Are you unemployed; if so, how does it affect you?

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I was unemployed for two years, and I had to say that it started out feeling fine since the last job I had beforehand was stressful beyond belief. But a year after, I started feeling a bit worthless just because I didnt really have anything constructive to do. Most days, I just sat and played any of my various games, and slowly hit the peak of a depression. I managed to get some help, and eventually a job, but had to give up my apartment and move back in with my parents after 4 years of living alone. Now I'm working two jobs, but it's poverty level income, so still stuck with them, taking some online courses, and applying when I feel motivated enough to actually do so (which tends to be rare given how absurd things seem to be). Losing you motivation will be the biggest thing you have to deal with while unemployed.

I'm 50 and have never had a job. I'm very socially isolated and feel useless all of the time.

I'm currently unemployed after being fired for the first time ever.

I was unemployed for 5 years after leaving school in 1990 and ended up going to university to study to try and make myself more employable. That was in the UK, though, and I received benefits and lived at home with my parents, so there was no real pressure to find work. I think I felt awfully short-changed for the first year or so, but after that I just got settled into the routine and I basically just wasted my days, I suppose.

I was out of work a couple of times since graduating, but never for more than a few weeks, and at that time I was feeling very hopeful, which probably helped me find jobs.

I moved to the States 4 years ago and was out of work for 18 months before landing my last job. Now I'm out of work again, and this being the land of the free, there are no benefits and I'm living on my wife's income and savings.

As for how you feel, for me there was a period of elation this time around; my last job was hell, though it was really down to my lack of social skills and other problems affecting my work. But now, after submitting 20 applications in 2 weeks and not even receiving any kind of acknowledgement, let alone an interview date, reality is settling in, and I've begun to feel rather hopeless, though this varies from day to day.

I try and be useful by doing lots of housework, which my wife, who works full time, really appreciates. But that won't pay the mortgage, and when the savings run out, what then?

I'm unemployed for the first time because I left my job due to depression. I currently do voluntary work and live off my savings. I'm not worried about money for the time being. If I didn't have voluntary work I'd be more depressed.

I have a fake job so I guess I'm employed, but only to June.

To be honest I wish I was unemployed, that thread in the general autism forum about disability checks (Forgot the exact name) gave me a new hope at life.

I'm completely miserable at my current job, they just bash me endlessly there, I'm really considering going on disability once I finish, if I even make it that long!

Having Aspergers plus having Hyperhidrosis or Bromhidrosis = Hell on earth. The anxiety in morning in which I have to go to work is terrible.

I have been unemployed for over 4 years and i would say my confidence was low at the time however the new year has been slightly better as i have attended voluntary workshops at the Museum of London doing Archaeology which has been good and now my supported volunteer worker is trying to sort out long term voluntary work with the museum where i did my workshops. I am not ready to go into paid work at present which is why i am taking the voluntary route so that i get my confidence back.

Hi...I don't work, nor will I ever. It's a long story. Here we go.

First of all. I got my AS diagnosis late in life, when I was 26. And I do feel some jealousy and resentment because kids all the way down to age 6 get their diagnosis and the help they need while there is still time to do something about it and teach them to survive in this world. I got mine too late after I had already screwed up my life and wasted every opportunity I had because I didn't have the skills to deal with them the right way. Nobody was there to teach me how to cope with life as an Aspie.

Since I come from a wealthy stable home, I was never taken seriously. Even though my parents were told from I was in kindergarten, that there was something wrong with me. I was sent to many therapists but none of them knew what was the problem was, I don't think they even knew about AS back them, remember this is about 25 years ago (I feel old). So I was left to struggle on my own and therefore I ended up on an early pension.

So yeah, I don't work. I just never could get past High School, not for lack of trying though. But the education system is too social for me; spending so many hours with people every day, sitting close to them, group work, exams. I can't handle that stuff, I feel so uncomfortable. Doesn't make it easier that the "normals" as I call them know right away that something is off about me because I can't do eye contact. Eyes scare me, always have.

I was never lacking anything in intelligence and could keep up with my classes fine, but my social skills are nonexistent and the pressure always became overwhelming so I dropped out over and over. Same problem would be likely to arise in a work environment so I probably wouldn't be able to work even if I managed to get a degree.

