Depression and grief
Hi, I'm very new to this app. I was diagnosed with RRMS February 2024, recently in the last month or so I have been really struggling. Within the past year I've had to stop full-time work, I used to be a veterinary nurse but the roles within animal care are so physically demanding and exhausting. For almost a year now I've been working part time in an office, something I've never done before. I don't love the work but it helps to pay bills. I've just found recently I'm not coping very well with life in general. I would like to try and go back to university but I'm scared I won't cope with it or if I have a relapse and it messes with course work/exams. I don't want to be stuck in a job I don't enjoy but the thought of studying to give me new opportunities is terrifying. Has anyone been through a similar experience or have any advice?
Hello Niam🙂 I think we all have our bouts with depression and grief. I just actually cried for the first time after 9 yrs with the MS. It was actually therapeutic. I have also been in Mental Health Therapy almost 2 yrs which helps with coping. If you have accesss to therapy I would highly recommend it. I am still working full time. But my job is hybrid. I work 2 days in office and 3 days at home. Would it be possible to find a remote job that you can do at home? And now days you can study remotely as well. I would do some research. Dont suffer alone. Being on an app like this is a great start. Stay encouraged ❤️🌹🙂
Hey @niamhbrown, This is going to be a long post but I hope it helps in a way. :) I’m so sorry for this and I’m sorry that you’ve had to stop a career you’ve worked so hard to get into and really enjoy. I’ve always wanted to work with animals as it sounds like an incredibly rewarding job! There is a grief that comes with this and I’d just say allow yourself to grieve this. I’m sure you’ve felt and or said this a number of times but I’ll just say it: it’s unfair that this is happening to you when you didn’t ask for any of this and you’re incredibly strong for still fighting to keep the lights on and put food on the table - even though it might not be what you enjoy - it takes a lot of courage to not stay down when life beats you down and here you are still pushing on to change your situation for the better by going back to school which is a terrifying decision in and of itself let alone with the burden of MS. So kudos to you for being so strong! While I haven’t had to stop working, I have had a fear of not being able to keep up due to the stress of my work with the long hours that trigger my fog and fatigue and I’ve been thinking of going back to school so I can get more mobility and possibly move into roles/positions that would allow my hours to be more flexible. For me I’ve thought about doing a part time masters so that I am not too overwhelmed and I can slowly change my schedule to based on the demands of life/MS/school etc. For your situation, if possible, maybe you could try taking up a part-time degree and see how you cope with that as a start? Most usually allow you to do them within a certain timeframe and you can adjust your course load based on your other commitments.