Bit of a ramble following another shutdown...

random said:

I would be interested to hear how you experience your shutdown at work. I have looked for further information on the internet, and can relate a lot to what they describe, so am wondering if autistic shutdown is playing a role with me. I am a 50+ year old male diagnosed with Asperger.

Consider also perhaps the following information about experiencing shutdowns, via this link:

https://everydayaspie.wordpress.com/2017/02/05/574/

I find it a very befitting description indeed ~ although I have learnt to feel rather than to think thoughts, and do not as such do inner dialogue any more, unless it is conducive to do so ~ such as with writing.

Hi,

A lot on this thread resonates with me and first time I have heard about autistic shutdown. I have been off work before christmas too, and having problems with work, fearing I will lose my job. Work appear to be very supportive, but I get the feeling this is just a thin veil. I would be interested to hear how you experience your shutdown at work. I have looked for further information on the internet, and can relate a lot to what they describe, so am wondering if autistic shutdown is playing a role with me. I am a 50+ year old male diagnosed with Asperger.

I am reaching out for support, with a social worker, and a psychologist; the help I have tried appears very good on the surface, but again feels like it is thinly veil, almost ghost like. I don't have a mortgage, but have housing problems, my landlord wants me to move out as they want to significantly increase rent. Problem is my rent is low, so I have no options locally, and moving I am waiting to see a care co-ordinator, but don't know  if she will be able to do anything.

I should have access to a mental health nurse and a mental health support worker, I did have access to a mental health nurse when I was was with the diagnostic team and she was an immense help. I struggle with anxiety & depression, I have got increasingly angry about things at work. comments at work have been worrying "is work the best place for you ?" from a senior manager, "when you're at work should keep your personal problems outside work hours" from my line manager; "you don't have any problems communicating" 

Random

Thanks for your contribution everyone as you have helped me with some really useful information, as well as helped me to put things into perspective.  I have been offline for a few days just to get my head together, but the recommendations on apps, biorhythms etc. are all things I am exploring to help me understand what is happening better.  Sadly, I am not good at recognising my emotions, so this is something that needs more time and practice.

I am now trying to be more positive and I have taken some active steps to address things at work as well as they haven't honored some items that they said they would follow-up on.  I think I have realised how bad I actually was last week in general before the shutdown, and I am still feeling fragile in some ways now, but trying to handle it better.  (sensory sensitivity becomes more of an issue following a shutdown)

My brain is a bit mashed following work so I am going to keep it at that now to save mindless ramblings that don't make sense to anyone.

P.S. Check perhaps also the following thread on this site via this link:

http://community.autism.org.uk/f/adults-on-the-autistic-spectrum/11277/hi-i-m-new-here-does-anyone-relate-to-what-i-am-sharing-in-this-thread/58213#58213

If you have any questions, feel entirely free to ask them.

Have a good one, and many many more.

Starbuck said:

Deepthought said:

What are the warning signs that you are going into a shut-down ~ or else what do you notice about having them?

and:

Starbuck said:

This is something I am currently trying to document as the last time I had shutdowns this frequently was probably 8 or more years ago.  

My partner has noticed I get more agitated, pace and I struggle with sleep.

The 'agitated' thing is a result of hypertension, and the more hypertensive we get ~ the more agitated we become.

Learning to sense the hypertension more and the agitation less is key here ~ in the sense of feeling it rather than so much thinking about it, as thinking about it can only really be productive once we actually have an organised sense of what we are thinking about.

Feel the hypertension through emotionally and physically, and at other times, think it through or also let the thoughts come through more calmly, when more relaxed.

At high levels of hypertension, with agitation, frustration and all that, thinking doesn't involve thinking as such, in the sense that there is little going on that could be described as being rationally and sentimentally balanced (or conducive) thinking.

