Asking
Only logged in members can reply and interact with the post.
Join SimilarWorlds for FREE »

I need to rant and get advice

So I hate my job. I mean I hate the way my job makes me feel 85% percent of the time. I am a child protective social worker. I help parents get their kids back after they have been removed due to abuse or neglect. Or help them not get them back if they dont get it together. In theory it is great because I help families and help kids when their parents are too messed up. But mostly I do paperwork. It drains the life out of me. I would much rather spend and hour getting yelled at by a drugged out parent than type about it in 3 different forms. I have been trying to switch positions for several months but it hasn't worked out. Not only does it bum me out, but it triggers my mental health.

To complicate things, it pays really well (compared to other social work jobs I can get without a master's degrees). I am the sole financial provider for my family. So just up and quitting is not a great option. I just spent a couple hours searching for jobs, but what I can qualify for outside of my current employer would pay about half of what I make, but I would probably qualify for government help trying to feed a family of 4 on that income. Being a welfare mamma is so tempting at times, but I like having a house, and food, and cars.

My options are to try and go on stress leave again. I just need to speak to my doctor honestly of how i feel and they take me off work a few months (happens every 2 years or so, but i just returned from my last trip to the psych ward less than a year ago). Quit and hope for something better. Or just keep going and quit bitching
This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »
EuphoricTurtle · 41-45, M
Taking a job that pays HALF of what you earn right now is brutal no matter how much you make and obviously involves major life changes. However the extra money you make now does come at a cost, your mental health. I totally get what you said about liking having a house, and food and cars. And it's easy to quantify how much those things are worth.
How much is your mental health worth?
And taking that into consideration, how do those two salaries compare?
lost213 · 46-50, M
@EuphoricTurtle I agree.. money is nice to have. But not when it cost you your mental health. Which will eventually cost you your family.
MaliaAgain · 36-40, F
@EuphoricTurtle absolutely. I seriously decide to quit every two years after "this time it/I will be different" doesnt work out. I've done budgets to figure out what other positions I could demote to and still make a liveable wage, but those opportunities dont come up often. The only real splurge in our budget is the cable bill. We already have cheap cars, cheap phones, no going out or vacations. It's hardto downgrade even more. Basically I'm a few dollars above the poverty line. Enough to not qualify for any free stuff, but not enough to feel comfortable.