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MIDLIFE CAREER SHIFT BRINGS PROMISE
My First Career Appears To Be Dying
Now all I have to do is decide when to pull the plug
My career is on life support, waiting for me to make a choice. Do I keep trying to make a square peg fit into a round hole, or call it quits?
I think it’s time to pull the plug.
I used to support disabled adults and children who were often profoundly troubled. Admittedly, it used to thrill me to immerse myself in such an intense space. If you’re looking for a challenge, take a job in behavioral health, and you’ll find them in abundance.
Like many coworkers, I drank and used drugs to blur or block out the mental and emotional strain. Now that I’ve been sober for almost 21 years, the position is no longer a fit.
My clients, coworkers, and supervisors went too far one too many times. I saw the problem more clearly once I got sober, and recognized the need to set boundaries. I was no longer willing to work with anyone who might inflict verbal or physical violence on me or others around them. I no longer tolerated unreliable or mentally unstable behavior from coworkers.
That left out a lot of clients and companies.