suitable jobs for people with cfs

[neil25]

I was just thinking if i don't go to uni what type of job I could take on. Ive studied in I.T but I know other people with cfs and they told me there find it very demanding to work in this field. Im considering doing something else i just don't know what. What type of jobs do others do on here? any suggestions? It's quite hard because I don't want a job which is either physically or mentally demanding more like something in the middle. I think having a job where i talk to people might help me.

[gu3vara]

I understand your point about IT, I'm a computer engineer, doing programming and IT architecture for a big electric company. Well I used to, before CFS hit me 4 years ago. I can't imagine working in that field until I get back some of my logic and concentration. It's way too hard on the brain. I have trouble reading a long post on the net!

I can't do any job atm but i'm confident I'll get back to IT some days. If the gupta programme and stuff don't work well enough, there is still the XMRV research that might end up being the ultimate cause of CFS, the WPI seems more confident than ever recently. I'm sure they reproduced the results of october on other patients.

Furthermore, some people are making fast progress on AZT (HIV drugs) on some other forums. We have many reasons to be hopeful, more than ever

Don't give up, it's already great that you can even think of doing job, you are ahead of me...!

[neil25]

I'm probably about the same as you, I can't really contemplate doing an I.T job because like you say the concentration on the brain is too heavy. Im just worried they won't find anything in the XMRV and will be at square one again. I've been using gupta over 6 months although it does help a little with my symptoms its no cure i still experience bad cfs. I just feel like im too sick to do anything but im also only 25 so i can't just stay at home all my life if you know what i mean.

[gu3vara]

Yeah, I know what it means to be disabled at such young age. It hit me at 24 y.o. Ive been able to keep on working for 2 years while feeling crappy at times until it hit me full force at 26.

I'm now 30 and I went from depressed and hopeless last fall to a more positive and happy (as much as possible) individual.


im fortunate to have a great insurance that never let me without money during that time. worrying about me certainly doesnt help to get better.

[Minaret]

Hard work is still seen by the majority of people to be an outward manifestation of good character and moral integrity! But Ive never ever really fitted in to the work ethic of a 9-5 job and especially not having to travel 3 hours back and fore to the work place. Or spending my lunchtime running errands for someone else, taking clients to lunch or just working more (and having to eat at the same time). Gandhi reckoned you should only work four hours a day for a living and then live within those means and I really like that philosophy, thats why I became a yoga teacher and eventually ran yoga holidays.

The 4-Hour Workweek is a new way of solving the energy problem: Dont plan to spend your life in a job you hate or that takes too much from you in terms of energy. but how can you 'work' to survive and at the same time prevent your life's from being all about work, work work?

Try reading : The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss (work less, enjoy life more) http://www.podtech.net/scobleshow/techn ... im-ferriss

or read
: Mukti Mitchell's article http://www.resurgence.org/magazine/arti ... arbon.html

[neil25]

I'm not so worried about not finding the right job more about survival. Without cash i'll be on the streets everything cost money but im too ill to work. sometimes i really hate life.

[starshine]

I'm new to the forum but not new to cfs. I can relate to what Neil is saying, and wondered if you did find any work Neil?
Are there any companies out there sympathetic to the needs of a person with cfs?

[Chronicfatiguetreatments]

Are there any companies out there sympathetic to the needs of a person with cfs?

One thing you can do if you need money is write articles for people that own websites. Look around at freelancer.com. It's pretty boring work, but i have a girl that writes 10 articles in 1 day for me for $70.
I don't think it would be good for the long term, but if you need some extra money, it might be something you can try.

[neil25]

thanks for reply. I'm still at uni i will hopefully finish in August if i graduate. I'm trying so hard right now working 6 hours a day of studying just to keep up. wish i could do more but its not physically possible. I'll think about a job after i graduate. The situation in the UK is so bad for CFS nobody believes you including doctors. Its very hard to get financial support so i can't rely on it. Its a lot of pressure on me just for survivial. I know many people in here have been fortunate to be on benefits and have the time to get better. I wish i had that but i just dont.

[Wynton]

Personally, I have found that the most difficult part of working/studying has been the schedule. I just never know how I'm going to be feeling hour to hour, and because of this arriving anywhere consistently on time (class or work) has just been so difficult.

