u/AdUnusual8753

I 21M have struggled with anxiety and depression since 14. At the age of 19, I developed panic disorder with agoraphobia. I was at a point where walking to mailbox gave me panic attacks. I spent a lot of time doing exposure therapy, even as hard as it was. Found medication that matched me, and continued my exposure and working on mindfulness. I was able to find work, (two actually). These jobs were far, physically, and emotionally taxing, but truly helped me heal more. I’ve traveled, for fun and for work. Take planes, develop relationships, care for myself. It was difficult and still is. I am currently switching SSRI’s so feeling a bit setback, but this time I understand how non linear mental health is, and that I will be fine through this heightened anxiety and make it out stronger in the end. While anxiety doesn’t have a cure and is HARD work to overcome. I believe all of you have what it takes. I post this as a lot of people on this reddit are currently at their worst and don’t often post after reaching a better state. Being back in my slightly altered state, I wanted to post to remind you all and myself that no matter how hard it feels, there is a way :)

Hello! I am a 21M living in Florida. I suffer from a few mental health issues (Panic Disorder, ADHD, Depression, GAD) but have been doing a lot of work over the years to overcome them. I’m in a position where my symptoms have been rough over the past months due to working two jobs that i’m very poor environments. I have since left these jobs and am now stressed over finding a career for myself. I am currently doing gig work to make ends meet. I enjoy the autonomy that gig work provides me, however it

is very inconsistent. I am currently on a break from college due to tuition costs, however I didn’t really know what I wanted to study anyways. I feel very lost as I’m trying to find a career path that is (somewhat) mentally healthy for me. I have worked in retail, warehousing, and music/ dance education. Whilst I enjoyed certain aspects of the jobs, the overwhelming stress or negative social situations took a toll on me. Having ADA accommodations did help for some time, but I began to receive negative attention from management for having them. I have been researching trades, apprenticeships, hospital jobs etc but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask for some advice here aswell. I also have unprofessional experience in social media, editing, photography, and digital design.

For some reference, I prefer jobs that have a small amount of social interaction so that I am not alone all the time, but do not get overwhelmed. My panic disorder mostly affects me in the workforce as sometimes being in situations where I feel like I have no out, cause me panic. I enjoyed my warehousing job as I was able to work on projects alone whilst still being around people and make connections when I had the mental energy. I was also able to step out to the bathroom if I needed to at any moment if needed. I find a lot of fulfillment in knowing I have impact on others (this is the reason i loved my job in education, but the system is very abusive unfortunately) which has drawn me to hospital jobs however I do not have much experience. I am currently in therapy and under a psychiatrist so I am open to challenging myself with work. Thank you in advance guys :)