When to return to work? (A non-Lockdown based question)

In my last posts, I mentioned that I have been able to finish my degree, which is great but it was extremely hard going as you can imagine. now that I have achieved this, I have terrible self-imposed anxiety about returning to some kind of meaningful work. I loved my career pre-TBI and had a great lifestyle and work ethic. I have accepted the new me but struggle to make sound decisions and the whole gambit of other BI symptoms ie; poor memory, fatigue, confusion and lowered intelligence(?).

Today I see a vacancy that again would be my Healthy Self's perfect job as an Ecologist for a charity!, I am going to apply but need to have your opinion and experiences of returning to work;

a) when did you return to work?

b) was it the pre-BI Job or post BI perhaps lower-skilled job?

c) Was is it a good move or did you regret it?

d) does working actually improve your mental agility?

e) Did you have to concede and return to welfare?

f) what support did you get?

g) anything else you may feel pertinent to the question?

I do have a backup plan of going self-employed again and changing my career into a craftsman, which would give the needed flexibility and low stress but also low income.

Thanks for your time and support

[HungryHufflepuff]

Hello. I hesitate to reply because it seems I just end up talking about me. Is there any support in the UK. I quit my job two months ago, for lots of reasons, but in part because there was no allowance and no room for any health problems. Before I moved to the UK I was classed as disable d in the middle of three categories. This was because of my brain injury. I know there aren't the same classification s here. But now I have no support at all (I'm not in a wheelchair so I'm not disabled?!) I've lived and worked in the UK for six years now. But I feel there is no support at all, not in my place of work, or my physical health (everyone gets headaches?!) or practical matters or support in any way. I have managed all these years and my employer or my doctor or anyone might think, I've managed this long, what's the difference now? How can it be any harder today than yesterday? But I just can't cope anymore and I feel there is no support at all in any aspect of my life. And I took a lower skill job working in a supermarket. Working does make you more mentally agile I think, because you have to work really hard just to keep up. I hope you will be able to do the job you want. I was years before getting a job after my brain injury. Hoping it works out for you 🤞

[sospan]

If it was me and I really wanted the job this is what I would do:

Contact the head person in Human Resources department and explain your current situation and that you are interested in the role but are concerned about your limitations because of your TBI, Ask if it would be an issue applying, The answer will have to be "No" and just mention you are going to speak to the Job Centre to see what support is available to the Charity if they were to employ you. What you are doing is warming the charity to employing you and steering the future interview in you favour.

Contact your job centre and ask for an appointment with the Disability employment officer explain your current situation and the job you want. They will undertake an assessment on you and your Ecologist role and what support they can provide.

You will get an interview and by the time you have sat in the interview they will already know a lot about you. One interview trick is to always follow negatives with positives. This way the positives always outweigh the negatives. So when it comes to the appropriate part explain the negatives about yourself then follow this with the support available from the Jobcentre if they were to employ you and then follow up by what a great prospect you are even with some limitations

What you are trying to do is not only level the playing field but tilting it in your favour.

Hope it goes well for you.

[PinziA]

Hello there. Your post really tugged my heart strings! This is a really difficult time of your life.

My son has finally had to accept, after a five year struggle, that he is no longer employable. During this time, he not only went through hell, but actually made his condition worse because of all the stress he was under trying to keep up. The thing is, it’s the old you applying for the job, but you have to live with the new you. I still see my son describing himself on websites as having a first class degree and being an award winning architectural student, which he was, but is no longer, as he now can’t remember his date of birth, is prone to nodding off anywhere and has hypoglycaemic episodes and epileptic fits. I wouldn’t employ him and neither would anyone else. He has had employers call him stupid and accuse him of falsifying his qualifications. At the time neither his epilepsy nor brain damage had been diagnosed, so we didn’t know why he had suddenly turned into a different person. He was offered excellent roles based on his portfolio alone. Now he has accepted his situation and is pursuing a new career in illustration. He volunteers at a charity shop, simply as rehabilitation. He is thrilled that he can work the cash register. It proves that he is improving. It has been a heartbreaking decision and he still weeps over the hard work and struggle all seemingly wasted, but it has been a relief to find a new normal.

Had we known the situation then, as you do, we would have been able to communicate properly with employers. My advice to you is: be honest with yourself about your capabilities and ask “would I employ me?” Be upfront with employers about your situation. Accept that by applying to a normal job you will be competing with healthy people and therefore may put yourself under additional stress. How about temp work to see how you get on. Or try volunteering if you can afford it - also a good way to broaden your CV.

Good luck!

[Hidden in reply to PinziA]

Thank you so much for sharing your story and advise. I couldn't bring myself to even apply. anxeity is disabling! going to give it some time.