I Feel So Sad

[dogle]

Today it's cloudy and I'm jobless; though I've been looking for a job everywhere, I have left hundreds of application and I just can't find a job. I have too much spare time to think about a lot of things back in my life and it's to heavy; maybe there are other things I have to fix rather than just my disease. I just don't know wether putting in my application about celiac disease is hurting me, I mean this time everything goes for the fittest, maybe I'm too paranoid or thinking too much. I'm going to take a walk. Anyone feeling sad from time to time? What do you do to fix it?

[ravenwoodglass]

First off I wouldn't put that you are celiac on your job applications. Unless you are applying for a job in a restaurant or bakery, which isn't a great idea for a celiac, it should have no bearing. Once you get the hang of the diet and have healed a bit you may find you are healthier than you have ever been.

As to the depression, if you are new to the diet you may be experiencing a bit of withdrawl, if that is the case it will lift within a week or two. Some of us do go through a period of 'mourning' for the gluten filled lifestyle and it is a big change and can be quite restrictive at first. Hang in there but also don't be afraid to seek counseling if you feel you need it.

[OptimisticMom42]

Why are you putting celiacs in your application? I would never do that. Celiacs does not effect my ability to do a good job and if it did I wouldn't want them to know it until after they fell in love with me and know that my talents outweigh my tummyaches.

As for cloudy and sad everyone has those days. A walk is a good idea.

[dogle]

Thanks ravewoodglass and Optimisticmom42, I felt much better after the walk, tomorrow I will send more job applications; going for a walk works for me. I won't mention celiac in my application but if I'm asked about any history of illness, what should I answer? Thanks in advanced.

[ravenwoodglass]

Thanks ravewoodglass and Optimisticmom42, I felt much better after the walk, tomorrow I will send more job applications; going for a walk works for me. I won't mention celiac in my application but if I'm asked about any history of illness, what should I answer? Thanks in advanced.

I am not positive about this but I believe HIPPA regs forbid them from asking about your medical history. If you have some long periods when you were ill and not working because of it and they are allowed to ask about your medical issues then perhaps go ahead and tell them that you are celiac but you are now on the diet and have had those issues resolve.

[kbtoyssni]

Thanks ravewoodglass and Optimisticmom42, I felt much better after the walk, tomorrow I will send more job applications; going for a walk works for me. I won't mention celiac in my application but if I'm asked about any history of illness, what should I answer? Thanks in advanced.

It is illegal to ask about history of illness. They can ask about gaps in a resume, but all you have to say is you had some health problems that have since been resolved. You do not have to go into detail.

Interviewers can't ask personal questions, but they can ask things that relate to the job. So they can't ask "are you sure you can work until 5pm since you have children?" but they can ask "this job requires you work from 9-5, can you do that?"

Have you talked to a career counselor, someone who can review your resume and help you with interview questions? Writing a good resume and getting good at answering interview questions takes time and practice.

[mushroom]

That is a great answer to the question. Most interviewees don't know the answer to the question of what interviewers are allowed to ask, so they volunteer too much information because the interviewer will always push the boundaries. Find our your rights first and develop answers to questions that might be problematic. You are within your rights to decline to answer a question by telling them they cannot ask that. Back before the days of Human Resources, interviews were not so fraught with traps. Now you have to arm yourself against intrusive questions they have no right to ask. Interviewing has become a lot more complicated then it used to be. You do have to learn how to handle it and develop answers to awkward questions. Good luck!

[Korwyn]

Thanks ravewoodglass and Optimisticmom42, I felt much better after the walk, tomorrow I will send more job applications; going for a walk works for me. I won't mention celiac in my application but if I'm asked about any history of illness, what should I answer? Thanks in advanced.

If you are in the US, the ADA and HIPPA prohibit your employer from asking anything other than if you have any conditions which would impact your ability to perform the job for which you are applying. Even if this is so, if it is something for which reasonable accomodations can be made they are prohibited by federal law (and in some states there are ever greater protections) from factoring that into your job interview. If you have been voluntarily disclosing this information you should not be. If you have been asked anything other than the above question then you need to consult your state's L&I employee advocacy office.

If:

* you have disclosed this information based upon the fact that it may impact your ability to do the job

* but feel that if the employer made reasonable accommodation it would not impact your ability to do the job

* and you believe you were passed over for a job interview or job for lesser qualified candidates, based upon your medical condition

You need to contact your state's L&I employee advocacy office.

