I feel like a failure after losing my job and moving back in with my parents
DEAR DEIDRE: AFTER losing my dream job, I’ve had to move back in with my parents.
I feel like a failure and I miss having my own home in a city I loved.
I’m a 22-year-old man. My ambition was to become a paramedic and I was so excited to start work.
But it soon became obvious I couldn’t hack the pressure of the job.
Self-esteem has always been an issue for me, and I simply didn’t have enough confidence to make fast, important decisions.
I ended up quitting before I was sacked.
I was devastated. Without a steady job, I couldn’t afford to stay in Leeds, the city I had settled in. I had to move back home to Surrey.
My family are supportive and understanding, and welcomed me back. But I am miserable.
How can I pick myself up and start again?
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DEIDRE SAYS: Returning home after living independently is never easy. Try to see it as being a temporary arrangement rather than a step backwards.
Your self-esteem has taken another battering. But it is possible to build on this by taking small steps initially. My support pack Raising Self-esteem should help.
The charity Mind (mind.org.uk) also has useful information on low self-esteem.
Realising your dream job wasn’t suitable must have been a blow. But you clearly have lots of useful skills.
While you think about what to do, consider volunteering somewhere.
See moving back to Leeds and being independent again as a goal for the future.