Username: GermanCowboy

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

Job Search and OCD

Not sure about you guys, but I’ve been desperately looking for a job since last December and I’ve had no luck. The uncertainty of whether or not I’ll find a job drives me nuts and triggers my OCD like nothing else has before. At the beginning of my job search, it was the typical I’m afraid to do it response from OCD. But I realized that a good way to treat the issue was through exposure and applying for jobs. Just put myself out there and eventually something will land… right? Well… it’s been 6+ months already and 300+ job applications in. And not a single interview. Just a bunch of automated rejection emails or at best, a recruiter saying “I’ll forward this resume to the hiring manager” but I get ghosted in the interview process. Not sure what else I can do to treat the anxiety at the point. No job=worthless=loser=no $$ or so I’m led to believe by my OCD. I’m also getting the “you’re lazy” response from those around me whenever I tell them I still haven’t found a job. I’m staring down a black bottomless abyss at this point. Is there something else I can do to treat my OCD? Should I just accept the worst case scenario that I’ll never find a job and I’ll be indeed worthless?

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 1y ago

I am sorry you feel this way. I took have been there and have had many similar experiences with work. In fact, fear of failure partly to do with work is my core fear. Please don't feel alone in this. I have depression and together with my OCD I have been under employed for years now. Please don't give up. If needed try something without interview, like Amazon.

Username: GermanCowboyGermanCowboy

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

@Anonymous Yeah, I get that 100%. I’m glad to know I’m not alone though. I hope we both can get a job soon.

Username: GermanCowboyGermanCowboy

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

@Anonymous Also, interesting suggestion. Do you mean to say that Amazon has no interview process?

Username: bunniesncheesecakebunniesnchee...

Date posted: 1y ago

Oh my gosh!! Are people actually telling that you're lazy? That's soo flipping stupid!!! That's the last thing you deserve to hear. That's so awesome that you have been working hard and applying for so many jobs. You are doing everything you can to get a job. I'm so so sorry if OCD is yelling at you that what you do is not enough. That really sucks. I don't know if this is something that would help you, but something a therapist once told me is to identify feelings before thoughts. Sometimes I get distressing obsessions and I just wanna jump right in and edit them, but it's helped me to acknowledge what I'm feeling first. Of course this is not something that will automatically change thinking forever, but it can help ease some stress and help you be compassionate to yourself. I write my feelings sometimes, and then all my crazy thoughts. Do you have some creative outlets like writing, doodling, or singing where you can let things out? (Sorry that was a lot!!)

Username: GermanCowboyGermanCowboy

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

@bunniesncheesecake Yeah, they’ve been like “it’s 6 months and how come you’re still unemployed?”. That’s a good suggestion. On top of OCD, I have possible BPD/NPD and sometimes emotions just hit really hard. That’s also another source of shame, as I told my family about this other diagnosis, and now I’m getting ostracized. I’m now am evil person bc of my personality issues. Only outlet I have is hiking, but in the TX heat, it’s a little hard to do right now. Just the other day, it was 103 degrees F with heat index up to 118 degrees F!! It’s like a sauna.

Username: B831B831

Date posted: 1y ago

I’m at the start of the job search. Omg it’s scary, I don’t know how you put yourself out there that much, that doesn’t seem lazy to me

Username: GermanCowboyGermanCowboy

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

@B831 Yeah, although it depends on what you’re looking for and your experience level. All the best, don’t give up!

Username: NODANODA

Date posted: 1y ago

Hello. With me it 's been a year now. Over 400 job applications. In 1 year. I am going through all that you are going through, except with me my ocd tells me I am lazy or that I will never get a job or that even if I do, it will ruin it for me. And I believe it. I had my own small company for 11 years. In the end, nobody knows that, but I had to close it, because of my ocd. It was the time when Corona first appeared, so I blamed it on Corona instead of telling people the truth. Well nobody except my husband, my cats, my therapists know that I have ocd. And I've had it for 38 years. For me it is a bit different, though. I have been to 6 or 7 interviews. But I either didn't get the job because I am 49 or because I was over qualified. Now my ocd is so dominiring my life, not by obsessions itself, but by me being unable to function without the meds, that the side effects of the drugs are ruining my life. I honestly do not know how I would function if someone gave me a job. I am looking for jobs, applying, I really need the money to live, but I am feeling so crappie that at the same time I pray noone offers me a job. It's funny. In 2020 when I wasn't on meds, ocd ruined my work, now when I am on meds and ocd is quite cool, the side effects are ruining it all. I hope we both find a job. Can Anonymous please explain the suggestion trying Amazon. How? Have a nice ocd free day. All of you here. 😀

