Changing career

Has anyone else had too leave thier job because of this awful condition?

Hi there yes unfortunately I had to give my job up to m e and still not working 3 years on but really you need to look at  life in general different with m e what I will say is that I have improved a lot in that 3 years and I am now in a postion to look at moving forward with my life .I know it must be difficult time for you but pushing against this will not help you believe me I tryed and it makes it worse ,rest will help you a lot rest more than you think your body needs time to recover stress will only put you back try relaxation as much as possible.

try and look at is a positive move it takes time to adjust and adapt to this awful condition and try and be positive its not impossible to recover there was times I thought I would never get better but hang in there if your sleep isn't good I would suggest to try and improve it if you haven't already get refereed to a chronic fatigue clinic where you can go through what symptoms you are struggling with then they can suggest medications for you .good luck with things  I'm sure you will improve with time just take things easy  

yes sadly I had to give up my work as a support worker fifteen months ago, which really hurt me,  but i knew I could not in all fairness work to the level I should have.

I am now doing voluntary work four mornings a week, which I so love, and am also able to rest when necessary.

Accept the limitations this terrible ilness forces on you, asI am more than content with my life at the moment, I have good days/bad days but always think it willl improve, so I keep a positive outlook.

Rest is the main key, do what your body tells and be gentle with yourself, you have got a real illness which hopefully will improve xxx

Hi - I had to give up my job too due to M.E. I tried going part time but even that was too much for me. If you have to give up your job look on it as an opportunity to have more time to focus on what helps you feel better. You will have more time to rest when you need too, will be able to pace yourself properly and can try and improve your diet. You won't have the pressure of having to be well enough to go to work which can be a relief. I started doing remedial yoga after losing my job and find it really helpful as well as relaxation CDs. As you are qualified to teach art you could possibly consider running art classes locally for a couple of hours a week to earn some extra money or try selling some of your own paintings in local shops/art exhibitions. Hope things work out for you. x

Hi, I too had to give up teaching partly due to ME, but ended up temping as a secretary in the NHS and was so surprised at the difference in stress levels. I was also amazed at how people chat and have cups of tea when they wanted to. In teaching you're on the go from the minute you enter the classroom until all the students leave, in my experience it wasn't like that working as a secretary. I went on to have a very good career working in different roles until the ME came back again with a vengeance and I had to retire.

Don't see this as a closing door but as another one opening.

Good luck.

 I no longer work, i don't feel qualified to advise you on what to do, but my heart goes out to you. I hope you manage to sort something out that suits you. Claire 

I'm a teacher too and facing a similar dilemma. I've been off work with ME for five months and am on the verge of being dismissed on ill health grounds. Until recently I was keen to try a phased return, but I'm not making much progress. I think it will be quite a while before I can work again and now have to look at applying for benefits as a way to support myself financially. I hope your school will let you work part time. As you are covered by the Equality Act, they could be in trouble for not allowing you this 'reasonable adjustment' so you can keep working.

Hi Katoreo,

I understand how you feel. I was diagnosed 25 years ago with CFS. For a few years, I tried to maintain a full time teaching job. After 3 years of working full-time, I switched to a part time teaching position becasue I realized that the quality of my life was terrible. All I could do was work all day and then come home and get in bed. I chose not to tell my boss the "real" reason for wanting to work part time becasue I didn't want my employers to see me as "sick," and here in the US, CFS is not well understood my many. I've been working part-time teaching in a mult-aged classroom for the past 15 years. It's much easier to manage your symptoms when you have time to rest and time to pace yourselft. It really does. Good luck telling your boss, and hope you get what you probably need for your health to improve. KPD