Instead, we get rather more what I refer to as 'thought-tracking' ~ which involves following reproductive and metabolic compulsions or impulses to do external things in order to survive; rather than doing internal things (i.e. just sensing and gently-deeply breathing our inner tensions through, which bit by bit processes and ameliorates them) in order to thrive ~ in terms of better thinking (and in bed sleeping ~ or if not resting).

Starbuck said:

My partner has noticed I get more agitated, pace and I struggle with sleep.  Days before I also get a bad whirring tinnitus in my left ear and space out quite a bit.  In fact a colleague said I was looking 'glassy eyed' a lot. 

In order to process the sensory data overload report that tinnitus is, do not listen to it directly itself, as it is a system bypass, such as a person telling you what someone else is unable to tell you because they are otherwise engaged, or compromised. Listen instead to the comparative quietness that is not the tinnitus and feel it, sense it, whilst gently and deeply breathing, as if your bladder and womb are you lungs, and your heart is your mouth.

Practice this perhaps whilst going to sleep, and after waking up before you actually get up in the morning. Doing this regularly or even consistently allows it (eventually once developed) to happen automatically when you start getting too tired and start shutting down, so that you can take appropriate action such as taking a break and so fourth ~ before things get beyond your remit.

Starbuck said:

I find processing and managing my thought patterns becomes very problematic as well.  Normally I am aware of catastrophic or anxious thoughts getting out of hand and I can manage them, but before a shutdown they go on overdrive and are too fast coming and intense to manage - hence my anxiety goes through the roof.

Like the tinnitus, these are warning signs to feel, to breath, and take a break or slow right down before you actually shut down. 

With the thought patterns ~ learn to pay attention to them more and process them less, as they need not to be managed so much, but rather more governed with either red lights, amber lights or green lights as cars are at road junctions. If you process or get too involved with them, they are in each case taken off line and back-ups come on line anyway, hence being left with a multitudinous deluge of them during anxiety and shut-downs ~ as being internally derived and personally driven stimulus.

Starbuck said:

I will log these for future reference, but the one item I am struggling to recognise is the level or stress I can handle as this does seem to vary.  Some days I can handle situations, whereas other days I am ready to breakdown over the most stupid insignificant thing, that even my partner questions what the hell is going on.  The scale of tolerance seems to shift like a barometer, so there are obviously influences at play, I just haven't figured out what they are or how severe they impact on things.

Try perhaps this link:

http://www.biorhythm-calculator.net/

Starbuck said:

I'm not sure if I have seizures like you experience.  The battered mind probably describes it better as I normally become despondent and withdraw from a situation.  I become non-verbal and my limbs become stiff and heavy, to the point I can't move in some cases.  I have had instances where my hands will twitch or shake, but I wouldn't class that as a seizure.  The whole thing leaves me incredibly exhausted for days and I know I am more susceptible to more following having one. I find my memory is awful afterwards as well and I stammer some of my words.

It sounds more like you are experiencing post traumatic shock symptoms more than seizures as such, perhaps, what with exhaustion, twitching, confusion and communication glitches  ~ which is pretty normal after being temporarily shocked or stunned by an overload session. My memory is awful afterwards as well, and I lose a lot of words and find I only have similar words or indirectly relevant words available, and stammering used to be a problem also, but I can adjust for that now as I recognise it as its about to happen.

Starbuck said:

I haven't had them this bad for 8 years or more now so something has set them off, but it has now been going on for 2 years and they are getting worse and more frequent so I would like to gain better control of them.

Might just perhaps the prelude and the aftermath of being diagnosed be a centre point for this two year getting worse thing, maybe?

In my case I was really really whacked for a similar duration of time, only a bit longer, but I was really really prepared for it (as I started studying psychology at the beginning of the nineties) ~ although I did have some of my worst 'mind-mucking' seizures ever and lost several months of memory. I even had a few body-bucklers as well!

Normally, most people whack-out to some extend for about a year or so (12 to 15 months) on a life-changer like a substantial diagnosis or bereavements etc, and although things might be a little tentative for a couple of years after the first, most people adjust relatively well as they suss it out singularly themselves, or collectively with others, such as we do and are doing here.

