Career changes in mid-life

by Sandra Mineo, Psychotherapist (Feb. 1991)

Since CMT is a progressive illness and the onset can occur at any age, the need can arise for a change of job or even of your career. Like the disease itself, this change happens as a process, not as a sudden event or decision. Steps might involve such factors as: the gradual realization that your present job is becoming too difficult, grief about that awareness, a decision for the change; gathering data and exploring options, making the choice; taking steps to carry it out; making the actual move(s); more grieving; and beginning an exciting new phase of life.

Any change involves both gain and loss, and so causes stress and necessitates the grief process. The "Holmes Rahe Life Readjustment Scale" measures stress by assigning points, from 11 to 100 to various life events. The number of points is a predictor for an illness to occur. Change to a "different line of work" is assigned 36 points. In recognizing the stress caused by such a change, stress reduction measures can be taken. The extent of stress and grief caused by job/career change depends on various factors, such as how invested you are in our career, i.e., how much training, time and energy you've put into it. How much of your identity and self-esteem is related to your job is crucial. Also, it helps to have the support of your "Significant Others," to be a flexible person, to have the ability to take risks, and to have varying interests and abilities. Some people find it difficult to believe there are options, or to see themselves doing something different. But, with vocational resources and brainstorming, innumerable possibilities open up. In brainstorming, let your imagination run wild and consider any job/career you can. Get ideas from books, vocational tests and from other people. Include your hobbies, interests, activities and the job areas of your dreams. I say this to open up your thinking but also because your job should be something you really enjoy doing. Begin to narrow the possibilities. Then explore what needs to be done to pursue what remains on your list.

You might consider going part-time in your present job and/or making modifications on the job. Consider starting your own business (perhaps at home), a business related to your own interests. Remember you are not alone. Many people have ben laid off ("outplaced") due to today's economy and have changed careers or started new businesses. Retirees and divorcing housewives have done this as well. At least many of us with CMT have time to plan for a job or career change.

There are laws to protect the disabled from discrimination, both in hiring and maintaining jobs. Your employer must make reasonable adaptations to accommodate you. This could be as simple as an adapted telephone, a double railing or a chair lift for stairs, more complicated physical modifications, or changes in work schedule or routine. You may look for your own adaptive aids in catalogues. Think of what changes you need, then present them to your employer. Be calm and positive. Just think, the employer gets to keep a valuable experienced employee and doesn't have to hire and train someone new.

You have rights, abilities and resources. If you are unable to do what you have been doing for a living, you are entitled in all states/provinces to job retraining programs or to attend school. Even if you don't continue paid employment, you might do volunteer work or take up new interests in order to stay productive and active. But also, keep in mind, another consideration is that your self-worth includes many qualities aside from your job.

Whatever you do, don't do it alone. Get help and moral support. Talk about your feelings during the whole process.

Stress and grief are balanced by the excitement and renewed energy that comes along with change. Adaptation is the key to survival and vitality. So often, changes that were "forced" on you turn out to be terrific in the long run. One of the few ad vantages in CMT is that it helps you to stretch yourself, to grow, to find things in yourself you might never have discovered.

Robert H. Davies put it this way: "One of the signs of maturity is a healthy respect for reality - a respect that manifests itself in the level of one's aspirations and in the accuracy of one's assessment of the difficulties which separate the facts of today from the bright hopes of tomorrow."

On a personal note: My CMT onset began by age five. As a young adult, I wanted to be a fashion buyer, a model or an elementary school teacher. How ironic life is to have interests only to be thwarted by limits. But wait for the punch line! In college I was a salesgirl. My feet hurt horribly (most of you know what I mean), so I became a telephone operator while in school. Then, I made a series of moves (all motivated and shaped by CMT) which finally led to graduate school and to a career as a psychotherapist. This seems to be my niche, one I would never have found without CMT. Wonderful things can actually result from very painful, unwanted things. Believe it!

I believe my initial career choices would have made me miserable. Remember that old saying: "Be careful, lest you get what (you think) you want." And, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade," but first, you may need to talk it out, rant, rave, fume and cry. It's only normal to do this, but then, get on with your lemonade making.

I'm 40 and retraining!
By Jennifer Porter, BC, Canada
With three young children, I have had a hard time accepting that my legs (feet too) are getting weaker and somehow I felt if I remained ignorant it would all go away! Well, that is it happening. Sometimes, I must say I feel like a bit of a wimp – tired of fighting and feeling pain, especially in and around my ankles and knees, and tired of feeling TIRED.

I run a licensed family day care for small children and am now having to retrain and find another profession. So here I am, 40 years old, and retraining I must say I am excited but a little afraid. I'm starting the Social Service Worker Program through Open Learning.

My situation just didn't happen by chance...
by Rosalie Kelley, CA, U.S.A.
I taught school for about 11 years and was really wiped out all the time. I didn't know then that it was my CMT. I knew I had it, but did not know very much about it. I started being so tired from teaching that I decided to do something else.

Before that happened my husband and I decided to have a baby. So, I had the baby and decided not to go back to teaching. That was a big loss to me because I had always wanted to teach and I was pretty good at it.

When our daughter turned five and started school I decided to go back to school and get my masters so I could find a job to do part time and set my own hours. I used my retirement money and got a counseling degree. I have been doing that part time for 15 years. I work three days a week for about seven hours a day and then spend the other days recouping so I don't do much else.

Had I continued teaching I probably would have been retired by now and on disability, who knows. I own my own business so I can cut down on the hours when I need to. It is a good situation, I agree, but it did not just happen. I had to really work hard and I know the stress of going to school really made my CMT progress faster.

I hope to retire in a few years, but right now I am glad I can still do my job even though it is very tiring.