# what kind of careers are good for people with dp/dr?



## Guest (May 25, 2005)

what is your career? How does dp/dr and the associated mental confusion fit into it? I mean, theoretically, could you be a doctor if you really wanted to? What kinds of jobs would be good for someone with dp/dr?


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## Guest (May 25, 2005)

fighter pilot.

planes and dp go hand in hand. Just like drinking and driving.


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## falling_free (Nov 3, 2004)

I would think something like a computer job, possibly programming would be good for someone with dp. Maybe a job with more contact would be better though, to reduce the dp in some way.

I don't know though, I have relativilly little job experince.


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## dakotajo (Aug 10, 2004)

Ive always enjoyed the job of shoveling water uphill.


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## Guest (May 25, 2005)

Acting I would imagine.


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## vin (Mar 8, 2005)

hello, i'm an actor but i find stage work/theatre work harder than screen work because of the intense nature of it and the lights are usually a bad thing. with screen work i'm never working more than a few minutes at a time. however i've also developed a slight stage fright as i became dp straight after my last theatre tour but it was mainly to do with exhaustion combined with food poisoning. that was 6 months ago but i've managed to do screen work since even though my confidence has naturally been knocked somewhat.


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## mcsiegs (Apr 27, 2005)

You could definitely be a doctor, or any other career professional with DP. It's not a "disability" in my mind that would prevent a career. It would only prevent a career if you associate heavy anxiety with an aspect of what you would be doing (for example, if you are terrified of flying because your DR is 100x worse in the air, being a pilot or airline attendant would be a bad idea).

I am a software developer, and lately I think I am in this strictly for the pay. I would love to work outside. I like seeing immediate benefits to my work (for example, landscaping a yard).


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## avaya (Aug 31, 2004)

I find gardening and outdoor activities the most suitable.


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## Sojourner (May 21, 2005)

I'm a technical editor and writer, and while I'm in an anxiety attack (which is relatively new in my repertoire) I can't to anything but plan an escape, I find that mentally I'm sharper than I've ever been in my 58 years. I'm not really that old.

I freelance from home, so I don't have to fake being a normal person.

In the few minutes it took for me to post a little while ago, the Ativan started to work and I'm feeling better. I see people are reading my Claire Weekes post, but aren't saying anything about it.

Perhaps I wasn't clear, though: What bugs me is that people recommend that book to me as if what I have is treatable by psychological methodologies -- as if I could just "float" my way out of something that literally hit me over the head.

While I've had depression for a long time, it was only in 1999 or 2000 that I had a full-fledged anxiety attack -- and perhaps it wasn't even an anxiety attack at all but a normal reaction to impending violent death.

I live near Boston, and the Air Force did a flyover at Fenway Park at the All Stars Game that year (whichever year it was). Well, it was a hot July night, 82 degrees F., about 9 p.m. and all of a sudden I hear an airplane approaching and approaching and approaching and approaching and getting louder and louder and louder and louder and so loud that I knew it was crashing into my house. I knew there was no escape. When it did not crash, but passed overhead, hot exhaust from its engines entered my third-floor room as I sat there in terror, clutching the fork with which I had begun to nibble on a bit of grilled chicken. I went to the window, certain it had just missed the house. No plane. No crash. Silence, in fact. I totally broke apart in tears and felt the purest terror (even after I knew I was still alive) I had ever felt.

I called the police and they said many other people had called because they were frightened, also.

Since that date, I have had panic attacks of the most minor sort once every six months -- until about two months ago.

This latest problem came out of the blue, just as I started to not react to planes flying in and out of Logan! (I used to cry and run from the room when I heard a plane pass by, because they are fairly low here and something about the architecture of this house makes the sound very loud).

Anyway, thanks for listening.

Old Lady


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## Ben (Apr 21, 2005)

Well, I'm a sotware developer (a.k.a a programmer), and while I'm churning out code I don't think about the DP at all - it just falls out the other side of my head. However, whenever I look up from the compuer it's there waiting for me.

