Change in career, change in attitude
After eight years in pharmaceutical sales I decided to end it all and move to a different career. Real Estate. My pharma job was creating stress, anxiety and depression in addition to the stress, anxiety and depression already existing in my life. It made my symptoms 3-fold.
For those of you who don't know, pharmaceutical sales has good pay, great health benefits and great friends. However, the industry has changed so much. In the eight years I was selling the government regulations got worse and worse until our jobs were almost impossible to do. That being said, pharmaceutical sales means you work for the devil. Everything that's wrong with our health care system stems from the drug companies. The cost of drugs is determined by how much profit the drug company wants to make. In 2015 my company raised the price of a product I was selling three times. Why? No reason. They could so they did. It was all about making as much profit as possible before that product goes generic. That's why your medications are so high and why they keep going up.
The last straw was a patient coming up to me in a doctor's office lobby, crying her eyes out. The doctor saw me and had said to her, "Well you want to know why. Ask him." The drug her husband needed to live had gone up so much that he could no longer afford them. I asked if she applied for assistance from my company. She said she did but did not qualify. They are retired and on a fixed income and they didn't qualify? I looked into it and apparently one has to dirt poor to qualify, way below the poverty line. This drug is a life or death product. She was so upset, she was sobbing and all she kept asking was, "Why? Why?" I told her I couldn't do anything for her but I did leave the doctor a ton of samples. I told her to just keep asking for samples and that should get you through until you can figure something out. The doctor said he would give her all the samples she needs. 
No one should have to go through that. No one should have to decide whether they should starve to pay for their meds or die. Believe it or not some people choose to struggle though and let themselves die. They don't want to be a burden to their families and cause more financial problems so they decide to die. It should never be this way.
I was so unhappy, depressed and sad about my job. I dreaded waking up and going to work each morning. I did all i could to procrastinate and put off having to do work. Picture going into offices all day long and being told no one has time for you, that you are a bother, that you are to stop coming in and that the doctor hates drug reps. It happens on a daily basis and it sucks your soul dry.
I have always wanted to try real estate. I love looking at homes, I love interior design and at one time I wanted to be an architect. Luckily I found a realtor, or she found me, recognized my potential, said I had the personality for real estate so I took the plunge. I'm so glad I did. I've been at this for two months and I absolutely love it! I haven't made any money yet but I know it will happen.
The thing I noticed right off was that my depression and anxiety was cut in half, if not more. I look forward to going to work each day. My energy levels are back to normal. I get up every morning at six o'clock and hit the gym and I'm at work by eight thirty. I work all day, sometimes not leaving until six pm and I love it. My work is so rewarding and I get to help people find homes and that makes them happy. Making them happy makes me happy. A great combination.
So, if you have as many mental health issues as I have and you think there is no way out. Maybe it's something in your life that is making it worse. If you know you're not happy than I suggest dealing with it. The result feel so much better than dealing with it every day.
