Do you think working has an intrinsic value and do we need it to stay healthy?

[noname223]

My answer is it depends. It depends on the type of work. On the individual if the person likes the work or despises it. The mental state of the person etc.
I think I personally could live without work. I don't need work to live a fulfilled life. (I have other reasons why my life is shitty though): I envy people with a stable income without working. Some people arrange themselves with welfare. I won't be able to do that instead I will have to ctb.

Currently I go to college. It is true the social interactions improved my sanity. It feels good to have a goal I can strive to. Though the cons outweigh the pros by far. It is extremely dangerous to get a psychosis or mania. It triggers OCD and a lot of other shit. I need addictive medication to cope with it. I experience extreme pressure when there are exams. This stems from my past-abuse. I think for me and the society something different was the smartest move. Though it will never happen. GIve me 200-250 euros more than usual welfare (per month). You might prevent a suicide, a patient who will be frequently in very expensive clinics and I would need less expensive medication. This is would benefit both sides. I once read in Switzerland people with psychosis usually don't work due to these considerations (expensive clinic stays). But this was years ago. And I could not find the source again. Take it with a grain of salt.

There are experts who claim humans need work to stay mentally stable. I doubt that a lot. This does not count for all people. Maybe for some people who are privileged to have an interesting job. Someone who likes his work and the people the person he or she daily meets.

I even read this from expert when they talked about higher welfare. Something I extremely hope for. They said people don't need more money they need work that fits to them. GO FUCK YOURSELF YOU ASSHOLES. Working triggers me extremely. And I will kill myself due to the low amount of money you get from welfare. GO FUCK YOURSELF YOU SO-CALLED "experts".

I don't generalize my case. I think there are people who benefit from the structure and routines that you get from a job. Some people really like to have goal. But I think many people could also live satisfying lives without work.
For disabled people there are workplaces in my country. The payment is extremely low. It is a joke. But it shall give the people who work there a good feeling. Sorry but I feel as the butt of the joke if I don't even get paid 1 buck an hour.

A psychiatrist once thought this would be a good treatment for me. This dude was an extreme unempathetic idiot. It was pure torture for me. I had extreme depression to that time. I needed better medication and not this fucking bullshit. I felt extremely humiliated.

I am glad that people can profit from it. I don't criticize that such work places exist. But for me personally it felt like slavery. This psychiatrist did not care about me at all. He was arrogant, lazy and not interested in my case. What a fucking asshole. I don't doubt people can profit from it. But it was so obvious that I would suffer from it. What I actually did a lot. I think I went there two times. It was extremely hellish. It made me very very suicidal.

 

[befree]

Yes, it´s good when a person has something to do and has the feeling of being needed. Unemployed people are often depressed because they feel they are not needed and think they are not a part of the society.

 

[wait.what]

I'll say yes, but with the caveat that not all valuable work is paid. Caregiving for dependent relatives is absolutely valuable labor, but almost nobody ever actually gets money for it.

 

[ncmxm]

No lol, lots of people kill themselves because of their jobs or get killed in accidents at work because of unsafe working conditions

How does this have intrinsic value and make people's lives better

 

[FuneralCry]

No, not at all. From what I have heard many people hate working and it just makes their lives worse. I do not think that working has any value, people do it just so they can survive. Working can be very stressful and I think that if someone is working at a job they hate it can send them into despair.

To me life itself has no value, life is extremely pointless and unnecessary, we exist for no reason and all that humans do is just distract themselves until they die. I think that many people would find life more bearable if they did not have to work and instead distracted themselves in other ways.

 

[whatevs]

I think that these experts are speaking of striving towards/exerting yourself with things you don't loathe when they speak of working being good for your health.

Obviously if you hate your job that makes the health benefits go away, as you need to be doing something that keeps you at the least distracted, and when we don't like an activity there isn't a lot of entertainment or mental stimulation going on.

Personally I enjoy programming and I will probably end up getting a stable job or income from it, it's one of the areas of my life that don't make me suicidal.

 

[hopelessdreams]

i think work can be beneficial for someone's health due to the routine and feeling of productiveness it brings, if you work a job you like of course. the same goes for college. the routine keeps you going, not the lectures and homework.

i've seen this pan out in my own life. dropped out of college a few months ago. i didn't realize how dependent i was on it for my routine. it made me wake up early everyday, concentrate on something other then my phone or thoughts for a few hours, and socialize with people instead of staying at home. without it i felt more depressed and suicidal then ever. now that i've got a part time job i feel a lot better (still suicidal tho). without school or a job i had too much time on my hands to dwell on my miseries and insecurities.

it does depend on the person tho like you said. i don't have a disability so i can't relate to the feelings you have, but either way, they're completely valid. different strokes for different folks..

 

[ConstantPain]

I think it totally depends but can mostly speak for myself. Sadly, I've been employed full-time most of my life. It seems first of all, you have to be well enough to begin with, then do something that interests you, and receive decent compensation and/or at least appreciation. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't have jobs that meet those conditions. I do know some people who did better with jobs than not but I question whether they could have gotten them or thrived like they did if they were experiencing a major mh disorder.
My worst episodes of major depression came when I was working full-time and work added to my stress level. I took 1 year off from working when I moved 6 years ago and did just fine mh wise but I also stayed busy.
Right now, my desire to ctb is getting stronger and work definitely contributes to my exhaustion and hopelessness. Perhaps if I got paid more, I'd have more options. At the same time, I know I'm fortunate to have my job and I am still interested in the field I'm in.
I can see that there's probably some benefits when it comes to socialization and feeling needed. Not to sound arrogant but I know I'm needed and that keeps me going. I've worked from home since April 2020 and hardly ever leave the house. I don't think that really has anything to do with my current depression but it's probably not super healthy. I don't think I'm well enough now to go back to the office every day if I had to.
I also agree that psychiatrists should not solely rely on employment (or any 1 thing) as a means of treatment or treat anyone in a rude, dismissive way. The psychiatrist I had 20 years ago did prescribe medication and wasn't dismissive but pushed me to get married. Ironically, the main reason I want to ctb now has to do with my marriage, lol.