Starbuck said:

If you find you are struggling to manage them or you feel one building up, how to you tackle them?

Well as already  alluded to I have a set weekly activity schedule, with Thursday to Saturday being my busier days, and then Sunday to Wednesday being my least to more busier days. Things get scrubbed off the schedule when necessary, although it does get proper messed up during seasonal changes, but I have it completely habituated and hold to it relatively well, all things considered.

But as for 'tackling' them, absolutely and completely and utterly butterly not ~ long range missiles, bombers, jet-fighters, drones, sniper-rifles, mines or traps only!!! Avoid 'em at every opportunity and all costs. 

Starbuck said:

Do you rest or preoccupy yourself with your interests?

More seriously though, to recover from shut downs I watch DVD's of things that lift my spirits in whatever way, i.e. sci-fi to comedy etc, and just completely distract myself from feeling all big and confused, depressed, demoralised and all that state of affairs.

Conferring with others who are similarly experienced or qualified as such, helps too, such as you are finding, and a good bit of transcendental meditation to surf the proverbial smelly stuff rather than drown in it.

On the topic of transcendental meditation, and the tinnitus thing, if everything is starting to build up, and if you have some 'ear-bud' headphones ~ there are modulation frequency sounds (from single pitches, natural sounds to music) that you can listen to, and even interact with by gently humming if you fancy, in order to harmonise your psychologies, calm them down and get them all big and organised again (given a bit of time), via the following link:

https://mynoise.net/noiseMachines.php

Starbuck said:

Yes this post may have seemed like I was being over the top and I probably was, but when I hit these stages, my mind stays in fight or flight for some time.  It's only now after having some sleep, I feel in a better state to analyse what happened.  Prior to that, it's most likely a wasted effort, but I feel I desperately need help as I am so on edge at that moment in time.

I so know what you mean, but not in the sense of being over the top, as this is hefty stuff and needs must. I completely respect and utterly appreciate what you are going through ~ I've been dealing with this stuff myself for a few years short of five decades now, so I know where you're coming from on this and how hard it is.

Remember to respect your weaknesses and honour your strengths, and although analysis during crisis is sketchy, you were wise to seek council, and it seems you have found out some very useful information regarding your situation from the other replies.

You have done a service not only for yourself, but for others too who can also learn from our shared experiences and knowledge. Yay you and everyone else too, Yay! 

Starbuck said:

I know shutdowns can't kill me or harm me, they just knock me about and screw me up for a few days.  My concern lies with their growing frequency and the impact it is having on my life and work.  I am always exhausted so struggle or can't do the things I love and I spend all my time recovering so I can be ready for work again.  It's a viscous cycle that I need to break and work are now concerned that I have had time off and can't seem to make it through a full week.  So in essence, my worry is driven from my employer in one sense and my lack of well-being from not being able to do the things I love as a result of the exhaustion.

Resist, resist and resist worrying about anything at the moment, as you need by far more to be resting and recovering your energy in the present time in the current place ~ keep well away from contemplating anything to do with the future, as stressing about that is a waste of energy that you do not currently have to use elsewhere.

Keep your attention on you as you are and where you are ~ fullus stoppuss maximuss.

This is so so very important, for the love of life and all that you hold dear, keep your attention in the present where you are, physically, and as such rest and recuperate, and once you feel rested and recuperated, rest and recuperate some more.

Do not be fooled by a primary recovery as being a full recovery, you are in energetic debt and the interest payments must be met too.

Getting caught up in stressing about not being able to do this or that is not respecting your weaknesses, but wasting energy, and not as such honouring your strengths restricts your capacity to hold and store energy also. Set aside that malarkey right now perhaps, and respect your weaknesses and honour your strengths by looking after you without distraction, or deviation, and as such rest up buttercup!