I used to dream about a carreer and making my parents proud, but I am realizing as I get older, that it's never going to happen. It's been difficult accepting that. Most of the time I tell myself that I am OK with everything. But you never really stop giving a damn about the work situation or lack thereof. You can lie to yourself, prentend you are fine with it, but it's not the truth. Because it's a basic human instinct to want to feel like we are making a difference in life. We have the need for purpose. And respect from our fellow people. But I get none of that. Because I am not a valued member of society. That's how I feel anyway.

i've been unemployed since 2006. i have no skills anybody is interested in. no money for college, even in-state tuition is beyond me. i had to learn how to live very cheaply. i live in a tin can out in the woods, and buy lots of rice and beans and tins of 25 cent scratch and dent canned foods. my little place doesn't cost that much to cool and heat, and the property tax [so far] is low. i drive a 15 year old car that still has less than 50k miles on it because i only make the hour drive into civilization once per week for sundries [plus my once-per-month aspie meetup in the capital city]. i am thankful i have much more time to do things that keep me happy and give me a reason to live. i like having abundant time to be here on wrong planet. i like being able to listen to lots of music, and to work on my music collection [transcribing, restoration, archiving], though i would like it better if somebody would hire me for my audio restoration skillset. i can dream, in any case.
when i was working i was usually at a high level of stress [working in high-stress/low control jobs, around lots of bullies and brassholes], and my health prematurely deteriorated to the point that in my 40s i had the health of somebody in his 70s. as soon as i was free from my job hellhole, my health indicators improved. it is stressful being poor and alone, but much less stressful than being in the rat race. where i live, when the chainsaws and barking uncurbed dogs and dirtbikes/guns/yahoos/et al aren't in full cry [like early in the morning/late at night] it is nice and quiet, far from the city noises and motor traffic rumble, i just hear the wind rustling through the trees/bushes, and distant animal sounds. that is very calming to me. when it rains, i just sit underneath the covered porch and enjoy the pitterpatter of the droplets, it is so calming. i have time to go outside and walk in nature and go biking in the hills in the countryside. i could use more $$$$ but i certainly don't miss the rat race, not one bit.

I can't work in a "normal" job. Thank heavens I am creative and bring in extra money each month from selling my art and craft (I have my products in some consignment craft shops and I sell my poetry ebooks online). It covers my power bill and sometimes my phone bill too.

I hate it when people think that if you're not earning big money and then paying lots of taxes you're not contributing to society. I do pay taxes on the small amount I earn from my art and crafts, but I also get financial help from the government too otherwise I couldn't survive.

But I contribute to society in other non-financial, but just-as-important ways:

I love to knit and crochet, so in the winter I do charity knitting and crochet. I don't do it in summer as I can't stand the feeling of the yarn on my hot skin... I know, I'm strange Anyway, in winter I make hats and booties for babies from poor families and also from poor countries. I also make scarfs and blankets (was given a knitting machine last year, so making blankets should be so much easier now... yay!).

I have written inspiring poems for people who are facing a hard time in life. I have many letters from strangers who have been helped by my poems... they're worth more to me than gold!

I'm currently working on a range of craft products and an ebook to help raise money for the rabbit charities I support.

All these things don't cost me much money to do (I have a big stash of yarn and many knitting charities will provide it for you if you want to help them. I make art and crafts from recycled products. Papier mache is my favourite and it uses up all the junk mail I get every week).

So if, like me, you can't work in a "normal" job but still want to make a difference in the world, just look to your talents and interests and see where they could lead you.

Just writing about having Asperger's makes a huge difference to others who have, or think they might have it. When I thought I could have it and read others blogs who do it made so much difference to me. Those blog writers helped me so much!

I am tormented by it. I lost my job on Thursday and I feel like a failure for it, even though I hated the job with a burning passion. I hate job searching! I feel like I'll never be able to become an independent member of society.

Between 2005 and 2009 (my college years), I had so much trouble finding part-time jobs and internships. I also couldn't apply for any on-campus jobs because I didn't qualify for work-study. I desperately wanted to make some money on my own rather than asking my parents to give me money all the time. Due to the difficulty of getting a job or internship, I couldn't make any money and therefore, became extremely upset about it. I wasn't sure if it was my social and communication skills that were preventing me from getting the jobs in the weak economy.