What job is the best? I don't know - I guess it depends more upon other factors too. I do like the fighter pilot suggestion though.


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## Da'Burgh (Apr 25, 2005)

Old Lady said:


> -- as if I could just "float" my way out of something that literally hit me over the head.


Old Lady, are you saying your organic problem came from a head trauma? Just making this clear.


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## Sojourner (May 21, 2005)

No, no head trauma. It just hit me the other day. While I have some stressors in my life (who doesn't?), I was not overly bothered by the problems I'm dealing with.

Actually, I had an attack on October 29, 2004 that scared me so much that I went to the emergency room. I don't know where it came from. Nothing specific happened. My doctor then gave me an emergency supply of Ativan, which is what they gave me at the hospital. I had 5 pills sitting there for six months or more.

Then two or three weeks ago I had an attack at my therapist's office. Since then it's been on and off. My doctor immediately said it's time to change the dose, so that's what we're doing. Tomorrow I'm going up to 150 because I had to take the Ativan tonight, which means that 100 mg isn't what my body wants right now.

It's odd to go from 25 to 150 like this, but now that I think about it, some of the things I was telling my therapist should have been red flags to her, but they weren't. I had been telling her that I was thinking of dying quite a bit each night before I fell asleep, and I would tell her that I felt disassociated from myself to a certain degree, like a third-party standing there and watching me. It was at the same time, an intense perception of my self -- but from both the inside and the outside.

For the past three weeks, I seem to be on a course of having panic attacks regularly. But the gradual increase (I actually spent 2 weeks on 50 and then 2 weeks or so on 75 and about five days on 100). My doctor says that once the body's basically used to the drug, one can tell within a few days if the dosage is going in the right direction. 100 mg seemed all right for a couple of days, but I gave it more time, and reluctantly concluded today that I have to go up to 150 mg.

No, no head injury, but legitimate terror from the Air Force flyover in Boston one summer (1998 or 2000). Anyone would have been terrorized by that, so it's hard to say that that was a panic attack. That was justified panic. But that's when I had my first panic-like symptoms.

What I experience now is much different, though.


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## peaceboy23 (May 25, 2005)

That's the shitty nature of panic attacks...the whole FDR thing, "All we have to fear is fear itself," is exactly our problem. It's the fear of the fear that is the very problem. It's weird, I just started getting bad panic attacks again, at work, actually. Then the DP/DR came along with it full fledged and it's really bad, the two tied together. I have worked at the same job for over two years (Grocery Store), and just one day i was walking down the aisle and WHOMP it hit me. Now i have problems going down the aisles at all, because of the recurring attacks. My manager has been really understanding so that's good, but work has become hell for me. I need to see my therapist, but i missed an appointment and now i'm afraid to go back, almost. And now i'm rambling. 
I think panic attacks and dp go hand in hand (I know, nothing new here), because you are constantly watching for the attacks, so you get distracted from yourself.
On the work area, I think jobs where you can get involved and really focus on something are good. The worst part of work for me is when i'm just standing around not really doing anything, and my thoughts start to go haywire. I find when i'm trying to fix something, or figure something out, it disappears for a while.


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## danny (Sep 2, 2004)

I would recommend a job that brings happiness to your life, whatever that be. Even with dp/dr we can should still atttempt to enjoy life to its fullest, getting a job you enjoy can definately be a step in the right direction. Thats why I'm off next week to NZ to do my snowboard instructors course, even if my dp affects my 'alone time', i can enjoy my day by doing a thoroughly enjoyable job.


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## Inflammed (Aug 10, 2004)

I'm an IT Technician, been doing that for a few years now, it good 'caus I need to concentrate mentally and physically at the same time so I don't think much about DP/DR.
I usually feel alot better at work than anyehere else...
I'm now making a career change to work more with people, being more surrunded, 'caus I feel even better when I interact with others.
Machines brings a kind of loneliness that noone should have.

Work is what kept me sane all those DP years, having a schedule and some tasks to do, somthing to attend to is bliss.