Starbuck said:

I'll continue to log the signs and see if I can then take a step back further to see what might have led to that symptom being triggered, prior to a shutdown.  

Definitely a good use of energy, well worth the expenditure on that one!

Starbuck said:

Thanks for you help on the matter.

I am glad to have been of some service, and you are entirely welcome.

Very kind of you to say such a thing, but I am merely standing on the shoulders of giants.

DongFeng5 said:

The basic problem here is a huge western cultural fallacy that "everyone busy working as hard as they can" equates to "maximum efficiency".

It would take the following to fix this:

1) enlightened individual diverts a % of total budget to deal with important but less urgent cases, so that they are dealt with earlier, whilst they are cheaper to fix. This requires faith that this is the right thing to do IN THE LONG TERM.

2) spend the rest on fire-fighting as usual

3) over time, the number of urgent cases should come down, if the % being diverted to a preventative approach is high enough.

I did have an urge to cover this topic myself, but I tend to go into heinous detail when I do, so I thought best not, and you have rounded and summed it up a total treat, nice one!

Total bonus factor ten.

Thank you for the valuable post Trainspotter.  I struggle with all the difficulties you list above, with certain social situations, change of routine, noise disruption and fixation being the biggest factors.  I have spent many years perfecting my social interaction and working on my body language to the point I can pass as being a quirky NT, but it does take it's toll on me.

I have seen Occupational Health twice now through work, and little has come of it if I am honest.  I also found the first meeting was slightly insulting as I was told I don't look or act autistic, so your suggestion to get in touch with Access to Work is a valid point and something I am looking into.  The information you have provided will be invaluable and I am going to spend some time reading through it all in detail.  Work have accepted that I have issues, but they only recognise it so far as the shutdowns as they are very 'real' for my colleagues in that they can see and experience that first hand.  The other challenges that I battle with daily are my battles and mine alone, so hard to explain and get others to understand - especially as I am useless at explaining such things verbally.

I'm fortunate in that I haven't had a serious meltdown for about 8 years now.  I can feel them brewing, but have become better at controlling them and realising when I need to step back and calm myself.  Just need to do the same with the shutdowns now as originally, shutdowns would manifest following a meltdown or would occur a short while afterwards.

Again thank you for the information - you clearly know your stuff!

I suspect they do realise, but are told to manage with a budget which is smaller than they would like.

That state of affairs forces them to enact triage, which predictably means they prioritise the most urgent and serious cases... which of course leads to a fire-fighting spiral, and increases the total amount of money required.

The basic problem here is a huge western cultural fallacy that "everyone busy working as hard as they can" equates to "maximum efficiency".

It would take the following to fix this:

1) enlightened individual diverts a % of total budget to deal with important but less urgent cases, so that they are dealt with earlier, whilst they are cheaper to fix. This requires faith that this is the right thing to do IN THE LONG TERM.

2) spend the rest on fire-fighting as usual

3) over time, the number of urgent cases should come down, if the % being diverted to a preventative approach is high enough.

Problem:

One urgent case does not receive the timely resolution it deserves, because some funds were diverted to preventative measures. The media and politicians latch on to the scandal, and insist that Something Must Be Done.

People Who Know Best insist that the enlightened individual dedicate all available funds to fire-fighting so that scandals are avoided (humanity in general is too stupid to realise that the very existence of fire fighting is itself a scandal). At least with fire-fighting, People Who Know Best can respond to any criticism by retorting that all funds are allocated to the most deserving cases...(!)

The problem with having to prove your disability is covered under the equality act is that it is something that you have to focus on the negative parts of your disability.  What you find difficulty with, not what you can do.  And these problems have to be 'substantial'. 

However, how they define 'substantial' may not be how you would define it.  You will probably have some substantial problems that you can think of straight away - such as do you suffer from social communication problems?  Do you have communication issues even if only when stressed?  Do you suffer from anxiety?  Is your mind sometimes in such a position that you concentrate on one thing and forget everything else?  Are you easily distracted by extraneous noise or smells?  Are you easily misunderstood and do you misunderstand others?  Have you thought you were doing something someone wanted you to do and then questioned for not doing what they meant, they thought you were being deliberately obtuse? 

