Just sitting here thinking about everything and how the past few weeks have been going, mainly with my job. I don't really know where to start and I honestly don't think I want advice. I just need to bitch. Feel free to comment/share similar stories/offer advice though, if you want to.

So I got this job about 2 1/2 months ago as a receptionist at an assisted living/memory care place. Training took about 5 days and then I was on my own and I actually learned the job really quickly and I feel fairly comfortable here, both of which are huge as I have social anxiety, generalized anxiety, and depression, among a few other things that generally make finding and holding a job very difficult. However, there are two main problems.

The first is probably just going to get better with time and maybe some different medication from my doctor, and that's the fact that a couple days out of the week, I have to be to work at 8:00 (and therefore get up at 6:30). When I have to work in the morning like that, and get up early, I can't for the life of me get to sleep the night before and sleep through the night. I end up sleeping in fits of about an hour or two each. Coupled with my medication, the next day is not fun to say the least. I don't feel right the next day, I feel sleepy and weak all day, and then I crash (as in I have to go to bed or will fall asleep wherever I am) around 9pm that night. My parents keep telling me I'll get used to it, and it's only a couple of days a week, but it's been 2 1/2 months and I'm still not used to it.

The second problem is the worst part of my life right now. If you've gone to that 'rant' topic, you've probably seen me post a couple of times about it. There's this woman, a resident here, who has dementia and alzthemier's (and very possibly schizophenia) and to put it simply, she is fucking driving me up the goddamned wall. She sits up here by my desk (which is in a living room sort of area in the front of the building) and talks at me pretty much 98% of the time I'm here. Some of that time she gets very agitated and belligerent and screams obscenities at anyone around, calls me all kinds of names (fat heifer, stupid bitch, etc.) and although I know she doesn't know what she's doing, it drives me to the point of tears. I need to be able to concentrate on talking to visitors, answering the phone, taking care of multiple other computer tasks, etc. and her incessant talking with her awful grating voice makes me want to scream. When I hear her footsteps coming down the hall even, her shuffling on the carpet, I want to hide. She's making what is pretty much otherwise a good job, a living hell. She needs to be moved down to the garden level (memory care) mainly because she keeps trying to push the doors open (they're locked though) and keeps screaming at people that we're holding her here against her will and that she needs to leave and the people don't know what to do. She's scaring the other residents, freaking out the guests, and generally just making life entirely awful for everyone here.

So...I don't know what to do about any of it. I don't know that there's anything I can do, besides up my anxiety medication and just wait it out. Quitting is not an option, not even for a little while to find a different job. The thing is, I love my coworkers, so I really don't want to leave. If this horrible woman would just leave it would be so much better.

Is there any way to talk to the higher ups about that person? Maybe go to your doctor and explain that you are having a hard time sleeping. I had that problem with my anxiety. Mostly just being keyed up and not being able to sleep since usually at work I would not get home until the wee hours of the night. I got put on sleep medication, it has helped me get to sleep and get enough sleep. It won't work right away, it will take awhile but I have found it has helped me a lot.

The higher-ups know about her. They just can't do anything, because it costs more for a room in memory care and her son won't pay it. Her son who is head of neurosurgery at a major hospital. I used to be on sleeping pills though, for a while. Problem was, they made me too tired to get up in the morning.

I live with someone who has dementia. The best thing sometimes is to just ignore that person and just block it out or just tell them how you feel. People with dementia really act like little kids, sometimes discipline does help. How long did you take sleep medication? It took me about a month or two for my body to get used to it.

It was making me sick to my stomach, so I didn't take it for more than a week. I think I'm going to try and see if I can get something different. And that is pretty much what I do with her - ignore her. Problem is, she gets pissed and starts banging on my desk and screaming. I just pray she gets moved downstairs soon.

Maybe start a fund on go fund me to get her a room where she would receive optimal care. You might be able to pay for her stay so she gets moved and stops bugging you. Just a thought.

That's an interesting idea. I'll have to float that by some of my coworkers who are also...interested in having her move downstairs.

Hopefully it gets better for you. :)

UPDATE:

OHMYGOD. I got in to work this morning and SHE IS MOVING DOWNSTAIRS. TODAY. I know I shouldn't be happy, because it means they're noticing she's declining and she doesn't have long for this world, and I'm sorry for her, I really am. But dear God, I can't help but be SO HAPPY for me. Maybe I can finally breathe now.