I'm even going to do some volunteering soon, it'll fill my evenings instead of worrying about DP at home alone and freaking out :shock:

Gonna get a dog too...taking care of someone (somthing) else is always good too.


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## Guest (May 27, 2005)

any job that you want to have

why do people purposly limit themselves? Its not like your cripple


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## agentcooper (Mar 10, 2005)

it would be very hard to have certain professions when you have a lot of derealization. its not that people are purposefully limiting themselves but when you look at someone or something, and you can't see through the terrifying haze, or when you are talking and your voice is thundering so loudly in your ears, it would be hard to be an air traffic controller (just an example). i don't about depersonalization since mine is mostly dr, but maybe it's easier to work when you are dped.


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## sming (May 7, 2005)

Ben said:


> Well, I'm a sotware developer (a.k.a a programmer), and while I'm churning out code I don't think about the DP at all - it just falls out the other side of my head. However, whenever I look up from the compuer it's there waiting for me.


I'm a code monkey too and also find that getting "in the zone" technically is as good a way as any at alleviating DR. However, sitting under bright fluorescent lighting in dark weather with not a great deal to do like this week, has pretty much been hell 



SoulBrotha said:


> any job that you want to have
> why do people purposly limit themselves? Its not like your cripple


What a poorly observed comment. Mental illness can be just as crippling as physical illness, if it's severe enough. However I think it's true that no matter how poor your quality of life, you should try and fill it with things you enjoy on the off chance that you can actually enjoy them.


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## Guest (May 27, 2005)

sming said:


> Ben said:
> 
> 
> > Well, I'm a sotware developer (a.k.a a programmer), and while I'm churning out code I don't think about the DP at all - it just falls out the other side of my head. However, whenever I look up from the compuer it's there waiting for me.
> ...


lol

yeah maybe if your schizophrenic or something of that nature.

You gotta make yourself strong


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## Guest (May 27, 2005)

SoulBrotha said:


> any job that you want to have
> 
> why do people purposly limit themselves? Its not like your cripple


I respect that view. And there is truth to that. You should never limit yourself, you know? no matter what your situation is. I use to have that mentality, and missed out A LOT. Thank god I was able to realize that and get out of thinking. I was looking at the career thing, like by having dp/dr you developed strengths that can actually benefit you. I know as a result of dp/dr, my creativity has become stronger. :idea:


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## Guest (May 28, 2005)

jophe said:


> SoulBrotha said:
> 
> 
> > any job that you want to have
> ...


my point exactly


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## bat (Aug 18, 2004)

inflammed

getting a dog is a really good idea.

jobwise

anything that keeps your mind occupied, involves interaction with people or animals and has a limited amount of stress should be a good thing if your dp/dr is manageable.


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## Tom Servo (Sep 19, 2005)

1. Night-shift package sorter at UPS
2. Cashier at Wal-mart, Toys-R-Us, Fry's Electronics
3. Hospital orderly 
4. Waiter/waitress at Chucky Cheese


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## Luka (Aug 30, 2005)

I think it depends on a lot of factors:
- How severe is your DP/DR? 
- What do you like?
- What can you handle?
etc.
I guess it's pretty subjective.

I'm studying philosophy (masters) and it made my DP/DR worse (all those weird questions!) but I _wanted_ to be a philosopher and so I kept on studying. It was worthwhile.

Before philosophy I studied history and stood in front of several classes. I didn't like that at all, it gave me stress and my DP/DR got worse. I did finish my study alternatively (thanks to my psychiatrist).

The perfect job for me is a job in which I feel save, let me do things alone _and_ with others ( I need both), doesn't contain too much stress and where I can easily have a bad day/week.


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## peacedove (Aug 15, 2004)

Fast paced jobs where you don't have time to think... warehouse assembly line kinda jobs.

Although I do agree you shouldn't limit yourself. I want to run my own business, but I need money to do that so I doubt it'll ever happen. Right now I make enough just to get by. There's never anything to save.


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