Many employers take advantage of prospective job applicants lack of knowledge of the federal and state laws governing people covered under the ADA.

[Matt007b]

i'm in the same boat dogle..i'm undiagnosed but my doctors/specialists have a hunch i'm celiac. Too poor to get a scope done so i'm week 3 into the diet..my problem is anxiety of bills/unemployed..i've def. improved and my nausea levels are down on this diet but anxiety/insomnia is a killer when you're looking for work

but anyway i'm in the same situation..it's hard hang in there.. i'm temped to sell my car and buy a clunker just to give me some breathing room financially...

[DDD]

i'm in the same boat dogle..i'm undiagnosed but my doctors/specialists have a hunch i'm celiac. Too poor to get a scope done so i'm week 3 into the diet..my problem is anxiety of bills/unemployed..i've def. improved and my nausea levels are down on this diet but anxiety/insomnia is a killer when you're looking for work

but anyway i'm in the same situation..it's hard hang in there.. i'm temped to sell my car and buy a clunker just to give me some breathing room financially...

that's how i feel when i get glutened. most people spend it in the bathroom, i spend mine crying and paranoid. usually my boyfriend and my mom get the worst of my emotional episodes but that is because i did some research and showed some of the testimonies of people on these very message boards who had the same mental symptoms as me before going gluten-free.

i really think going Gluten-Free completely and strictly would help you alot. i wouldnt have been able to graduate college had i not gone Gluten-Free. but once my body felt better then all these wonderful oppurtunities started popping up! it was like i figured out my life all because of some silly diet but its true!

anyways, showing a close friend or family member who would support your Gluten-Free diet and take the time to read or listen to some research you did on how gluten affects your mood would really help for those times you accidentally get glutened (and it probably will happen because there is gluten EVERYWHERE). the next time you feel like crap think about what you ate. then you go to you trusted friend or family member and say, "hey i think i got glutened and you know how that makes me feel!" and they make you feel better and reassure you that everything will be much better tomorrow (as long as you stay Gluten-Free!)

hope this helps and if you need me to be your first testimonial i gladly will because i dont want anyone to go through what i did.

[Korwyn]

that's how i feel when i get glutened. most people spend it in the bathroom, i spend mine crying and paranoid. usually my boyfriend and my mom get the worst of my emotional episodes but that is because i did some research and showed some of the testimonies of people on these very message boards who had the same mental symptoms as me before going gluten-free.

i really think going Gluten-Free completely and strictly would help you alot. i wouldnt have been able to graduate college had i not gone Gluten-Free. but once my body felt better then all these wonderful oppurtunities started popping up! it was like i figured out my life all because of some silly diet but its true!

anyways, showing a close friend or family member who would support your Gluten-Free diet and take the time to read or listen to some research you did on how gluten affects your mood would really help for those times you accidentally get glutened (and it probably will happen because there is gluten EVERYWHERE). the next time you feel like crap think about what you ate. then you go to you trusted friend or family member and say, "hey i think i got glutened and you know how that makes me feel!" and they make you feel better and reassure you that everything will be much better tomorrow (as long as you stay Gluten-Free!)

hope this helps and if you need me to be your first testimonial i gladly will because i dont want anyone to go through what i did.

My gluten and soy reaction is similar but with some time in the bathroom. Gluten = Panic, anxiety, depression, insomnia, muscle spasm/twitching and headache. Dairy sends me to the bathroom, severe heartburn, phlegm, and coughing (rhinitis). Soy gives me even worse reaction than gluten + almost immediate sinus congestion. These have been demonstrated through elimination diet and dietary testing, plus some lab work.

Just before I went gluten-free I was so sick that I told my wife I was pretty sure I was dying. She said I needed to tell my Dr. that was how I was feeling, but I didn't because part of me was actually hoping I would just so that it would all be over. I am sensitive to even minor cross-contamination. For example, Lay's Classic Potato chips are gluten free, but produced on a line that also processes chips which do contain gluten. Twice now I've tried them and become quite ill. And is isn't the potato because I can eat potatoes in other foods.

[OptimisticMom42]

that's how i feel when i get glutened. most people spend it in the bathroom, i spend mine crying and paranoid.

I just wanted to thank you and the other posters who have been frank about the "feelings" they get when glutened. You have helped me see my son's reactions in a very different light. A few weeks ago he wanted to hide his money in the woods. "D" kept him in the house until this idea passed. And more recently he thought someone was taking his meds at the same time that he was so bloated that he looked like a turtle. I count his pills and write it down so I know nobody touched them. That was several days ago. He's fine again now.

