has anyone successfully changed their career

[Mat82]

Hi everybody

My name is Mat and im 35 years old, married with 2 children. I have struggled with depression, anxiety, brain fog, no energy etc for a very long time. Because of this i have not been able to do much career wise. I have only been able to take jobs that i felt over qualified for like warehouse jobs and mowing jobs, with a fair bit of unemployment in between as i wasn't able to cope with life. I recently went gluten free to see if that would help and it made a huge difference and felt like i could do something with my life, but unfortunately i found out that its not easy to change careers when you dont have anything to offer. My interests have always been cars, farming, sustainability/living off the grid, creating a charity or not for profit, entrepreneur/business owner. i have tried but cant get an apprenticeship as a mechanic as im probably too old, i cant afford a farm and im not sure if there are even jobs in sustainabilty/living off the grid. Ive looked at many uni courses but nothing seems to interest me except maybe a business course, but i am hesitant as i have attempted courses before and have failed. The furthest i have got is coming up with ideas for a not for profit, but i cant get past the business plan part. Im really struggling with this part of my life and it is also made harder when im still trying to figure out what my body is doing, what it doesn't like, and how to control it. I do have a job at the moment mowing lawns and maintaining yards, but i spend most of the day deciding which tree to hang myself from (I am currently 3 weeks into the gluten challenge so this isnt helping). I have applied for many jobs but never hear back. i just want to be able to do something i enjoy, I cant wait to go gluten free again, but i do worry because i still had depression (no where near as bad though) because i finally felt i could achieve anything but no one would give me a chance. I also think ill still be more of an introvert than a extrovert, but dont really know for sure as i wasnt gluten free long enough to see all the gains ill have.

Has anyone been through something similar and come out the other side, anyone created their own business and doing well, succeeded in business etc

So is there any hope for me?

p.s if theres anyone out there that can help me in anyway, any advice, help setting up an online business, apprenticeship in mechanics ANYTHING, id really appreciate it  

[Gluten-free-01]

I’ve kind of reprioritized things in my life recently. If I were to choose among different career paths now, I’d choose the one which is not very stressful. So if my options were: 1) less stress/lower salary and 2) more stress/higher salary, I’d choose the first one.

The main reason is I’m convinced that extreme stress was actually a trigger of my ncgs. There is an interesting discussion about inflammation, stress and celiac/ncgs in another thread on this website. I believe that stress leads to inflammation and inflammation leads to celiac/ncgs.

So I just want to say that I’d make my decision based on these criteria – not too much pressure or long hours.

I probaly wouldn’t recommend setting up your own business now. I know a couple of business owners and the beginning was very tough for all of them. Working as an employee, e.g. for a small business, would be better, in my opinion.

You’re very early in the process of getting used to the new lifestyle so I think you’ll see things more clearly and in a more positive way in the near future 

[Ennis-TX]

2 hours ago, Mat82 said:

Hi everybody

My name is Mat and im 35 years old, married with 2 children. I have struggled with depression, anxiety, brain fog, no energy etc for a very long time. Because of this i have not been able to do much career wise. I have only been able to take jobs that i felt over qualified for like warehouse jobs and mowing jobs, with a fair bit of unemployment in between as i wasn't able to cope with life. I recently went gluten free to see if that would help and it made a huge difference and felt like i could do something with my life, but unfortunately i found out that its not easy to change careers when you dont have anything to offer. My interests have always been cars, farming, sustainability/living off the grid, creating a charity or not for profit, entrepreneur/business owner. i have tried but cant get an apprenticeship as a mechanic as im probably too old, i cant afford a farm and im not sure if there are even jobs in sustainabilty/living off the grid. Ive looked at many uni courses but nothing seems to interest me except maybe a business course, but i am hesitant as i have attempted courses before and have failed. The furthest i have got is coming up with ideas for a not for profit, but i cant get past the business plan part. Im really struggling with this part of my life and it is also made harder when im still trying to figure out what my body is doing, what it doesn't like, and how to control it. I do have a job at the moment mowing lawns and maintaining yards, but i spend most of the day deciding which tree to hang myself from (I am currently 3 weeks into the gluten challenge so this isnt helping). I have applied for many jobs but never hear back. i just want to be able to do something i enjoy, I cant wait to go gluten free again, but i do worry because i still had depression (no where near as bad though) because i finally felt i could achieve anything but no one would give me a chance. I also think ill still be more of an introvert than a extrovert, but dont really know for sure as i wasnt gluten free long enough to see all the gains ill have.

Has anyone been through something similar and come out the other side, anyone created their own business and doing well, succeeded in business etc

So is there any hope for me?

p.s if theres anyone out there that can help me in anyway, any advice, help setting up an online business, apprenticeship in mechanics ANYTHING, id really appreciate it  

I went to college for game design and computer programing, but my celiac reaction, and gluten ataxia caused brain damage. I used to be able to do coding, now stuff starts to rearrange on the page or just not make sense. Like I know I should know it but it does not connect, funny and aggravating thing about brain damage, stuff just does not work like you KNOW it should.  So my dream job of being a game designer was canned.

I also love working with food, I have over 7 years experience working in the food industry prior to my diagnosis. Well I had a god given talent of mixing and creating stuff in the kitchen and I still have it so I geared my life using celiac and my food allergies as a road map. I started a small gluten free bakery and doing private chef work, I do gluten free, dairy free, corn free, and mostly grain free cooking for people, and make and sell grain free baked goods, and artisan almond butters at farmers markets.

