How to get back to workforce with a recurring depression

Question

I left my 1st job of 6years due to depression at 27yrs old. I was not stable and was no longer happy with the management hence my therapist told me that it was okay to resign to take a rest and to continue treatment.

5 months has passed, I sent out a lot of job applications as I felt that I am treated already. I did preliminary interviews but I later realized the way I answer in the interview is very negative. I can't answer with a positive disposition and it makes me more frustrated how I fail one interview after the other. Due to this, I feel that my depression has resurfaced. I am losing my focus once again and my head feels heavy.

One thing that is bugging me is that I don't know what my next career move would really be. I have been sending out job applications so as not to lengthen the career break I took but really I do not know if I needed a career change or simply a job change.

Your thoughts on my resurfaced depression and career/job change is really much appreciated.

Answer 1

It sounds like you may not have fully recovered from the depressive episode, perhaps you could talk with your therapist about your current situation a bit more. Many people reduce their medication when they start feeling better, but going into the more stressful circumstances surrounding job hunting might warrant an increase in medication despite what was a previously stable dosage.

This isn't really the professional advice you might have sought out and I'm not a medical professional, but it seems like this issue merits consideration from that angle more than any other right now.

Answer 2

According to Margie Warrell, you can either

• Change what you do
• Change the way you do it

I'll have you answer this first: do you think you will be happier at a new line of work, or will you be the same miserable person you are now?

If you answered yes, then the former option is for you. You have to accept the price though and work from the start again but it's worth it if you're happy

If no, then I suggest the latter option: change yourself and have a better disposition towards work and life.

Understand key areas you are weak in, and work on them

Say you're a programmer, but you are having trouble with developing in a particular language. Do some reading and practice coding on it. Know the proper terms and programming practices that are in place today as well. There are lots of studying material online

Exercise and workout

Working out helps release Dopamine in your body, among having other benefits.

Adopt a lighter personality

Don't take everything in a negative light. Smile and appreciate what you have at the moment. Try to find the lighter side in everything you do (learning LINQ is a bit tough for me.. but hey I after this I can get results from an array faster than just looping through it!)

EDIT

as commented by the other answers here, it may also help if you seek actual advice from medical professionals. They may have medication to treat the chemical imbalance in your brain, if present.

Answer 3

I'm not going to talk about the depression side of things. Other answers have covered it and it really isn't my area of expertise. So onto the other aspects of your question.

I did preliminary interviews but I later realized the way I answer in the interview is very negative. I can't answer with a positive disposition and it makes me more frustrated how I fail one interview after the other.

Are these questions regarding your time off from work? Or is it underselling your ability?

The good part is that you are getting interviews. This means that employers think on paper you are good enough for the role. Take this as a positive.

Depending on where you live some places offer interview advice services? Perhaps you're a bit rusty with interviews and someone else giving some constructive criticism on your answers may help you somewhat. If you know you are framing things negatively, then it sounds like practicing interview techniques may help you in this regard.

In terms of the career change. Is it drastically different to what you do now? Would you need to go to college/university?

Finally - I have left jobs due to not being happy at them (obviously not as unhappy as you were) and have found a good job can do wonders for your mental state. I don't think anyone can answer if you are "ready" to go back to work, but trying and failing isn't the worst thing in the world.

If you went back to your current career and didn't like it, it would be fairly easy to explain once the time came to go for jobs in your new career. Don't be fazed by change. It's the hardest leap to make sometimes, but if you think it's right for you, then sometimes you just need to.

Answer 4

It's hard to get out of a downward spiral. It's easy to get more depressed the longer you don't have a job. And the more depressed you are, the less likely you are to land a job, due to this:

I can't answer with a positive disposition

And probably a lot of other factors, including lack of motivation and eventual deterioration of skills and abilities.

The only way to break the vicious cycle is to stop making negative associations with being unemployed, so you can get back enough self-esteem to pass one of the blasted interviews.