Like an old, dried-out rubber band

[judecorp]

I am getting increasingly frustrated and irritable with my job. It just seems like I can't keep up. I received two new cases back-to-back at the end of last week and I am totally swamped with them, because they need to be seen weekly and they need risk assessments and they need caseplans, and I spend so much damned time driving around Columbus. This afternoon I drove all the way out nearly to Georgesville Road to drop in on a family without a phone, and of course they weren't home. From there I had a 30-minute trip to the far north side of town that ended up taking an hour because I was behind an accident of four tractor-trailers and a smooshed up van. I hope everyone is okay.

I left that visit at 6:30 and headed to my coworker's place so we could grab some dinner. We brought take-out to Jen because she was volunteering, and then I came home and cleaned the cat boxes and swept the kitchen and bathroom floors. I bundled up the trash and folded a load of laundry, and then managed to put on pajamas and check livejournal at 9:30 or so. I feel like I've been moving non-stop since 8:00 this morning and I am just so frustrated. I haven't answered email or LJ comments in about a week and they are piling up, but I don't have the time or the energy. Ever.

I haven't been sleeping well at night because I'm so damned busy and frantic all day that I can't turn my mind off when I go to bed. I quit my therapist because we weren't a good match for each other, and I'm quitting chorus because I don't like the music, and really, I just don't have reliable time to go to either. I was supposed to have a therapy appointment at 6:00 today. Thankfully I had the foresight to cancel it on Friday - I'd have never made it in a million years.

And I never thought I would say this EVER, but I have a sexual abuse case and I'm not sure the victim is telling the whole truth. Ugh. Right now I wish I could go to sleep for a week or so. I'm wound up so tightly that I feel like I'm going to snap. Argh! I need a release.

Comments

[hope-persists.livejournal.com]

*sings you to sleep with nice soft sweet catie curtis songs* (i would have said dar but most of her mellow songs are depressing)

Re:

[hope-persists.livejournal.com]

*amends that to not include her song The Wolf because you deal with that all day at work*

Re:

[hope-persists.livejournal.com]

*amends that to not include her song The Wolf because you deal with that all day at work*

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Ha! It's true! Most of Dar's soft songs /are/ depressing. The best ones are the ones she calls her "rockers."

Gah, I love her so much.

[vorpalbla.livejournal.com]

Is it just me, or does Faith Mission seem like a rather laid-back job when one looks back at it?

At FM we were upset about the no-personal-internet-use rule. At my current job, I would never have time for personal internet use, too much stuff either needs to be done today, or needs to be done YESTERDAY.

Re:

[thatpatti.livejournal.com]

ahhhh...the ol' "grass is always greener" phenom. :)

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

The politics of FM used to bug the crap out of me, but the job almost never did. It was nice to have a job that I could come home and forget about for a couple of hours. I want that again.

[indigodove.livejournal.com]

*hugs* It is a rough job. Thinking of you. I used to feel like that all the time.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

So, what can I do about it? Besides find a great husband, go back to school, and start another career? :)

Re:

[indigodove.livejournal.com]

Let's see...How I handled it:

1. Take breaks and mental health days.
2. Take occasional road trips where you leave the state (thus out of "pager range") and enjoy the quiet.
3. I cried when I needed to, though usually at home.
4. Meditate or relax somehow.
5. Get out before you become totally used-up, burned out and bitter. I know this is easier said than done.

Good luck! I am thinking of you, and call me if you ever want to vent.

*hug*

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Thank you for all of the tips, Lori. You are the greatest and I'm SO happy that this job is working out for you. Someday I will find a job that works out for me!!

[folkyboy.livejournal.com]

aww at least you can feel like you're changing people's lives daily so that's good. not many can say that very thing about THEIR careers. i wish there was something i could say to make those situations not pile up...

but yeah ¤hugs¤ what pifflegrrrl said. g'night

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

But I'm not really changing lives much. I mean, really - people HATE having children's services in their lives. They just can't wait until we leave them alone.

[elspazz0.livejournal.com]

are you getting some kind of car allowance or reimbursement for gas and mileage? i hope so, with all that traveling!!

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Well, I fill out a mileage log every month, but haven't gotten an actual mileage check yet for the months of December /or/ January. They claim they don't have enough money to give us mileage.

They owe me about $400... which I desperately need to fix my car.

[thatpatti.livejournal.com]

poor jude. :(

fisher would love to see you. maybe we could come meet you for a quick lunch sometime (if you ever actually get to have lunch, that is).

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Ha!

Sometimes I /do/ get lunch. Like today - today I will probably get lunch. But I have been being a good do-bee and bringing my lunch to save money (and fat).

However, I almost drove to your house on this bad day that I wrote about. The apartment I was headed to on the north side was up in the 161 area, and I was headed up to your place to drop by when I got stuck in that nasty accident. :)

[luloubelle.livejournal.com]

*big hugs*

Hang in there, sweets.

[yarnaddict.livejournal.com]

*hugs* and positive thoughts heading your way. Much suckage about the job situation. =( Have you thought about maybe trying, even if it means a half hour less sleep, to meditate for half an hour before you go to bed, to calm and quiet your mind? Or take a bubble bath and just relax some?

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Jen and I talked about this earlier. I can try it, but past experience has taught me that I'm a terrible meditater. (Is that even a word?) I'm too hyper, and just trying to calm down enough and clear my head makes me incredibly agitated, which really counteracts any benefits.

I once took a yoga class in college and for three months, I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin.