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Joined 7 months ago
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Cake day: August 21st, 2024

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  • I recently lost my job due to the federal government cancelling contracts with my employer. I won’t claim that I’m going through Hell, but it’s far from unicorns and rainbows.

    It’s definitely a lot to deal with emotionally all at once. I worry that I may not find a job that I genuinely enjoy as much as the one I lost. Even though I know it’s not strictly because of anything I did wrong, I struggle with the idea that I was considered unimportant and expendable. It also makes me feel like I’m not a reliable “breadwinner” for my family. Then there’s the little things, like the fact that I’m having to cut back on purchases that aren’t necessities, forgo expenditures that I was hoping to make, and things like that. On top of all that, I have a lot of guilt about feeling bad for myself knowing that a number of my former coworkers who were also let go are in a lot worse situations than me.

    I’m able to be a bit optimistic about some things. For instance, I’m glad that the ACA (health insurance not tied to employment) is an option. The COBRA healthcare coverage option is ridiculously expensive, but most of the ACA options are notably less expensive and, at least on paper, seem to be better options (ex: lower copays, deductibles, max out of pocket) and there are tax credits you can take based on income that make it even less expensive. Another benefit is that being unemployed gives me more time with my family, more time with friends, and more time to catch up on all the little chores that need my attention.

    But, at the end of the day, I will say that I’m strongly considering getting some psychiatric help and/or therapy. The only thing holding me back at this point is concerns over whether I can truly afford it. Sure I can spend $100USD per session for a therapist now, but in a few months, will the cost of those sessions make a difference between whether I have food on the table or not? It’s a gamble that I’m just not quite willing to risk right now.




  • GooberEar@lemmy.wtftoLemmy Shitpost@lemmy.worldNot today
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    13 days ago

    Back in late 2023 or early 2024, I was doing chat support with one of the major US e-retailers due to a return & refund situation that I was honestly expecting to be a problem because that type of thing pretty much always is for some reason.

    I ended up getting escalated to a higher tier tech named Muhammad who was miraculously able to quickly address the problem that his peers seemingly could not. At the end of our interaction, Muhammad thanked me for my patience and kindness, and replied something along the lines of “see you on the other side.”

    For some reason that random and otherwise meaningless expression has stuck with me ever since. Hardly a week goes by without me thinking about it at least once.

    It was a reminder that our time here is limited. And while I’m not a big believer that there is another “side” like I assume someone named Muhammad believes, it was still somehow comforting and an important reminder of perspective.