Therefore for me the optimal job would be one where I could control my own schedule. I've got a pretty good gig going on right now: I've been volunteering at the local hospital about 3 days a week, and I pretty much come in whenever I want (usually 1-2pm), work for 3-4 hours, then go home. No need to worry if I don't feel well, I just stay home and work the next day. However this is unpaid and I recognize that the real world usually isn't so forgiving.

I just posted about Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabuiscit. As ChronicFatigueTreatments suggests, that sort of thing is nicely suited to someone with CFS, if you've got a knack for it: an author can work at their own pace and rest whenever they need to. The only thing is that it doesn't really involve other people. I agree with you Neil in that my optimal job would involve lots of interpersonal contact. This is something that I feel I simply don't get enough of due to CFS.

Anyway, I'd try to look for jobs where you are paid per unit of work (vs. per hour), which might give you the flexibility you need. Maybe you'd be writing reports or reading emails - you know, the kind of stuff that someone has to do but that isn't particularly time-sensitive. But, I would at least work on-site (vs. working from home.) There's something toxic about staying in the same place (home) all the time that commuting helps to remedy. Optimally you'd also be actively working with other people. But even if that isn't possible, then you'd still be getting in the car, entering a new environment, and at least seeing other people and chatting and such. (This is what my current job is like - it's data-entry so I work alone, but I take advantage of being around other people to chat and stuff)

BTW good luck with the uni studies!

[Chronicfatiguetreatments]

yeah, i would definitely recommend learning how to work on the internet. I dont think i could work otherwise.
Plus it gives me something to do during the day.

[neil25]

Hi guys thanks for your messages.

I am really struggling at the moment with my uni work. All i do is sleep or do uni work over and over not had time for anything else. It really takes it's toll and i'm in a lot of pain and fatigue most days but i'll never give up. I've already been looking at IT jobs that I've seen online.

My degree is more centred towards project management, systems analysis, or a consultancy job in I.T. I think I would prefer one of these as its more of a social job as you have to talk to a lot of people. I'm not much of a web developer myself did a bit of work in uni and on my work placement a couple of years ago.

I don't know whether to go straight into the deep end and work full time or go for part time. I suppose I never would have thought I could cope with going back to uni but i've somehow managed up till now and still maintained decent grades maybe not as gd as before though. A girl who i know who has cfs works in I.T he gave me some good advice and said it was hard at first but its all about a good routine including sleep he says he has to sleep super early some days after work but it keeps him functioning for the next day.

I really don't want to think too much about it and get my hopes up too much but I hope i can get a gd job after uni.

[Chronicfatiguetreatments]

yeah, i think you'll eventually figure out something you can do for work. It'll just take some time to find the right thing that fits you. But one thing i learned is that i have to stay busy. It makes it alot worse if your sick, and have nothing to do. Working is a good distraction for me.

[neil25]

Hi there,

Your totally right. The year I spent off doing nothing made me so depressed. Even though I really struggle at the moment with doing uni work i'm still a lot happier because i'm working towards something. Thats why I think work is so important but like you say you need to find something which is suitable for me and isn't going to land me in bed fo days on end. I think thats the best advice I can give anyone is to keep very busy as you think less about the pain and fatigue if u were doing nothing.

[zukeepurr]

I just found this site and haven't dug around much...saw your post and thought I could get some feedback.

I am really struggling at this time. I work at an office building entering data, which is great in theory and wages, but every day I get here and want to go right back home to bed.

My situation is part CFS - part depression, and right now I have no health insurance to get the treatment I need. I need the work to pay the bills, but I hate feeling this way every day.

I've gone over my work history and realized that every job I've had...I've had trouble putting in a full 40 hours a week due to my issues. I even worked from home as a medical transcriptionist but found it too hard to concentrate. The best thing about that job was the flexibility as to when I could work, which for me is best in the afternoon and evening hours. This job currently has me up and out the door at 7:30 a.m., which I think messes with my internal clock.

Any advice would be helpful. I'm feeling like I just want to throw in the towel, but I really need the job (which is a temporary one through an agency, due to end in June).

Thanks in advance.