Even things like so-called 'body language' put you at a disadvantage since if your 'body language' does not conform you will be misunderstood.  Do you have meltdown and shutdown (you have already suggested you do).  Meltdown and shutdown is something someone autistic has very little control over, someone neurotypical has a lot of control over it. 

Do you like doing things in the same way, like having a routine and get upset when this routine is disrupted?  Do you have problems picking up where you left off if interrupted?  Some of these things you only have to say you are affected, you do not have to provide proof. 

Your employer may refer you to your occupational health service for advice, in which case take any information you have about your autism with you, your diagnosis report, and preferably someone who can give you support.  My experience of occupational health services is they are not good and don't really understand autism.  Which is why you should contact Access to Work, they will support your side, occupational health is to support the employer.

There are two useful publications, one from the TUC and one from Unison.  The links are:

Proving disability and reasonable adjustments in the workplace.

Autism in the Workplace

Make sure you read the first part of the Proving disability document, not just the section on autism within it.  There are several relevant parts there that will provide guidance for you.  Of course, if you are a member of a Trade Union you can also seek their help (I am, by the way, a trade union representative).

Regarding workplace support, Access to Work will try to find this for you if you cannot find a local support group yourself, I know one of the companies who do the assessment for Access to Work use Remploy in the absence of other services,  but I don't know what expertise Remploy have in this or whether Remploy subcontract to another service or independent specialist counsellors for support with autism in workplace situations.  But something will be available to you.

Deepthought said:

What are the warning signs that you are going into a shut-down ~ or else what do you notice about having them?

This is something I am currently trying to document as the last time I had shutdowns this frequently was probably 8 or more years ago.  

My partner has noticed I get more agitated, pace and I struggle with sleep.  Days before I also get a bad whirring tinnitus in my left ear and space out quite a bit.  In fact a colleague said I was looking 'glassy eyed' a lot.  I find processing and managing my thought patterns becomes very problematic as well.  Normally I am aware of catastrophic or anxious thoughts getting out of hand and I can manage them, but before a shutdown they go on overdrive and are too fast coming and intense to manage - hence my anxiety goes through the roof.

I will log these for future reference, but the one item I am struggling to recognise is the level or stress I can handle as this does seem to vary.  Some days I can handle situations, whereas other days I am ready to breakdown over the most stupid insignificant thing, that even my partner questions what the hell is going on.  The scale of tolerance seems to shift like a barometer, so there are obviously influences at play, I just haven't figured out what they are or how severe they impact on things.

Deepthought said:

I had to Learn how to recognise and deal with them at progressively earlier stages; as shut-downs for me often involve having seizures too, and reducing the causalities and extents of the shuts-downs ~ has reduced the intensity of the seizures, over the decades. I used to have the full on body bucklers but now I just have the mind muckers, so a vast improvement  from getting a battered mind 'and' a battered body.

I'm not sure if I have seizures like you experience.  The battered mind probably describes it better as I normally become despondent and withdraw from a situation.  I become non-verbal and my limbs become stiff and heavy, to the point I can't move in some cases.  I have had instances where my hands will twitch or shake, but I wouldn't class that as a seizure.  The whole thing leaves me incredibly exhausted for days and I know I am more susceptible to more following having one. I find my memory is awful afterwards as well and I stammer some of my words.

Deepthought said:

Not always successfully mind you, but I have got a general routine on the go and I am working it sort of more than it is working me these days. Yay!

That's reassuring to know as as I have mentioned previously, I haven't had them this bad for 8 years or more now so something has set them off, but it has now been going on for 2 years and they are getting worse and more frequent so I would like to gain better control of them.  If you find you are struggling to manage them or you feel one building up, how to you tackle them?  Do you rest or preoccupy yourself with your interests?