I dream of opening a grain free paleo food truck, and doing catering and serving people. You know the rarity of a 100% dedicated gluten free food truck? Combined with grain free? I think it would be a hit, I even have the full business plan, source contracts, and menu already to go. Just that issue of needing the money I humor myself and dream of different scenarios with it and keep the fund raiser active while looking for investors. One of these days it might take off. Funny how I have a targeted menu on it for everything being foods you normally can not eat on the paleo diet but made so they can be eaten.  

 

PS there are some supplements that work wonders for the mood, fog, and anxiety. I swear by using Liquid Health Stress & Energy and Liquid Health Neurological support 1 tbsp each 3 times a day in combination with magnesium supplements and a high fat diet using cocoa nibs, pumpkin seeds/protein, and hemp seeds from GERBS (only gluten free source right now due to industry CC issues)

 

[ravenwoodglass]

You talk about taking jobs for which you are overqualified.  What did you mean? Do you have some college or trade school already?  In this day and age with cars being so computerized you would need some auto trade training to even get in the door of most shops. Even then you might just end up changing oil.  If you are interested in farming you could take some classes in agriculture or animal husbandry. If you have good mechanical ability check into machinist programs that may be offered in your area. Here our local Community College partners with a few larger companies that need trained workers. They hire right out of a short program. See if something like that is available in your area.  I agree with GF01 that now is not the time to start a business.

[Mat82]

18 hours ago, Gluten_free_01 said:

I’ve kind of reprioritized things in my life recently. If I were to choose among different career paths now, I’d choose the one which is not very stressful. So if my options were: 1) less stress/lower salary and 2) more stress/higher salary, I’d choose the first one.

The main reason is I’m convinced that extreme stress was actually a trigger of my ncgs. There is an interesting discussion about inflammation, stress and celiac/ncgs in another thread on this website. I believe that stress leads to inflammation and inflammation leads to celiac/ncgs.

So I just want to say that I’d make my decision based on these criteria – not too much pressure or long hours.

I probaly wouldn’t recommend setting up your own business now. I know a couple of business owners and the beginning was very tough for all of them. Working as an employee, e.g. for a small business, would be better, in my opinion.

You’re very early in the process of getting used to the new lifestyle so I think you’ll see things more clearly and in a more positive way in the near future 

I understand completely what you are saying, stress is probably what caused mine too and i haven't even done anything that stressful in my life. I just want to be able to do something i enjoy, i feel that if i make it to 80 or so and look back at my life i will regret never trying anything because i was too scared. If i cant get a mechanic apprenticeship I would like to at least try a few different things like an online business or blog or anything that may make a few $$, just to see if i could do it. (i would keep my job while doing it). All i know is i cant keep doing a job i dont like for the next 50yrs 

17 hours ago, Ennis_TX said:

I went to college for game design and computer programing, but my celiac reaction, and gluten ataxia caused brain damage. I used to be able to do coding, now stuff starts to rearrange on the page or just not make sense. Like I know I should know it but it does not connect, funny and aggravating thing about brain damage, stuff just does not work like you KNOW it should.  So my dream job of being a game designer was canned.

I also love working with food, I have over 7 years experience working in the food industry prior to my diagnosis. Well I had a god given talent of mixing and creating stuff in the kitchen and I still have it so I geared my life using celiac and my food allergies as a road map. I started a small gluten free bakery and doing private chef work, I do gluten free, dairy free, corn free, and mostly grain free cooking for people, and make and sell grain free baked goods, and artisan almond butters at farmers markets.

I dream of opening a grain free paleo food truck, and doing catering and serving people. You know the rarity of a 100% dedicated gluten free food truck? Combined with grain free? I think it would be a hit, I even have the full business plan, source contracts, and menu already to go. Just that issue of needing the money I humor myself and dream of different scenarios with it and keep the fund raiser active while looking for investors. One of these days it might take off. Funny how I have a targeted menu on it for everything being foods you normally can not eat on the paleo diet but made so they can be eaten.  

 

PS there are some supplements that work wonders for the mood, fog, and anxiety. I swear by using Liquid Health Stress & Energy and Liquid Health Neurological support 1 tbsp each 3 times a day in combination with magnesium supplements and a high fat diet using cocoa nibs, pumpkin seeds/protein, and hemp seeds from GERBS (only gluten free source right now due to industry CC issues)

 

its a shame about your computer programming course, i was given a job as a computer technician from the school i went to when i finished, which i did for roughly a year so i had potential to do something with my life, but anxiety and depression took over and it was all down hill from there on in for me. Its good you have got into something you enjoy and are making a go of it  this is what im wanting to achieve, doing something i enjoy and thinking outside the box for different business ideas

17 hours ago, ravenwoodglass said:

You talk about taking jobs for which you are overqualified.  What did you mean? Do you have some college or trade school already?  In this day and age with cars being so computerized you would need some auto trade training to even get in the door of most shops. Even then you might just end up changing oil.  If you are interested in farming you could take some classes in agriculture or animal husbandry. If you have good mechanical ability check into machinist programs that may be offered in your area. Here our local Community College partners with a few larger companies that need trained workers. They hire right out of a short program. See if something like that is available in your area.  I agree with GF01 that now is not the time to start a business.

I do have a trade in wall and floor tiling, only because my parents owned a tile shop and paid a tiler to put me through an apprenticeship, I have not tiled for a long time so i have lost any confidence i had in it, plus i do not enjoy this work at all and unfortunately it doesn't seem to open any doors into any other jobs. When i said over overqualified, i meant feeling comfortable and in control of the situation, knowing that i could do the job, having no doubt in my ability to do the work. I live in Australia in a small country town and the only jobs available are for doctors  I will look into your suggestions though