[Matt007b]

that's how i feel when i get glutened. most people spend it in the bathroom, i spend mine crying and paranoid. usually my boyfriend and my mom get the worst of my emotional episodes but that is because i did some research and showed some of the testimonies of people on these very message boards who had the same mental symptoms as me before going gluten-free.

i really think going Gluten-Free completely and strictly would help you alot. i wouldnt have been able to graduate college had i not gone Gluten-Free. but once my body felt better then all these wonderful oppurtunities started popping up! it was like i figured out my life all because of some silly diet but its true!

anyways, showing a close friend or family member who would support your Gluten-Free diet and take the time to read or listen to some research you did on how gluten affects your mood would really help for those times you accidentally get glutened (and it probably will happen because there is gluten EVERYWHERE). the next time you feel like crap think about what you ate. then you go to you trusted friend or family member and say, "hey i think i got glutened and you know how that makes me feel!" and they make you feel better and reassure you that everything will be much better tomorrow (as long as you stay Gluten-Free!)

hope this helps and if you need me to be your first testimonial i gladly will because i dont want anyone to go through what i did.

thanks, yeah it's really hard, been sick over 3 years now looking for answers - finished my associate while I was sick doing online classes but totally broke and can't continue - I first started doing dairy free 3 weeks ago..felt a little better..then I took soy out and felt a little better..then gluten..so honestly it's been maybe 2 weeks (with *maybe* a possibility of gluten sneaking in on this dream rice milk i've been doing..found out through research that they use barley extract..)

so i'm not sure how long this is going to take, i've read from some people on this site that it takes 3 months..had one nice girl said her anxiety issues didn't go away until after 10 months....and the sad part is I started lexapro/xanax (gluten free I checked) and I just feel AWFUL..and I have two job interviews in the morning and i'm debating cancelling them. THinking of disability and selling my car just to hold out until I get feeling better. So yeah I'm totally sticking with the lactose/soy/gluten/wheat diet right now...and I'm not sure how long it's going to take to shake this anxiety/insomnia but hopefully soon. I thought the antidepressants were going to help the anxiety part but they're just making me 10X worse..course it takes weeks to work but...I have a side job that I do ultra part time for my local college. That's the only pathetic income I got right now..

I dunno..debating what to do in the morning. Hate to tick people off and cancel a job interview in this market but again i'm not sure if I can stomach sitting on a phone for 8 hours a day with this anxiety and abdominal pains. I've improved a tiny bit but still I'm not sure i'm ready..

ok that's enough of my sad story..but I am following a very strict gluten free diet and avoiding everything I can.

[ravenwoodglass]

thanks, yeah it's really hard, been sick over 3 years now looking for answers - finished my associate while I was sick doing online classes but totally broke and can't continue - I first started doing dairy free 3 weeks ago..felt a little better..then I took soy out and felt a little better..then gluten..so honestly it's been maybe 2 weeks (with *maybe* a possibility of gluten sneaking in on this dream rice milk i've been doing..found out through research that they use barley extract..)

so i'm not sure how long this is going to take, i've read from some people on this site that it takes 3 months..had one nice girl said her anxiety issues didn't go away until after 10 months....and the sad part is I started lexapro/xanax (gluten free I checked) and I just feel AWFUL..and I have two job interviews in the morning and i'm debating cancelling them. THinking of disability and selling my car just to hold out until I get feeling better. So yeah I'm totally sticking with the lactose/soy/gluten/wheat diet right now...and I'm not sure how long it's going to take to shake this anxiety/insomnia but hopefully soon. I thought the antidepressants were going to help the anxiety part but they're just making me 10X worse..course it takes weeks to work but...I have a side job that I do ultra part time for my local college. That's the only pathetic income I got right now..

I dunno..debating what to do in the morning. Hate to tick people off and cancel a job interview in this market but again i'm not sure if I can stomach sitting on a phone for 8 hours a day with this anxiety and abdominal pains. I've improved a tiny bit but still I'm not sure i'm ready..

ok that's enough of my sad story..but I am following a very strict gluten free diet and avoiding everything I can.

