When Career Stress Feels Like a Mental Illness
“James” walked into my office and met with me for the first time. He talked about how he was having the following symptoms:
- Feeling sad or depressed for several weeks
- Unmotivated to go to work
- Reduced appetite
- Difficulty sleeping
- Lack of interest in leisure activities
At first I thought he was experiencing symptoms of depression, and he may have qualified for a traditional depression diagnosis. However, that clinical description fell short of his real issue.
To my surprise, the source of his disturbance was not something I would have initially guessed. In our ongoing conversations, I learned that several weeks ago he was assigned a new direct supervisor at work while also being assigned new job responsibilities. Both his new job responsibilities and his new supervisor were not good fits for him as a worker and as a person. This job adjustment was not a good match with his personality, his career goals, and his skills and abilities. He felt like the purpose in his work had been robbed. His work issues were the source of his depression.
Sometimes work or career stress can feel a lot like a mental illness.
Does James’ story resonate with you?
Are you feeling overly stressed or burdened by your job or career?
Do you feel depressed as a result of your work?
Are you considering a possible career change?
Career counseling can be helpful when dealing with career exploration and/or job stress, and I would be happy to help you. I provide career counseling services for those with career issues. Career counseling typically requires 5-6 sessions and can equip you with a greater knowledge of yourself, your specific career interests, your personality, your work preferences, and how these things fit with the world of work.
Please call the Summit Counseling Center at (678) 893-5300 to set up our first session. I look forward to meeting with you and exploring career options.