When you have been out of work for longer than a month or two, one of the first things that end up getting cut from your budget is the high COBRA premiums. For those of us who suffer from depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or have other mental health issues, the lack of treatment can make finding a new administrative job really difficult.
The problem is that without treatment for things like panic and anxiety disorder, the stress of the job search can make you want to cancel appointment, not show up to interviews and not be able to make follow up phone calls in a timely manner. Although, from the outside, this can look like self sabotaging behavior, but it is just a symptom of the illness that isn't being treated, and is probably bigger and stronger than ever because you had to go off of your medication. But, there is help out there, if you can let yourself look for it.
With a little bit of research you'll find, depending on where you live, that there are free mental health clinics that provide services on a sliding scale, based on your income. If you can manage to give them a call and set up an appointment, they will be able to give you the help you need and even will be able to assist you in getting your medications at a lower cost.
Even though it may trigger your anxiety, it is important to take the steps to get the help that you need. Without it, you will not be able to really manage your job search or the stress of interviews and even the first few months at a new job before any benefits can kick in.
If you are dealing with these types of illnesses, here are some steps to take while you are trying to get help or working on your job search:
- Make commitments and keep them – When you get closer to the appointment date, you will feel like you need to cancel it. There will be a million other things that your mind tells you are more important than going to the appointment. This is just the disorder talking. Even if you are terrified, just do it.
- Talk back to your disorder – When you start thinking that you just can't do it, get tough with the anxiety. Instead of doing what it wants, tell it that you are strong enough to take whatever it has to offer. When you stand up and invite it in, rather than resisting it, it mysteriously goes away.
- Practice, Practice, Practice – Look for other situations you can put yourself in that give you low levels of anxiety. Make appointments with friends and go to the grocery store during the busiest times.
- Want to be afraid – This goes back to inviting the panic. If you make a choice to look for things that make you feel anxious, you will find that the anxiety is harder to find. If you welcome the fear, it goes away.
Working through depression, anxiety and panic can be very painful and very difficult. But, it is the only way to get through it and find a place where you are able to get your life back on track. When you are out of work and can't afford treatment or medications, it is so difficult to find another job in order to afford the help you need. And even then, it is hard to hold onto that job for long enough to get insurance benefits.
People who suffer from anxiety and other disorders tend to have periods of time where they are unable to keep a job. Most of the time this is due to not receiving treatment and being unable to cope with the stress and anxiety of starting a new job without the medication they need. If you, or someone you know is in this position, please help them find and take advantage of the free mental health services that are available across the country. You don't have to lose everything in order to realize that you need help. So, even though it is harder, there is help out there.
Have you ever dealt with anxiety or panic disorder? What did you do to keep the panic from ruining your job search? Let me know in the comments.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for Nexxt, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel. Read more of her blogs at Administrativejobs blog.
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