to get enough vitamin b. Sounds a little strange but worth a try.
@Butcher909 (39)
• United States
25 Sep 09
TRy this book its helping me alot its call Been there done that do this
@besthope44 (12123)
• India
6 Oct 10
Most time, its my work..with ontime deliveries and work loads. I try to divert mind on music and i feel better. We need to manage anxiety, as it is part of life in busy world.
But if we concentrate, we can manage it. I does it through my yoga, listening music and going out on vacation.
