How do you juggle life and a job?

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I'm nearing 30 and have never really held a job. I'm on disability due to emotional issues mainly Bipolar 2 but fairly recently got an AS diagnosis but sadly may lose my disability. I held a job for 3 months before this part time at Mcdonald's and it wore me out physically and emotionally so I'd come home and go to sleep. I only worked 2-3 days a week and that was too much. Sorry me and everyone with Autism here etc. but it takes a FULL TIME 8 hrs. 7 day a week job TO MAKE A LIVING!! !! !! Meltdowns BE DAMN! Depression crying OH WELL! SUCK IT UP!

I read horror stories here and other Autism sites of masking it to function then breaking down meltdowns even suicide risks OMG! I don't WANT to mask it and then try to commit suicide! Part time again probably not an option if I lose my disability YOU NEED A FULL TIME 8 HR. 7 DAY A WEEK JOB TO MAKE ENDS MEET!

Most sites also mention a "day or two" to recharge are batteries UH! YOU sometimes aren't or CAN'T get that working 7 days 8hrs. a day FULL TIME!! !

I'm so scared that disability won't go through and I'll have to get a job. I have a criminal justice degree but also worry the "social aspect" At Mcdonald's I'd jump on an employee and something called sexual harassment got brought up and nearly got fired (held the job 3 months then quit). Also I was suspended from college in 2005 for jokingly threatening a professor. So I do social acts and say social things that ARE NOT SOCIALLY APPROPRIATE! UH THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE A "SOCIAL THERAPIST" AT YOUR JOB TO TEACH YOU SOCIAL RIGHT/WRONG! So try NOT to get FIRED!! ! DAMN IT!

I might not find a definitive yes/no on disability for 6 months or maybe it'll be less/more but I'm so scared to have to hold down an 8 hrs. a day 7 day a week job without a recharge. IMO I'd be suicide risk as many sites point out or home sleep tired get up work tomorrow. Not to mention the tired sleep work = no time for family gatherings Birthdays etc. or your hobbies of video games.

Please help! What did you do for a job etc. Also I don't get the tech Aspie computer stuff. I surf the web and check email that's IT! I got a CJ (criminal justice) degree due to serial killer drama shows then got some certificate "Here you learned all that s**t" YA!

Working at MD is exhausting for the overload of sensory issues and the exigency of fast routines, so maybe consider work in a less stressing setting, where you're, mostly, alone; nightshifts, truckdriving, deliveries, gardening or repairing services.
When you have no family or loans it must be possible to live on less, try find out what you really need and want in life, and give up on the unneccesairy, an better explanation here: http://www.becomingminimalist.com/sample-living-with-less/ http://bemorewithless.com/begin/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_park
Can you get to an industrial park? Good place to go to look for jobs with minimal social contact.

I worked at McDonald's in high school and did fine with it. If it's not the type of job for you, then as someone else already suggested, seek something with minimal social contact. Maybe you'd be suited to warehouse or factory work?

Also, you have 6 months to continue collecting disability. Are you also allowed to work part time while on disability w/o losing any money? If so, do that. Work part time. Save ALL of the money you can so that you don't have as much financial pressure on yourself IF disability gets cut off.

As for full time work, full time is considered 40 hours/week - that's 8h/day, 5 days a week.. which leaves you the rest of the time each day to do whatever you like + two full days off. You don't Need to work 7 days a week. Most people work 5.

What sort of jobs are you qualified for with your CJ degree? Perhaps you could get a desk job? Work for a lawyer or a police department?

Of course it depends on what you'd like to do all day and what types of jobs are available to you in your area.

It's not all that hard...depending on where you work.

I really need a set schedule and routine. I plan my "me" time around that. Jobs that expect me to be available whenever they need me tend to pose problems.

I also have very little in terms of a personal life, so they often don't conflict.

A moderate walk to work--say 20 or 30 minutes, can be an excellent way to get exercise and recharge from the stresses of daily life.