I have very bad anxiety issues, everyone was convinced I was also depressed so they started out giving be both antidepressants and antianxiety meds combined. I was a mess on that combination. Finally my psychiatrist listened to me and we dropped the antidepressants and he prescribed alprazolam, the gluten free version of Xanax and the difference is incredible. Xanax in the name brand is NOT gluten free so be sure you are not taking that form of it. I don't know if your situation is similiar to mine but you may want to consider seeing if just an the alpazolam might be more helpful.

In my case after a short time being gluten free it was obvious that it was gluten that caused the depressive symptoms. After injestion I am frankly suicidal for a 24 hour period and then it lifts. The anxiety is another issue in itself though and has actually gotten worse since I went gluten free, in part because my physical reactions to gluten are so severe and last up to 3 weeks. The only good thing about the depressive effect is that it does help me pinpoint more easily what glutened me as my tummy issues take 3 days to appear where the brain effect happens within 24 hours.

[darlindeb25]

I am not positive about this but I believe HIPPA regs forbid them from asking about your medical history.

Even if an employer thought they could ask a doctor for your medical info, the doctor, according to HIPAA cannot release any info without a records release form signed by you. I work in a doctor's office and deal with HIPAA everyday. The only time a doctor can release info, is if you, as the patient ask the doctor to send his/her exam results to your PCP, or a doctor you have been referred too...not employers.

[Matt007b]

I have very bad anxiety issues, everyone was convinced I was also depressed so they started out giving be both antidepressants and antianxiety meds combined. I was a mess on that combination. Finally my psychiatrist listened to me and we dropped the antidepressants and he prescribed alprazolam, the gluten free version of Xanax and the difference is incredible. Xanax in the name brand is NOT gluten free so be sure you are not taking that form of it. I don't know if your situation is similiar to mine but you may want to consider seeing if just an the alpazolam might be more helpful.

In my case after a short time being gluten free it was obvious that it was gluten that caused the depressive symptoms. After injestion I am frankly suicidal for a 24 hour period and then it lifts. The anxiety is another issue in itself though and has actually gotten worse since I went gluten free, in part because my physical reactions to gluten are so severe and last up to 3 weeks. The only good thing about the depressive effect is that it does help me pinpoint more easily what glutened me as my tummy issues take 3 days to appear where the brain effect happens within 24 hours.

Yeah I have a hunch i've been screwing up the last few weeks..I'm not sure if a few things are safe, like split pea soup from cambell's isn't on their gluten free list (woops)..neither is their pace salsa (I could be wrong) so i'm screwing up on this diet...almost seems like just reading labels isn't enough you have to double check online with others to see what they say and hopefully i'll get it together because my anxiety is super bad. I had to turn down 2 job interviews today because i'm too sick..gonna sell my only car

I have xanax from DAVA pharm. and I called them on the phone..now weather it's true or not I dunno but they said that their generic xanax with the "S 901" that I have on the pill only has a trace of corn but it's gluten free so I should be ok. I'm stopping my lexapro though it's making me worse than better so it seems i'm in the same boat as you. I've been sick for almost 4 years now and I was able to manage working through it until about 6 months ago where I couldn't leave the house anymore and lost my job. GI says all my symptoms are leading towards malabsorbtion and intolerance or celiac so..*shrugs* ugh i'll follow this diet super super strict I don't want any doubt.

Thanks for the info though!

[Korwyn]

Yeah I have a hunch i've been screwing up the last few weeks..I'm not sure if a few things are safe, like split pea soup from cambell's isn't on their gluten free list (woops)..neither is their pace salsa (I could be wrong) so i'm screwing up on this diet...almost seems like just reading labels isn't enough you have to double check online with others to see what they say and hopefully i'll get it together because my anxiety is super bad. I had to turn down 2 job interviews today because i'm too sick..gonna sell my only car

Hi Matt,

I got bit by the fact that a lot of dried beans and stuff (for making my own soup - slow cookers rock!) were produced on production lines which process soy and wheat products.

[Matt007b]

Hi Matt,

I got bit by the fact that a lot of dried beans and stuff (for making my own soup - slow cookers rock!) were produced on production lines which process soy and wheat products.

Ugh! that's so frustrating..yeah I just want the quickest path to getting healed, I'm trying to avoid bankrucptcy but my nausea/anxiety/abdominal pains are just too hard to work with right now..course it's only been 3 weeks but man that would be frustrating about the beans. It's almost like if it's not comfirmed on the web as being gluten free i'm scared to death to eat it. Here I was 2 weeks away from my flight intructor checkride trying to be an airline pilot and something simple as beans are tained *rolls eyes* that's frustrating!