Welcome to Gaia! ::

This is a bit embarrassing, but I could use some advice.

I've never really been able to keep it together enough to keep a job for over a year. And I really need to... I've tried all sorts of things, including counselling and books. But I remain a pretty shaky prospect.

Mostly, I get freaked out when people smile at me too much. I don't trust them. I just want to get my work finished and go home. I don't drink or smoke or chase women (or men, for that matter) so it's not caused by normal negative social influences.
And that's one of the reasons I get nervous when people smile at me too much at work, that's usually what they want to suggest (or something religious or political.)

In the past, therapy has helped a little, but if you can't keep a job, then affording mental counselling is often more difficult than a single person can handle.

Does anyone have any techniques or ideas that might help? Please, don't just say "grow up," I've being trying to do that for years and it hasn't clicked yet. Also, does anyone have any ideas for jobs for people who are more than a tid bit skittish?

Hey! Thanks for the reply. That's very kind of you.

As for experience, I gotta say... er... none. I haven't ever been able to keep a job long enough to build up any experience.

I have worked as a library clerk, a mental health technician, a driver, a sales clerk, a phone bank customer service rep, a groundskeeper, a bartender, a houseman, a transcriptionist, an administrative assistant, a data entry clerk, an intake technician at DHS, a dishwasher, a bus driver, a web designer and a copy editor, but, like I said, never more than a year in any one place.

I liked the library clerk stuff and the driving.
And I kind of liked the counselling aspect of the mental health tech work, but nurses scare the pants off me.

I haven't looked to much into this one, but I think a night building security or something like that might have minimal interaction. When I'm around people that make me uncomfortable I try to zone out the place the best I can, like focusing hard on a task.

I'm not sure if I'm real clear today, so I'm sorry if this post is jumbled

Truck Driving might be for you? i mean pretty much you sit alone in your truck, cussing at other drivers as they cut you off and you drive from place to place. the only interactions are, paper work, talking to your boss and co-workers. and all that jazz. biggrin