Deepthought said:

May I suggest getting all Stoic and matter-of-fact 'factor ten' about it all as 'soon' as possible?

Resist and resist and resist worrying about things related to having shutdowns, resist worrying about them as much as possible as it is more effective and less draining in the long term, and involves less intense shut downs. So rather than worrying about them, be concerned about them instead, and get more to observe and pay attention to the particularities involved with when they are coming on and better as such managing them.

Yes this post may have seemed like I was being over the top and I probably was, but when I hit these stages, my mind stays in fight or flight for some time.  It's only now after having some sleep, I feel in a better state to analyse what happened.  Prior to that, it's most likely a wasted effort, but I feel I desperately need help as I am so on edge at that moment in time.

I know shutdowns can't kill me or harm me, they just knock me about and screw me up for a few days.  My concern lies with their growing frequency and the impact it is having on my life and work.  I am always exhausted so struggle or can't do the things I love and I spend all my time recovering so I can be ready for work again.  It's a viscous cycle that I need to break and work are now concerned that I have had time off and can't seem to make it through a full week.  So in essence, my worry is driven from my employer in one sense and my lack of well-being from not being able to do the things I love as a result of the exhaustion.

I'll continue to log the signs and see if I can then take a step back further to see what might have led to that symptom being triggered, prior to a shutdown.  

Thanks for you help on the matter.

Trainspotter said:

Make sure your employer is aware you have an impairment as defined in the Equality Act - once again this will be a lot easier with Access to Work.  Have you a local autism charity where you live who provide help under Access to Work?  To refer to Access to Work, just go to the website and there is an online form.  It is quite quick to get them to provide you with the help you need and it could save your job.  And you do not have to be diagnosed to seek their help.

I think they are aware of the fact it falls under the Equality Act now, but when I first disclosed my diagnosis, I was told I was too high functioning to fall under the Equality Act - I questioned this at the time as that statement alone suggests that the very Equality Act is discriminating in that case!

I shall look into Access to Work then to see what my options are.  Unfortunately, I live in an area that has little or no support for adults with ASD.  My GP has also looked into this and is equally frustrated with the lack of services available.  He referred me to mental health services and disability support groups and my referral has now been rejected three times as they have stated they don't deal with ASD in adults or only adults that are deemed low-functioning.  My GP agrees that it is a farce and they are letting numerous people down as a result.  He has resorted to referring me back to the psychiatrist that did my initial diagnosis as he is at a loss of who else he can turn to.

I am now waiting on a response from said psychiatrist to see if there are any support groups that could help me as well as provide a clearer explanation of my sensory processing issues.

Starbuck said:

Yet again I have had another shutdown at work and have been sent home.

I was off work before Christmas due to the shutdowns and started to feel better after a few weeks.  I have only been back at work for just over 3 days and I have had another one.

What are the warning signs that you are going into a shut-down ~ or else what do you notice about having them?

I had to Learn how to recognise and deal with them at progressively earlier stages; as shut-downs for me often involve having seizures too, and reducing the causalities and extents of the shuts-downs ~ has reduced the intensity of the seizures, over the decades. I used to have the full on body bucklers but now I just have the mind muckers, so a vast improvement  from getting a battered mind 'and' a battered body.

I have more or less worked out how much stress and what types of stress result in what types of problems, and I keep them more to particular days and times in the week and less so to others. Not always successfully mind you, but I have got a general routine on the go and I am working it sort of more than it is working me these days. Yay!

Starbuck said:

As a result, I am now worrying about my security in my job and the prospect of finding another job in a similar role.  Since my shutdowns have become worse, the director of my department no longer speaks to me and I have yet to see the follow-up from occupational health.  My boss appears to be supportive, but I am aware I am bringing little value to the company at the moment.

May I suggest getting all Stoic and matter-of-fact 'factor ten' about it all as 'soon' as possible?