I work as a cashier at a retail store and I never thought I would do good at it. I am very quick at scanning items and I do OK counting the change to give back to the customer. The hard part of course is making conversation. Anyways I work part time so I do have enough time to juggle life between sleep and work. Now if I was fuill time I ndont know what would happen.

You can always find time. For two months straight, I worked two jobs at 80 hours a week. I would have some downtime Saturday and Sunday night and Tuesday and Wednesday morning as one job I had was very early while the other one started much later on in the day. So for me, I have now dropped down to 45 hours and have only one job now and I can't believe how much downtime I have. I have two days a week off and I'm usually finished with my job between 2-4 in the afternoon so I have the rest of the day. In the end, you just need to find a job with a schedule that fits you best. Do you want a job where you have to go in early but can get out early or would you rather have a job start at night where you can sleep in and start later in the day but will have to work all night? It's about about finding that perfect work balance and just about any full-time job will give you two days off. If you would rather work part-time, then you will have plenty of free time, believe me.

Some jobs you can get with your degree may suit you: Forensic science technician, US postal inspector, security guard (work by yourself usually or in teams but you're split up to watch different parts of the building), and fish and game warden (not most ideal since you will have to confront illegal hunters, although rarely). Those jobs I found googling your degree.

McDonald's, IMHO, is the worst job anyone can get, Aspie or not. There is a reason people are highly social there it's because they can't stand the work. If you find you don't mind that type of work there are prep cook positions at restaurants that have you doing routine tasks and the noise of the kitchen is more of a white noise due to fans and equipment, etc. IF you're prepping people leave you alone, you probably only work with 1 or 2 other people.

My job will soon be overnight baking, which is completely perfect for me, provided I'm able to sleep during the day at my current apartment (new as of February so who knows).

It's scary about possibly losing your benefits, hang in there and make sure you're following through with everything.

Also no one works 7 days a week!? For full-time you work 8 hours a day for 5 days a week = 40. Most jobs at least in the US paying $10/hr or more would give you what you get in benefits in only 2 weeks of work, so not only can you afford more stuff but you can also work a bit less, like I work 30-35 hours and it suits me.

When I get home from work I usually do like maybe 30 minutes to an hour of housework which includes making dinner, then I play World of Warcraft for 3 or 4 hours then watch a movie and go to sleep. So yeah my social life is nonexistent but I don't care. Family knows that they see me once or twice a year and my parents usually make the effort to arrange visits which they seem to have gotten used to. Totally not IDEAL though it is working for everyone so far.

How you are suppose to do the job may be more important than what you actually do.

And, everyone responds differently to work stress.

For example, a factory might be too noisy for some Aspies but ideal for others. Might cause meltdowns due to the noise and bright lights. Some might love the fact that is is too loud for normal social interaction.

Repetition and boredom is another issue.

So is creativity versus following precise instructions.

You may need to seek out the best work environment for your needs.

I second that. There are tonnes of jobs in industrial parks for Aspies/Auties! I worked as a shipper/receiver and it was excellent, especially meeting all the other 50+ people who did my position at other businesses. VERY Aspie-friendly culture in industrial parks and would love to go back if the $$ wasn't so relatively low.

This. I really enjoy industrial parks. I've worked several different roles at companies in areas like this, from basic labour to "Project Engineer." I actually really like the work environment as well as the environment around industrial parks - big trucks, trains, machines etc. I suppose it doesn't hurt that I'm recognized by ASTTBC as an "Industrial Engineering Technologist" w/ the educational background that I have - so industrial stuff is sort of in my blood a little.

I also just wanted to point out that not all jobs in industrial parks are relatively low paying. Sure, most of the ones I did wer and I definitely had to look on the bright side of them being a paid workout vs. a sh***y paying job. But there are some quite lucrative roles to be had in places like this if you have the skills/knowledge/patience etc - ie Millwrights can earn well over $100K/year at printing plants & factories etc. I worked with several (in a different, lower paying role) that were making $120-180K/year repairing and maintaining printing presses.