Username: GermanCowboyGermanCowboy

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

@NODA Thanks for sharing, yeah I’ll keep trying 💪💪. I actually get the overqualified thing, because I’m also on that ship too. Last December, I graduated with my PhD in math. It turns out that most companies actually prefer someone with a BSc or an MS, unless you’re doing a postdoc or research position, which are even harder to find. I just interviewed today for a math teaching position for a private hs, and the interviewer said that I wasn’t qualified to teach hs math. Can you believe that load of BS? Me, someone with a PhD in math, NOT qualified to teach hs math 😂🤣🤮 But ok, gotta keep going. Best wishes to you too from the Lone Star state!

Username: NODANODA

Date posted: 1y ago

@Josean Hello. Congratulations for your PhD in math. Wonderful. Some things are just to weird to understand. If you are unable to teach math, well then who.... is?! Like you said, we gotta keep going. And never loose hope. Somwehere out there there is someone who will see through the superficial criteria and will appreciate us for our knowledge, experience. qualities. I would be glad, when you succeed and get a job, if you let me know. I will be very happy for you. Thank you for your kind wishes. Have a lovely weekend. Regards from Europe.

Username: Starxgurl06Starxgurl06

Date posted: 1y ago

Following

Username: Nerdwithocd

Date posted: 1y ago

Work related ruminations

Hey everyone! I’m new to this app, but not new when it comes to OCD treatments. A few years ago I had to leave school/ my job in order to work on my mental health which was hard but needed. Mentally things have more or less gotten better OCD wise but I still really struggle with protectionism. I started a new job within the past 6 months that is challenging, but I enjoy enough to hopefully stay at for a few years. As of the past two weeks I have been really struggling with ruminating over my performance at work. I have been trying really hard to learn all the moving parts of the job, but because of lack of mentoring and constant little hiccups I have been stressing. Currently I have been overwhelmed/ overthinking so much that I have been messing up my work and it seems like my coworkers are pretty annoyed by constantly having to correct me. It’s honestly my worst fear as a perfectionist to feel like a burden. My intrusive thoughts as of late is that they are going to think I don’t care or try hard enough, that they talk bad about me to each other, and that they are going to fire me. Has anyone else experienced this type of OCD perfectionism that affects there performance within school or work and if so is there anything that you did in order to help recenter yourself in the moment to stop your brain from running in circles?

Username: violetwilder

Date posted: 1y ago

Lost job

I had to leave a job for the first time in my life because of OCD/anxiety and I keep ruminating on the uncertainty of getting a new job. How do I get out of the loop of rumination?

Username: Anon, Anon

Date posted: 1y ago

Specific, difficult-to-trigger OCD

My problem with OCD/ERP is that it’s very situational and hard to trigger. So it’s hard to create exposures. My trigger is job offers. I obsess obsess obsess about them if they don’t feel just right, ask for lore time, call everyone I know, do obsessive Research, lose all perspective, and then either accept or reject the at the last minute without much confidence. Then my brain tells me I made the wrong choice, and my compulsion is to prolong the decision-making process by undoing and redoing the decision (“I accept! [2 hours later] Actually, I don’t want the job. Oh just kidding, I do! Oh wait, I don’t.”) How the fuck do I do ERP for this?! It’s not like germ phobia where exposure to the trigger is easy (there are germs everywhere). Job offers, real ones, don’t come around often (thank goodness) but when they do it is hell. This used to happen with smaller decisions but thank god that seems to be less so now

Perfectionism OCD

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