Resist and resist and resist worrying about things related to having shutdowns, resist worrying about them as much as possible as it is more effective and less draining in the long term, and involves less intense shut downs. So rather than worrying about them, be concerned about them instead, and get more to observe and pay attention to the particularities involved with when they are coming on and better as such managing them.

What for instance did you notice about the days leading up to the shut-down? What sorts of feelings and thoughts were you having  during them that could be indicators that the shut-down was on its way? And even if you are not sure or do not know ~ guess, and treat it all as a process of elimination. Learn from your mistakes and appreciate them as retakes rather than giving yourself grief for being a failure or worrying yourself out of being concerned about them.

Going into negativity nosedives will drag you down, so hold you up instead, and care for you, for that is befitting, and you are way more worth it anyway. Forget not that perhaps?

I work for a very bad employer and they say they want to support at the same time as threatening with capability proceedings (unfounded).

Shutdown is one of those things that happen to autistic people which are not understood at all by neurotypicals. 

Don't think because you are so-called high functioning you don't qualify for support.  I don't know your circumstances, but what did your diagnosis say your difficulties were if you are diagnosed?.  You obviously have something that led you or, if diagosed, your psychologist/psychiatrist to the conclusion you were autistic.  I have said before that I consider the labels high and low functioning, mild and severe autism as misleading and unhelpful.  High functioning/mild autistic people have their needs not catered for, low functioning/severe autistic people have their abilities undervalued.

Access to work were an initial great help to me.  As well as their usual function of suggesting physical things that may help in the workplace, they also can suggest what reasonable adjustments are needed for you in the workplace.  And it has to be borne in mind that there has not been a case where their recommendations have been overturned in an industrial tribunal.  They can also give a grant to pay in full for training of workplace colleagues to explain how autism affects you, and also for a support worker (however much you feel you don't need one, your support worker can help explain things to your employer when you do have difficulties such as meltdown/shutdown.  The purpose of Access to Work is to keep you in a job so they will be fully on your side, I know it was all a great help to me. 

Make sure your employer is aware you have an impairment as defined in the Equality Act - once again this will be a lot easier with Access to Work.  Have you a local autism charity where you live who provide help under Access to Work?  To refer to Access to Work, just go to the website and there is an online form.  It is quite quick to get them to provide you with the help you need and it could save your job.  And you do not have to be diagnosed to seek their help.

It's sad that it has to come to this.  I'm starting to come to the realisation I may need to put a Plan B in place to prepare for the instance that I lose my employment and have to carry on paying all my expenditures. 

I have always been a believer that prevention is better than cure, but I have found that most things in society are based on fire fighting approaches, where you are only deemed viable after you have failed and come down with a bump.  It would be nice if those who make said decisions on intervention and support realised that the amount of effort and resource required would be much less with earlier intervention, rather than waiting until it's at crisis point.

Last time I was in a crisis, the local council were useless.  

Their publicity material claims that they will help and negotiate to prevent problems becoming out of hand.

But when it comes down to it. They will only do something when problems have reached a crisis point and not before.

Hi Robert123,

I haven't been on the forums as much as I have been trying to focus on getting well ready for my return to work.  I'm sorry to hear things haven't improved for you.  :-(

It's not a nice situation to be in and I wish I had a magic wand to make everything wonderful.  If homelessness is a real threat and you don't own or have a mortgage on your home, I would suggest getting in touch with the council to see what emergency accommodation is available - there is normally a waiting list unless you are deemed as being vulnerable, although I would argue everyone is who is facing this type of situation.  If you do own or have a mortgage on your home then it's very difficult as you are not seen as being viable for support unless you are actually homeless.

It seems such a backward way of working to me, but what do I know.

I hope something comes through for you soon.

Welcome back, we haven't heard from you for sometime.

And welcome to the club.  I'm also facing homelessness in the near future. 

I'm getting plenty of jobs interviews but that's it.