New mind/ new beginning

I was supposed to have a payment holiday of 2 months for my personal loan.  To my surprise I received a text message from my bank telling me there is not enough money in my account for the loan repayment today. This meant another long winded phone call to the bank! Not really great for my mental health and this is supposed to be helping me.  Any of you who have followed my other posts will know I have not been able to have any paid employment since December.   Having spent hours and 3 phone calls talking to Carol, Liz and Damian (I've changed their names to protect their identity, no   actually  I can't remember them 😂)at the bank I think I can breathe a sigh of relief for a bit and get on with living and trying to improve our lot.  So this text message is an absolute shock to me.   I hate owing anyone money and I have never been in any sort of debt before.   Anyway once the phone had been answered the lady I spoke appologised that t...

No Money and in Lockdown but There is Always Hope Currently we are isolated in our homes due to the coronovirus (COVID-19) Families are suddenly thrown together for long periods of time. Only allowed out once a day for exercise, or to go to the shops for essential items (such as food) or to collect medications or see our GP.   The spread of this virus has been widespread and fast.  On writing our prime minister, health secretary and most senior medical officer for England have been diagnosed or experiencing symptoms of this virus.  It is a bit like an apocalypse film except this is real life none of knowing when this will end or if we will make it out alive.   This isn't just a one country problem it is a pandemic meaning it is affecting every part of the world.  It all seems pretty bleak doesn't it but there are some things to positive things to take from this:  Viruses are no respecter of persons, money or status.  We are all on an equal...

Update on Getting a Job Against all the Odds As you are aware it has all got a bit more challenging to find work recently due to the corona virus.  On a positive note I passed my taxi driving test on Tuesday.  The downside is I'm not sure how long the work will be available.  I just have to pass a local knowledge test and await advice on how the local authority will help be able to schedule this in.  Not to be beaten I've contacted a local Macmillan Unit to see if I can be of any help to them during this crisis.  Just waiting to hear back from them.  My work as a volunteer in a charity shop has been brilliant.  My autism has helped me to focus completely on ordering of stock and my Tourettes keeps me brimming with new ideas of how I can problem solve around issues.  Education is the key I completed my level 3 in employment law last week, just missing a distinction by 3%.  Looking for roles which could be completed online if...

A lot has happened in the past week but something I'm trying to do is spend more time for me. Sadly eating a good diet still eludes me, as chocolate seems so alluring when I'm stressed. However one thing at a time.  Tara Stiles is a name I have known for a long time. She is a yoga instructor. But don't get to stressed out with different instructors. You just need to follow a basic yoga routine.   Managing my time better!   Using the pomodoro technique recommended by a friend Adrienne Adele Cox @adrienneadelee has helped me focus my mind on study in small 25 minute chunks. This has increased the amount of work I have got done. I finally completed my level 3 in Employment law and studied for my taxi exam the other day. This is big stuff for me. Visualisation Your driving through some beautiful countryside. You stioover to admire the view in front of this beautiful cottage. You walk up to the door. There is a note on it which says "This cottage is f...

Employment - over qualified Applying for everything. Coffee shop assistant and cleaning jobs to name but a few.  Sadly I didn't get any interviews as I'm over qualified.  Car hire management and retail management again my age and lack of retail experience counted against me.  What Next? I need money. The bank are not being very helpful regarding my mental health.  I got thinking I need experience at all costs.  Therefore I have signed up to a volunteering website. So far I have applied to volunteer in town as a till operator in some charity shops and with special education charities to work and train as an advocate supporting families through educational tribunal.  Of course I am still waiting to get a nurse uniform and ID card for my bank nursing role.  I hope to look back on all this as an opportunity for me to grow.  Thanks for reading. Feel free to contact me if you are going through similar issues, I would love to know how yo...

Autism & Mental Health Assessment I've just completed my AQ questionnaire and scored 42/50.  For those who don't know the Autism Quotient contains 50 questions testing the probability of autism.  A score of at least 32 indicates a high probability the person has autism.  For more information & other autism tests google the autism research centre at the University of Cambridge.   Wow I've never scored so well in a test in a long while.  Sorry please excuse my flippant response but for me humour sometimes helps to get through difficult stuff.   I am currently completing my own referral for autism assessment.  You may wonder why I'm referring myself?  The short answer is I saw the community mental health team who are happy to refer me for assessment assessment.  However they have completed the bare minimum of the referral and asked me to complete the rest.  Also complete the test and score myself.  This isn't...